Tate Multimedia has released a new trailer for Kao the Kangaroo, the upcoming platformer that's due to arrive on consoles in summer 2022. The trailer showcases various environments and levels from Kao the Kangaroo which returns after a 17-year hiatus.
Although Kao has not hit the heights of fellow marsupial platformer Crash Bandicoot, the kangaroo series has been around for almost as long. Kao the Kangaroo is perhaps comparable to Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Where It's About Time revamped Crash Bandicoot, there will be hopes that Kao the Kangaroo has a similar impact for Kao.
The new trailer offers fans a glimpse at what to expect when they're playing in the world of Kao the Kangaroo. The trailer consists of various types of environments, from areas brimming with greenery, to caves almost entirely submerged in molten lava. The locations shown in this trailer suggest that the game has exciting platforming in store for fans when Kao the Kangaroo comes out.
Kao arrived on consoles for the first time all the way back in 2000. There have been four mainline Kao games in the series, with the latest coming in 2005, along with one spin-off that also came out in 2005. This long gap between titles shows that the Kao games did not benefit from the longevity and popularity that similar franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro had. However, in recent times, the developer behind the latest Crash and Spyro titles has been shifted to work on other projects. This could open up a gap in the platforming genre that Kao the Kangaroo may aim to fill.
The reintroduction of the Kao the Kangaroo series comes after a renaissance of sorts for platforming games in recent years. The release of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy in 2017 and then Spyro Reignited Trilogy the year after reminded people why the original games were so popular back when they were initially released. This amalgamated in the first new Crash Bandicoot title in years, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. The team behind the return of the kangaroo platformer will be hoping that Kao resonates with fans and is received well enough to kickstart a new era for the series.
Kao the Kangaroo will release in summer 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.