GDC 2010: Blade Kitten Demo Impressions

If GDC is any indication, there's going to be a lot of downloadable titles this year across every platform. One of the few PS3 only downloadable titles I ran into was Blade Kitten from Krome Studios. As their first original IP since Ty the Tasmanian Tiger back in 2002, Blade Kitten shifts away from Krome's predominately E-rated history and into T-rated territory.

Playing as a 2.5D action platformer (3D graphics with 2d gameplay), players hack and slash their way through enemies as Kit, a bounty hunter with cat ears and a pink tail. The action and climbing aspects of the game felt smooth as Kit gracefully destroyed anything standing in her path, but frantic as a lost SNES/Genesis game. More specifically, the game's biggest influence appears to be Strider, and Kit easily stands toe to toe with the arcade classic. With a giant floating sword with a personality of its own, Kit is able to use it as a melee or range based weapon with ease. As she pummels numerous foes, her rage meter will build, allowing her to perform more advanced take downs when activated. Along the way, Kit will occasionally put her cute flying squirrel-like sidekick character to good use and interact with some of the background elements. Purists will be happy to know that the game isn't set to include any type of SixAxis control as Krome felt that they didn't fit into the game naturally.

One of the most pleasant surprises about the game is how Krome was able to find a balance between what I would call "annoyingly super cute" and "Team Ninja Sexploitation." Yes, Kit is an anime-inspired cat girl with sizable breasts, but the character isn't some vapid sidekick waiting to happen. In cutscenes, she's a capable and just a little bit sexy without over doing it. Whether this is because the lighthearted nature of the plot or how Blade Kitten originally began as a comic book created by Krome Studios co-founder, Steve Stamatiadis, it's clear that Kit isn't just there to be ogled at.

Players will be able to get their paws on Blade Kitten this spring in the form of two episodes, with DLC possibly released down the road. There will be plenty of trophies to earn and final cost for the two episodes will only set you back about $20.