Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Critical Consensus
Danielle Partis
News Editor
Thursday 24th March 2022
Friday sees the release of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the next instalment of the long-running Kirby franchise from HAL Laboratories, and the titular character's first foray into a full 3D adventure game.
The game sees Kirby dropped into a mysterious post-apocalyptic landscape with an array of different powers, all equipped through the character's trademark gobbling mechanic. Players can wield swords, throw bombs, or turn into a drinks machine that can wallop enemies with soda cans.
As of writing, the game has a score of 85 on Metacritic, with reviews generally positive across the board. In a Eurogamer Recommended review, Martin Robinson called Kirby and the Forgotten Land "a gloriously traditional platformer."
In a 9/10 review for NintendoLife, PJ O'Reilly noted that the new entry has managed to hold onto to recognisable parts of the series' past, and wrote: "HAL Laboratory has managed to successfully transpose everything we know and love from classic Kirby titles to this new game, with our little pink hero's exhaustive roster of copy abilities having made the jump intact."
Over at The Verge, Ash Parrish called Kirby and the Forgotten Land "a tactical cruise missile of unabashed happiness," but also said it "doesn't really have enough to keep you hooked."
In terms of story, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is kept relatively breezy and simple, with Kirby on a mission to save Waddle Dees from a terrible fate. That said, critics didn't share much detail on the plot.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land has less of an open world than initial trailers seemed to imply, but instead is separated into themed, linear levels with plenty to discover.
"There's ice levels! Beach levels!
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