While remakes and remasters fluctuate when it comes to reception, reimaginings are the lesser-known method of reviving a concept. The team over at Itatake has done this with an old childhood game in Kloot Arena.
This is a 3D PvP game where players battle it out in a spherical arena by controlling their pieces and timing their attacks. Strategy comes into play in terms of dealing as much damage with as few moves as possible. Only by eliminating other Kloot wielders can you become a Kloot master, and the road is paved with a lot of masks and energy balls along the way.
What is Kloot Arena?
When you hear a made-up word, you wonder if it's based on something or was just accidentally created due to an involuntary sound that someone made. This is the debate surrounding the word "Kloot" since apparently, it was important enough to get its own game in Kloot Arena.
You are an aspiring Kloot Master, who is brought to an otherworldly realm and confronted by a mysterious skeletal being. They teach you about the Kloot, which are apparently connected to solid orbs of energy which you have the power to roll around and launch in whatever direction they're pointed towards. Your goal is to knock out the opposing energy orbs possessed by other players in order to become a Kloot Master.
The clout of Kloot Arena
Some games gain recognition due to reputation while others work hard to stand out in a variety of ways. Kloot Arena manages to make itself shine, and not just due to weirdness. The main thing is that this game has essentially reinvented the game of marbles. The simplicity of launching orbs at each other is still there, but now you have direct control of the positioning which controls realistically like a ball rolling around. It has all the strategy of the physical game with the additions of mobility, powers, and an arena that can have hazards and effects lining the walls that you'll want to use to your advantage.
It has the gimmick of personalising your team of marble orbs with Masks. Not only do these literally provide a face to your orbs, but they're surprisingly well-animated with personalities based on their appearance and abilities. To complement their detailed visuals, each Mask comes with its unique skill that determines what your attack will be. These can range from AoE moves to focus on coverage to precision moves meant to snipe individual orbs from afar. Depending on which one you pick, you can alter your strategy accordingly while also keeping your opponent's Mask in mind.
Kloot Arena clodding
The problem with simple games is that they can be difficult to critique due to a lack of extended substance. Though Kloot Arena is a reimagining of a playground classic, it provides new elements that can leave you wanting more. The biggest one is the fact that you're restricted to one Mask at a time. You have a whole team of orbs to don with Masks, yet they just share one among themselves. It would be interesting and add more layers to the strategy if you could take multiple Masks into matches and then choose which one you think would be best for you based on the current layout and whichever orb you're controlling.
- Black Book review - "Deep, massive gameplay that's better on a bigger screen"
This leads to the other problem with the random picking that takes place when selecting which orb you get to launch. If an opponent gets a good shot and only one orb can let you make a comeback, it feels unfair when the game chooses a different one. It's not that bad considering that you can roll the orb around a fair amount, but energy runs out fast and will do so even faster if you have to navigate around other orbs to get into the right position.
Roll into Kloot Arena
Kloot Arena is a chaotic and exciting take on the classic game of marbles where you try to destroy your opponent's marbles with powerful Mask powers. It's simple yet strategic and surprisingly detailed when it comes to personalising and empowering your orbs. The RNG in picking your orbs for you can be annoying and the variety of Masks is missed potential in limiting you to only one at a time. Even so, there's still enough to have you marvel at these marbles.
Kloot Arena review - "Knock about angry orbs!"
Marbles have been digitally reinvented as large energy orbs with expressive masks that launch themselves at each other while making you crave more control and strategic variety.
Will Quick
Will Quick is a travelling writer currently dedicating his time to writing about the games he spends his free time playing. He's always on the lookout for the smaller and stranger of the bunch so he can shine a light on them.