The massive success of Astro Bot dominated the platform genre in 2024. It earned that praise but it also made it harder for similar games to get even a fraction of the same attention. If you’re not coming from a major publisher or a Nintendo property, it’s hard to stand out. One such example is Bakaru. This is a platformer that’s drenched in Japanese culture that I only came across by accident. Outside of some minor pacing and camera issues, this is an easy-to-recommend game.
A different kind of Japan that needs saving
The story around Bakaru revolves around a threat taking place in a mystical version of Japan. You play as the titular character, who is a tanuki who can shapeshift to look like a human. In this game, most characters in the game are mystical animals that take on human form. In all cases, they draw inspiration from aspects of Japanese culture.
Your character needs to save Japan from this evil threat. So, you’ll proceed to travel across the country to get aid. The first part of the game has you finding mystical characters who you need their help. Instead of joining forces, they grant you their “Henge” abilities. These allow Bakaru to use their skills, including better attacks or the ability to shrink in size.
After that, you’ll need to move across the country to find captive Nanakusa girls. Whereas the first third of the game is pretty linear, it does open up a bit. You’re still locked into specific regions, but you can play the available stages in any order.
Straightforward but a lot to explore if you want
A few things stand out while playing Bakaru. As mentioned earlier, this game relies a lot on Japanese culture. For starters, stages resemble their real-life counterparts. For example, when you play the Nara stage, it’s filled with deer enemies.
On top of that, each stage also has collectibles you can find. These range from collectible items to trivia about the stage or Japanese traditions. Early in the game, a few stages take place on a cruise ship. Here, you’ll learn some interesting facts about boats. Your mileage on these may vary, but for someone interested in Japan, these are worth seeking out.
The collectibles are completely optional, but they also pad the game’s length. For non-boss fight stages, you need to find and destroy three lanterns. These are usually easy to find. In some cases, stages will have four or five, when you only need three. So, it’s very rare that you’ll struggle to complete a stage.
Some minor issues that don’t ruin the experience
Although I’m having a lot of fun with Bakeru, it does feel a bit limited. Most of the stages incorporate the same structure. Yes, the level designs are great, but there isn’t enough variety in what you have to do.
Mind you, there are some fun stages. There are a few vehicular stages, including an on-rails shooter stage that are short but sweet. Also, I’ve now come across some 3D fighter stages. In these battles, your airship transforms into a fighting mech. These resemble the Godzilla movies, so it’s very on-brand. For example, the first battle takes place in a busy Osaka. What’s cool about this stage is that you’re fighting against a Takoyaki Beast. Considering Osaka is famous for this dish, it makes sense.
The last gripe I had was with the camera. This game mixes up both free and fixed camera angles at times. Some sections keep the camera close to Bakeru, which makes it hard to see objects or enemies around you. This also posed a bit of a problem in some sections where there are many enemies. There is no camera lock, so if you’re getting attacked from behind, there is no quick way to reposition. I’ve gotten hit plenty of times because of this, and it does get annoying.
I wish more people give this a shot
Bakeru was a pleasant surprise. Although I’m not quite finished, I’m already halfway through. So, there is an incentive to see the game to its conclusion. Also, I love all the little things I’m learning about the country I’ve grown more fascinated with over the last year. I managed to pick this up on sale but it’s more than worth its $40 CDN price tag.
