OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes Review for PlayStation 4

OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes, developed by Capybara Games, is a retro-style fighting game that gamers of all ages can have fun playing. Fast, fluid combat combines with a humorous plot and memorable characters to create a gaming experience that holds appeal to gamers of many ages. Fans of Cartoon Network’s television show OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes will not be disappointed either, as the video game hews close to its source material. OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes is fun and lighthearted and, despite having some room for improvement, is definitely worth picking up.

The plot of OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes centers on K.O., a young boy who aspires to have his own POW Card – a collectible card that specifies the power levels of heroes and villains. K.O. works at Gar’s Hero Supply and Bodega in the Lakewood Plaza and fulfills a variety of tasks in the hopes of being recognized as a hero. The duties his job entails are extremely varied: on the first day that players control him, K.O. fights a sentient punching bag, masquerades as a trashcan, and protects Lakewood Plaza from invasion by robots.

OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes’s storyline picks up when K.O. receives his POW card and the game’s antagonist Lord Boxman manages resets all POW cards to level 0 in an attempt to gain control over Lakewood Plaza. K.O. goes around Lakewood Plaza assisting his friends in the confusion that ensues. The game’s main strength lies in the banter between K.O. and his friends, which allows for the many distinct and funny personalities to express themselves. The opportunities that arise while K.O. helps his friends allows him to advance his own reputation as a hero.

Lakewood Plaza serves as the game’s central hub. Players will spend a significant portion of their time running around this area to advance the plot, which revolves around picking up and completing quests from K.O.’s friends. While realized in video game form beautifully, Lakewood Plaza is not very large in-game.

The beat-‘em-up elements of the game are implemented wonderfully. As the plot moves along, K.O. fights increasingly tougher enemies in 2D, side scrolling areas. K.O. can punch, dodge, roll, and perform uppercuts. After completing quests for his friends, K.O. can also use their Powie Zowies – special moves that deal a lot more damage than K.O.’s normal punches. Powie Zowies need to charge and recharge, but they do so at a rate that allows K.O. to use them multiple times per battle.

The fighting also plays out very smoothly, which allows for experienced players to get in a lot of combos. However, the combat does get repetitive after a while. Even after unlocking several Powie Zowies, players will be faced with numerous similar fights that sometimes succumb to evoking a feeling of tediousness. Even though what is implemented into the combat system is done so masterfully, the combat system feels like it’s missing depth or more advanced controls that would put it on par with those of the great beat-‘em-ups.

While its gameplay does manage to feel repetitive after a few hours, but the engaging plot and K.O.’s personality shine brightly in OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes. The good outweighs the bad, though, and helps the game reach its rating of 8/10.

Check Out the OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes Video:

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is available for PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam in the Americas and Europe.

*I would like to thank Cartoon Network for giving me the review key