Kya: Dark Lineage
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| Kya: Dark Lineage | |
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| Developer(s) | Eden Games |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date |  November 14, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen PEGI: 12+ |
| Media | 1 × DVD-ROM |
| Input methods | DualShock 2 Controller |
Kya: Dark Lineage (also known as Kya: Fury of Brazul in some countries) is a third-person action-adventure game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Eden Games and published by Atari. The game is notable for being a markedly different style of game than Eden Games (producers of the V-Rally series of games) usually produces, as well as featuring a combat system which is much deeper than traditional platformers.
Though initially set in the present, Kya: Dark Lineage throws the titular character Kya and her half-brother Frank into a strange new world. Kya finds herself separated from her brother, with the burden of protecting a friendly tribe of creatures called the Nativs from the predations of the evil overlord Brazul and his minions, the Wolfen (Wolfun in Europe) .
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[edit] Plot
Kya: Dark Lineage begins with Kya, the protagonist, and her half-brother Frank home alone. Kya hears a suspicious noise and follows it downstairs to finds Frank in a previously unknown room in the basement. While speaking about Kya's father they finish the piece to a puzzle on a table, opening a portal which sucks in both Kya and Frank. Kya awakens with three strange creatures around her and is chased through a jungle by feral creatures called the Wolfen/Wolfun while following several animal-like creatures, all of whom get captured save for one, Aton. She eventually reaches a strange village, called Nativ City, and meets Atea.
Atea explains that the Wolfen/Wolfun are merely mutated Nativs mutated by Brazul, Kya's father. Kya resolves to save Frank and is introduced to Akasa, who teaches her how to fight using mystical bracelets which greatly enhance her strength. Kya is blessed with a power which allows her to exorcize unconscious Wolfen/Wolfun and transform them back into Nativs.
In return for freeing the transformed Nativs, Atea agrees to help Kya find her half-brother. Kya learns she must find a magical medallion which will allow her to return to her own universe. The medallion was split into seven runes, emblems made of pure energy, which must be housed in a special amulet. During the course of tracking down the runes, Aton leads Kya to an industrialized area dedicated to mining magical amber. Aton betrays Kya, allowing Brazul to ambush her. During the course of the fight Kya collapses part of the mine to escape.
Eventually she discovers that Frank is being held in Brazul's laboratory, and she assaults the complex to rescue him. Upon arriving in the lab proper, she is horrified to learn that Brazul has turned Frank into a Wolfen/Wolfun. Kya defeats the Wolfen/Wolfun Frank and performs the exorcism ritual which returns him to his human form. Kya goes on to gather the last runes required to return home though she is ambushed again by Brazul, who takes the seven runes from her.
Kya journeys to Brazul's fortress, defeating Aton before confronting Brazul himself. After a difficult battle, Kya defeats Brazul and returns victorious to a cheering Nativ City, where she activates the portal and finds herself in a desolate place which is not her home.
[edit] Characters
Kya: The playable heroine of the story who was sucked into the world of the Nativs, along with her half-brother Frank. Kya is a strong and independent young woman who embarks on a quest to find Frank. By attempting to do this, she is also helping the Nativs to stop the evil Brazul's plans. In turn, she is adored by them, and they support her when necessary. Kya has a deep hatred for her father because she believes he simply abandoned her when she was younger.
Frank: He is Kya's half-brother. When they were transported into the world where the story takes place, Frank landed in a completely different location and was almost immediately captured by Wolfen who brought him to Brazul's lair. He spends most of the game in captivity.
Brazul: This fearsome presence is the monarch of this parallel world and the very creator of the dreaded Wolfen. He possesses vast knowledge about dark magic and has conquered most of this world by capturing Nativs and turning them into Wolfen. At a very early point in the game, he is revealed to be Kya's real father.
Nativs: They are the friendly tribe that is being hunted and transformed by Brazul. They live in the secluded Nativ City, which is their secret haven from Brazul's forces. Nativs resemble furry animals with a slightly canine appearance. Most of them sell helpful items to Kya, and as she frees more of them, they open up more stores.
Some of the Nativs play an important role in the story:
- Atea: He is the wisest, and probably oldest, of the Nativs; therefore, he assumes the position of their great elder. Atea sympathizes with Kya from the start and tells her that she is not the first of her kind to step into their world (referring to Brazul). He advises Kya throughout her quest and tells her about his world and how she can get back to her own. Additionally, he gives Kya the power to exorcise the Wolfen. He has a nameless pet bird that sits on his cane all the time which he bangs against the ground when it starts getting annoying.
- Aton: Aton is the strongest of the Nativs. He is the one who saves Kya at the beginning of the game and guide her into the Nativ City. He doesn't trust her too much, though, and once the other Nativs start idolizing Kya, he slowly starts developing a certain jealousy. He is also Area's best friend.
- Akasa: The combat teacher who runs a dojo in Nativ City. He teaches Kya various techniques on how to fight the Wolfen.
- Area: Area is a normal Nativ that likes to surf. He is somewhat of a coward, and Atea is captured because of his cowardice. He is always talking about Kya's missions. He figures out how to drive ships. He is Aton's best friend.
- Amada: Owner of a shop where Kya can buy fruit.
- The Snore: An unseen Nativ that is supposedly so boring that Kya is told that she should not talk to him.
Wolfen: The Wolfen are the creatures under Brazul's command. Originally Nativs, they were transformed by Brazul and sent out to capture the remaining people from their tribe. Wolfen, as their name implies, are creatures who have the physical appearance of anthropomorphic wolves. Kya is the only person who can fight the Wolfen and return them back to their Nativ forms.
There are three types of Wolfen:
- Scrawnies: These Wolfen are short and scrawny, just as their name suggests. They are notably dumb and are the weakest of all the Wolfen. However, they are the most common type and usually attack in numbers.
- Grunts: These buff Wolfen are much stronger than Scrawnies but are not necessarily smarter. They have a better defense than Scrawnies and inflict heavy damage on Kya.
- Kronos: The strongest and most intelligent of the Wolfen and therefore the hardest to defeat. Kronos are smart and can teleport from place to place. Their lack of tails prevent Kya from using certain moves against them.
- The Hunter: A strong Wolfen in charge of an island full of Wolfen. He wears a green t-shirt.
Stuff: Stuff is a furry flying animal that provides Kya with hints and tips throughout the course of the game. According to Atea, he is the last of his kind (the Galbos). Atea can use telepathy to communicate with Kya through Stuff. Stuff came from a big blue egg that Kya accidentally broke when Atea sent her to search for it.
[edit] Gameplay
Kya: Dark Lineage focuses on action-adventure platforming gameplay, with the player guiding Kya through a variety of stages. During the game the player can earn nooties, allowing them to return to the Nativ city to purchase items required to progress through the game. The player can purchase several items which allow Kya to increase her mobility, including the ability to climb slippery surfaces, perform wall jumps or ride fast-moving lizards called Jamguts. Whenever the player suffers damage, Kya can recover energy by draining it from big ambar shards.
The game focuses strongly on the element of air, featuring various sequences in which Kya must use strong wind currents to her advantage (although these can also prove to be a disturbance in certain points). It also features several freefall sequences during which the player must control Kya's speed and the direction of her descent, which usually ends when Kya lands on a big flower called Amortos, serving as an air bag. The player will suffer damage by touching objects while freefalling, or instantly lose a life by landing on the ground (at which point the freefall sequence will be restarted).
Complimenting the player's mobility is Kya's "Boomy", a magical boomerang-like weapon which allows Kya to cut ropes and attack enemies. The Boomy can be upgraded twice in the Nativ city, first increasing its speed (Silver Boomy) and later allowing the player to aim it in a first-person perspective (Golden Boomy), which allows the player to activate switches or attack normally unreachable foes. The player can also purchase explosive or electrifying bombs to damage foes. Additionally, there are purchasable traps that can be used to capture rare monsters for the Nativ zoo.
puzzles, which often rely on items or creatures within the immediate environment to solve, are another part of the game. Other puzzles might require creative use of Kya's mobility or even use of her fully-upgraded Boomy's ability to be directed as the player wishes. Some may only be solved when the player has acquired the correct equipment for Kya from Nativ City.
Beyond the beginning portion of the game the player's advancement is based on three factors: The equipment they have purchased, the number of Wolfen/Wolfun Kya has turned back into Nativs and ultimately, the collection of all seven Runes. A total of 260 Nativs can be rescued throughout the course of the game, though the player is not required to rescue them all in order to confront Brazul and complete the game.
A highly praised hand-to-hand combat system which is very similar to modern brawlers is included, during which Kya is unable to use her ranged weapons and must instead engage her foes in melee with punches, kicks and throws. The player will engage in this form of combat whenever a Wolfen/Wolfun is near. Players start with only a few simple moves Kya learns from Akasa, though players can acquire more powerful bracelets in Nativ shops which increase the strength of Kya's attacks and allow her to use a greater variety of combat moves, such as grabbing Wolfen/Wolfun by their tails and spinning them around, or even riding on top of them to ram against others. Whenever a Wolfen/Wolfun is knocked unconscious, the player can exorcize it back into its original Nativ form, assuming Kya has enough Mana spheres.
Further adding to the diversity of the game are Magic Boards which allow Kya to rapidly descend across rocky or otherwise treacherous terrain. These sequences greatly resemble snowboarding games, though Kya initially is forced to simply slide down slippery areas on her feet. Later sequences require players to initially purchase and then upgrade Kya's magic board so that she can gain the ability to jump or rapidly increase her speed.
[edit] Universe
The Roots: Is a jungle where Kya crashes down and is found by Aton.
Nativ City: The Nativ's secret city where Kya can buy stuff, practice moves, and play minigames.
The Flying Forest: Is a forest that contains the medalion that Kya needs to equip runes. It also has an energy bar and a way to The Hunters Domain.
The Hunters Domain: An island where a Wolfen/Wolfun called the hunter is the boss of the hunter's domain. Kya goes there to save Atea.
The Quarry: Is a mountainous place where Kya goes to find the cannon to the forgotten island. It also has a way to Wolfen/Wolfun City.
The Air Post: Is a rocky world that contains the old cannon to the forgotten island.
The Forgotten Island: An island full of lava where Kya finds and rescues Frank/Franck.
Wolfen/Wolfun City: Wolfen/Wolfun city is where the Wolfen/Wolfun live and is a way to the Fortress.
The Fortress: The Fortress is Brazul's rocky lair. Here is where Kya fulfills her quest to defeat Brazul.
[edit] Creatures
Dogs: Purple dogs that can jump out at Kya and eat her.
Spiders: Spiders are small blue spiders that climb on walls. There is a bigger version that shoots strange blue stuff at Kya to hurt her.
Shooters: Shooters are purple creatures that resemble a mix between a bull dog and a spider and shoot a strange ice blast.
Micken: Mickens are round red animals that love fruit and would do anything for it. Kya is able to jump on them and use them as a soccer ball.
Shocker: Shockers are blue oval creatures that shoot electricity at Kya.
[edit] Reception
Kya: Dark Lineage received mixed reviews from professional game critics, scoring an average of 73%.[1] While well received by some (including GameSpot and PSM) it was critically panned by several major publications, including Electronic Gaming Monthly and the Official Playstation Magazine.
Common complaints include the game's spotty camera and imprecise controls,[2][3] while other reviews cited the game's poor script and entry into an oversaturated market as reasons for disliking the game.[4]
[edit] Goofs
- After you reach Nativ Village for the first time, Atea tells you to go buy a weapon. In the cutscene, Kya already has the Basic Boomy, although she has not yet purchased it. Once the gameplay begins, the boomy disappears.
- When Kya buys her silver bracelet in Nativ City it is black inside the shop, until she buys it.
- When Atea is captured by Wolfen/Wolfun, you can see him walking around the city.
- When you have to go back to the city to get an electric bomb, you can just jump from platform to platform without going back to the city. You don't have to go back to the city at all. This also makes you miss the next movie and messes up the one after that.
[edit] References
- ^ GameRankings.com entry for Kya: Dark Lineage. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ PSX Xtreme Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ Gamepro Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ Eurogamer Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
[edit] See also
- List of computer and video games with female protagonists
- List of commercial failures in video gaming
