Video Game Review: -KLAUS-

-KLAUS-

La Cosa

Puzzle Platformer

Nintendo Switch

Klaus is a puzzle platformer with a very meta-narrative.  The game stars the titular character Klaus, who wakes up in a dark factory basement with no memory.  Klaus must get through multiple floors of the factory, which are split into stages and then split further into small rooms separated by doors, in an attempt to escape and remember why he is there.  Along with controlling Klaus, the player is tasked with moving platforms and opening doors for him, and later must simultaneously help the much bigger and bulkier K-1 through rooms.  As you go through the levels, Klaus and K-1 interact directly with the player to progress the story and explain as they regain memories.  Additionally, every stage has one or two secret levels that help unlock pieces of Klaus’ past.

Klaus is not exactly groundbreaking in story or gameplay, but it doesn’t really need to be.  The platforming is consistently solid and enjoyable, and Klaus and K-1 are endearing characters I quickly found myself growing fond of.  The game managed to stay fresh its entire lifespan, as almost every single stage introduced a new mechanic.  Klaus’ personality even factors into the gameplay itself, as his stubbornness tends to make him actively act against the player’s wishes and disregard the safety of K-1 in ways that directly cause problems.  Levels become additionally interesting when K-1’s vastly different playstyle and build force you to manage both him and Klaus separately.

The story, while interesting, was unfortunately nothing too unique.  The 4th wall-aware narrative may have been an interesting twist a few years ago, but these days it seems like one out of every 3 indie games tries to pull off a “the video game character is aware of the player” twist.  Nearly every beat on that end of the story I predicted long in advance.  On the other hand, the story regarding Klaus’ backstory was in fact compelling and fresh, and I believe the writers should have stuck entirely with that.

I went into this game expecting nothing more than another Super Meat Boy clone, and I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.  While the story was a little predictable in some parts, in others it caught me completely off guard.  From start to finish, the game was highly enjoyable and I find myself wanting to go back to it over and over.