Antony Lavalle and Armor Games activate their Wonder Twin Powers once again to bring us K.O.L.M. II, the next chapter in the ongoing saga of everyone's favourite forlorn, emotionally abused and eager-to-please little robot. Picking up directly where the original left off (so you should play it if you haven't already), this Metroidvania style platform game once more finds us wandering through a hostile but strangely barren environment. As our hero wonders, is he free? Or just alone? You'll have to guide him to find out. Just remember, nothing worth having ever comes easy.
K.O.L.M. is played entirely with the keyboard, using the [arrow] keys for movement, [Z] to jump (now with spicy triple jump flavour) and [X] to shoot. In the beginning, Our Hero's abilities are fairly limited, but before long you'll start finding upgrades and new abilities (maybe even new allies?) to make the journey easier. Just make sure to steer clear of spikes, beasties, and, most importantly, concentrated doses of sunlight, which as everyone knows is the natural predator of the robot. Even if you can't avoid a hazard, don't worry; at worst you'll have to worry about starting the area you just entered over again, since you'll immediately respawn at the last entrance you came through. If you need to check your map, hit [M] to bring up the menu, where you can also do all sorts of exciting robot things like setting the video quality or turning off the sound. If you need to take a break, the game autosaves for you and you can just click "continue" the next time you start it up to continue at the last room you entered.
Analysis: K.O.L.M. II is a lot of things; it's sad, it's mysterious, it's creepy and lovely and lonely all at once... but it also feels like it's a little slow. You'd be forgiven for playing the first five minutes or so and thinking it's just more of the melancholy jumping robot action served up by the original. K.O.L.M. II feels almost more story driven than anything else, with even the most significant (and a-freakin-dorable) "upgrade" directly relating to the narrative. Once you do snag it, however, K.O.L.M. II actually winds up almost feeling more like a puzzle game somewhat in the vein of Fireboy and Watergirl... only, uh. More depressing.
Somewhat less endearing is the wibbley-wobbley (or is that tilty-wilty?) camera and screen angles that make a reappearance from K.O.L.M.I.A.M.. While there's no denying that the effect is... interesting... there are times when it simply feels like it's getting in the way and doesn't really serve much of a purpose except to "make things look all trippy and whatnot", to use the scientific term. You can occasionally be left squinting at the screen when the camera pulls all the way out, trying to keep track of a tiny hero on a large screen with tiny enemies, and the canting viewpoint and "graphical glitches" don't help matters. It's distracting, and in some places it really does feel like it can keep you from being fully immersed in what is otherwise a beautifully crafted atmosphere and creepy tale. The visuals have gotten a subtle upgrade that makes the whole thing look incredibly professional and slick, and the soundtrack helps create a sense of vastness that you can't wait to get out and explore. K.O.L.M. II is an absolutely beautiful game that you can't help but want to get lost in, even as you find yourself dreading what you might find.
It's rare to find a sequel that actually feels like a proper sequel, rather than absolutely changing everything that made the original great or (just as bad) not changing a single thing and offering what essentially boils down to a level pack. K.O.L.M. II is a satisfying adventure that maybe needed a bit less "style" in some places but manages to deliver on almost every level regardless. While the gameplay is still fairly standard, it's simple to grasp and easy to get lost in, and the end result just may stay with you for quite some time.
At Camera 47 I thought I'd be brilliant and
shoot all the creatures that were causing the funky (and deadly) lightshow.
Turns out those things are *blocking* the light and are necessary if survival is on your "to do" list.
Very impressed with this game
It seemed much shorter to me...
Overall, it was a nice game. Finished with -295 points. However, I should note that I started in challenge mode, which led me to go into rooms where deaths would accumulate without anyway to solve it for the moment.
What the heck is up with that creepy ending?!
If I should be specific, those deaths occurred when I entered a room filled with light and split up. Poor robot would die and die.
YES! :D I am very much looking forward to this sequel.
You've miswritten the name of the game. It's actually KOLM II, which is important.
It seems to me that this game ends just when it was really getting good. I can't wait for the next one!
Short and didn't really make full use of the "last powerup" save one of the last rooms and one plate. Though the fact that it did makes not really II. Was fun I suppose, but seemed lacking.
Also I caught a bug: there are two places you can "exit" but they are not true exits, and lead you to the PREVIOUS room you entered. Both are right at the end.
One is in the room with the light and pool that you need the airtank for, in the upper rightmost corner. The other is at the last room itself. You can make it to the edge of the destroyable bricks without the cutscene. Then you can destroy them and fall below.
This was really good, although it was way easier and shorter than the first one, probably because you start with one hit kill bullets and triple jump (or maybe I just got used to the style).
Also, do the plaques spell "Including Ico"?
Wow, 5 minutes in and I've already accomplished a Metroidvania classic: Sequence-breaking.
Specifically,
I got Sis' air tank before I'd even gotten Sis!
I'm having trouble getting onto the ArmorGames site. Is the site down?
Um... was there supposed to be a boss battle at the end?
My robot got stuck on top of the destroyable bricks during the cutscene, and then after they all just exploded, the robot disappeared, and the credits rolled. :L
Also, especially with the very last line (
like, Join the Family or something
), I was instantly reminded of the Family of Blood... both families are creepy and, actually, have like the exact same family members
A VERY useful trick, once you've found your
sister!
If you cannot get past somewhere because of
the light that kills Rob
or a place with
green "water" (acid) that kills Sis on contact or regular water where she drowns after a bit
you only need to
get ONE sibling to the next exit!
Question: is there a second
solar shield upgrade?
I keep dying on the penultimate WEST room on the map...
Ok, the site seems to be down for me. I tried to get on using the most recent versions of Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. I got a broken link both times.
I can get to other sites just fine, but the ArmorGames site is down. Could someone look into this?
[I'm not having a problem reaching Armor Games in any browser. -Jay]
Ah, found the video walkthrough.
Place Rob on the conveyor and have Sis crawl above, blocking the light.
Ending plotline question:
Sis - "Oh no, it's those two!"
So she recognizes the two robots (Mom and Dad) from elsewhere...without knowing they are Mom and Dad?
@Maderas
"Including Ico"? I don't understand that part. I mean, the "I I" makes sense, but I never player Metroid. Does that mean something?
Oh, I *SO* knew that last line was coming.
3/4 of the family is *dead* and now robot (Rob) and ghost/computer/mysterious-thingy (Mom and Dad, since you don't know they're 'bots until the end) have gathered with the final *meat* member.
You can pass the western rooms with the basic solar shield (I don't think there's a better version).
First, you need to get the Oxygen Tank for Sis, in case you didn't get that yet. Split up with space, and have Sis go alone. She can make it through the water and you'll reach the next room.
If it's the next room that's stumping you, the key is that the floor under the acid is a conveyor. Split up and have Sis start crawling in the tunnel. Then hit C to switch to Robbie, and jump into the acid and stand on the conveyor. Lastly, hit C to switch to Sis. Crawl back and forth to shield Robbie from the sun until he reaches safety to the West.
It's good to know the developer seems to be using all my favorite games for inspiration.
The secret phrase is referring to a game with a similar concept.
Released for PS2 called Ico. he two characters, Ico and Yarda, had to solve puzzles to get through the castle. Ico was the strong one and it was his job to get Yarda through. You could switch between them both to accomplish the puzzles, but Yarda couldn't do as much.
@Jay
Maybe it's just a problem with my internet. But I've tried to connect about seven times now, and it still wont go to the site.
It's probably just me though. Pity, I really want to play this game.
The second picture has an extra "-symbol at the end of the link in the rollover text. This ultimately gives an error message at the Armor Games site.
SkylerF and Maderas:
It's actually Kind of Like Mother Including Ico, not Metroid. The room to the right of where you first begin has the words there.
I found the game pretty disappointing. I ended up breezing through the entire map without too much difficulty or thought, mainly to hear the conversational dialogues and nothing more. The
sister character really didn't have enough interaction to really add to the game as I was hoping.
Is there any bonus for completing KOLM and KOLMIAM? I got 100% on those a while ago but lost my game save.
Skyler, regarding the title:
Ico is the name of a Playstation 2 game. In this game the titular Ico leads a princess by the hand, and must escape a castle with her assistance. Hence, the similarity to KOLM II
Jayce,
The original game was "Kind of Like Metroid". The "Kind of Like Mother" was a strange change from the first title, as the plates clearly spell "Metroid" in the first. Calling it either could be technically correct.
SirNiko,
Yeah, I'm aware that the first KOLM was referring to Metroid. I think the reason why the maker chose Mother this time was because the creator was referencing the Mother series of games. Having only played EarthBound (and not Mother 1 and 3), I'm not exactly sure what the connection is, aside from involving the dystopian life of an involved family.
I don't think the word "Mother" in the title refers to the Mother series of games. Maybe it's meant to make you THINK that, but in reality, it probably refers to the fact the the "father" character is every bit as evil as the "mother" character.
Fun, but it felt more like KOLM 1.5 than 2.0. Nothing majorly new is really introduced until the game is almost over.
I did like the fact that all the upgrades weren't wiped out like they normally would be in a sequel. I totally skipped that yellow door at first because I assumed I couldn't open it.
I loved the original game, and was glad to see the sequel, but I'm a little disappointed in it. I'm of the opinion that games shouldn't let you mistakenly blunder into areas that you have no hope of getting out of, and (I'm going to switch to spoilers now!)
I ended up dropping into the original rooms - no biggie, part of the sequence. I didn't have any way to open doors (no blue or yellow key), and got trapped in a room (don't remember the camera number) with only one exit (that needed the blue key), and no way to get back to the rooms above.
Most of my movements to get to that area were out of reflex to try to get out of the sun, and I discovered that I could drop out of a few rooms off the bottom of the screen, rather than trying to get to an exit on the side.
I ended up dropping myself into a situation I couldn't get out of; no way (that I was able to discover) to kill myself, and if I had managed to kill myself, I would have just spawned into that same dead end screen again.
I may try again, but I'll have to restart the whole game and not randomly explore so much.
CrankYanker-
You don't need keys to open the blue or yellow doors. Just shoot them.
"Somewhat less endearing is the wibbley-wobbley (or is that tilty-wilty?) camera and screen angles that make a reappearance from K.O.L.M.I.A.M.."
Yeah, it's as if the camera is being controlled by some wibbley-wobbley, tilty-wilty... thing.
(I had something going there, but it got away from me.)
Neddo:
Argh! Thanks. I'll try it again. I was discouraged, but less so now.
So I finished the game, but I'm still missing something.
Where in the world is the "U" plate? I think I've tried looking everywhere.
I think I accidentally sequence broke near the end.
I didn't realise that you were supposed to find an oxygen tank for the sister, but I did notice that the sister was capable of blocking the sunlight, particularly when she does her somersaulty jumps.
I was therefore able to get Robby to pass through that room.
So uh... where is the airtank for sis? Cant find it anywhere, and don't have the patience to sit through the walkthrough
I was really excited to see this sequel and had a good time playing through it, however, it felt kind of lacking. I think the problem is that, compared to the original, it actually wasn't very much like Metroid at all.
The thing that made Metroid (and KOLM) great was the upgrade system. This game has a few upgrades, but they either come at the very start or the very end (and there's not much challenge to finding the ones at the start). Metroid is all about struggling through stages only to come back later to breeze through them with a stronger gun and a double jump or door key which will open new parts of the maze. In this one, you already start off with the strongest gun and the highest jump, so you only encounter laughably easy enemies and almost fully accessible stages. True, there's the bomb (which is kind of like a door key) and the sunscreen, but you get them real early and they don't do much to effect the feel or the play of the game. Most of the map you only have to go through once (not counting getting lost) and most of the collectables don't give you any upgrade.
I guess you do get to replay most of the original levels, but I played through that game months ago and so it loses that I just played through this area five minutes ago frustration/ glory and feels closer to exploring new areas.
The only real game changer is when you unlock the ability to play as your sister, but this comes at the very end and isn't put to much use. Again, there's only a couple of screens that you have to replay and then all of the sudden the game's over. So really, it's only like Icu for about 3 minutes.
Not sure why they went this route. They could have let us start with the upgrades from the last game and still had to find stronger gun upgrades, quadruple jump, roll, ability to breathe in red water, etc.
Overall, it was a decently fun game, but didn't offer much challenge or live up to my expectations. I don't regret playing it, but I won't be replaying it.
I love this game. Only one issue - it is short !
Though we do agree on one thing...
You'll suit us better out of the way
They actually treated the son as a pawn and kinda get rid of him
Now I can't imagine what will they do to the sister
Another pure hearted is gone (for now...until the sequal, I hope there's one)
For those wondering what the ending means,
"Including Ico"
Just search it up.
Can anyone explain to me the significance of the...
...face superimposed behind the credits? I know it's very washed out, but it's there, believe me. From what I can tell the eyes have been scratched out. I believe it is also in the black screen between rooms as well.
It's actually really starting to freak me out, and I'm wondering whether there is anything else like that hidden in the game.
Anyone else manage to
beat the game without getting the air tank? I managed a pretty slick double-tap jump with sis hovering right over the edge of the light in the second to last room that allowed the robot to just make it through the light. I went through to the final room immediately after getting sis, without even thinking about exploring more. I thought the rest of the game was that way.
@octothorpe
That face looks like a guy to me.
It might be rob before he is turned into a robot (manage to snip the pic and improve the contrast to see it better)
It is also possible that the face is what happened to the sister, though it is unlikely given the face appears on every transition screens between rooms
The final possibility, judged by the intro that tell you to put on speakers,is the author himself
I reached the platform with sis, without beeing able to use her.
I went further west and reached a dead end. I can nether go on nor return back to sis. im stuck between the blue and the green pool.
Broken imo
Definitely feel short changed. Not entirely loving a return to the overpowered character or the Lost Viking shenanigans either.
I hope this release at least gets them enough views to put a decent amount of content in KOLM 3.
The face is definitely
The son/robby. He has no eyes at the start of the first game, and the background face has its eyes scratched out...
@octothorp and secret
I had to try some crazy combinations of brightness and contrast but setting the brightness at 19 and the contrast at 89 made it a little clearer. I still had to turn it so I was looking at the screen from an angle* I turned it to the right not up or down*
It is definitely a picture of the creator or someone's face. It's a real person. You can make out some tiny details if you try but it's definitely a person.
I can't finish the game...it seems impossible to reach sis because there is too much sunlight to triple jump speed to get to her area. The walkthrough however doesn't have as much sunlight...a glitch I suppose? Anyone else see that?
@ anyone who knows about
The Face in the credits.
To be honest it's not the creator's. I think it's probably
Robby's
By the way about the credits why does is it say
To be... Instead of to be continued, i think it involves 'including ico' but im not not sure.
So yeah thanks!
I've played through this 3 times, and I still can't find the first N plate! Can anyone give me a hint?
Regarding the
Face in the credits, how did some of you guys get it? Do I have to get all the plates with letters on them or something? Because I replayed the ending at least six times now and looked at the credits really carefully and only saw a white screen with words scrolling across. Even tried adjusting the brightness and contrast like some other people did, but still got nothing. If anything, can anyone edit and upload a good screenshot of it or something somewhere?
I beat the game without grabbing her airtank lol.
the room with light and water kills either of them, but if you travel together playing as her you can jump and press spacebar. That'll make Rob stay in your shadow and no burn. Then just use him to swim to the exit and they'll both appear there.
Didn't like how
rob could get up to where his sister is simply by having his sister zone. No plot or anything it seemed rather cheap.
I applaud Anthony for creating another game that has managed to capture me emotionally. I mean wow... I felt so sad for Robby in the first one, and was really happy when he escaped. And then I felt sad and hopeful in the second one, and dreaded going back down into the lower facility for fear of what Mother might say or do.
The music is haunting. I believe the effect couldn't have been nearly as good without the excellent music selection. Combined with the context, the plot, and the general ambient feel of the place with its visuals, it haunts me. This is the kind of music that doesn't have a catchy tune yet it still manages to stick with you.
The choice of music for the lower facility couldn't have been better, a post-apocalyptic stillness, a bittersweet combination of mourning and hope. In contrast and comparison with the music for the upper facility-a fresh start, horizons of hope, a search for freedom-it was like an alternation between emotional past and future. Just the music upon entering was enough to spark an emotional experience.
I got especially emotional when
Robby and Sister were together. I was pulling for them all the way. A tragic thing has happened, Robby is changed for life, Mommy is a terrible person, and they're going to look for Daddy so they can be a safe and happy family again. I fell in love with Sister too. She may just be a silhouette, but she's still awfully cute. :P
When I was looking for the air tank for Sister, I thought it might be down in the lower facility, in one of the small rooms that I thought I couldn't get to without Sister. I figured that was exactly what Anthony would have you do just so Sister could see what Mommy had become. And I was getting very protective of Sister, saying to myself, "Please don't make me go down there! I don't want Sister to see how mean Mommy is!" But oddly, Mommy didn't speak at all, which was strange. If she were still there, she'd definitely have said something by now with Sister in the picture.
Then at the end... That was just awful. It was a bit quick, I agree with that, but it was enough to make me go, "What the heck?! You tricked me!" ("Oh Robby, why did you bring me here?") "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!"
The plot was simple, and there wasn't much to do aside for a few simple tasks made complicated through the windings paths you had to take. But despite not much going on plot-wise, there was a whole lot going on emotionally. That was where the complexity lay. To those who are sensitive to the web of thoughts and emotions this story spins, and take the time to notice its subtleties around every other turn, it will be well worth the time taking many winding paths and doing many things to accomplish very few.
I want to play it again just to listen to the music again. Though I am like that naturally, I still admire this game for having that affect on me. It makes me forget very easily how comical Robby really is as a little square thing that makes a funny noise when he jumps. :P
While this game wasn't as good as the first, it was still pretty entertaining. The real problem I had with this game is that after the first one, I pretty much expected the ending to be more or less what it was, and yet found myself unable to do anything but inevitably work towards it.
@Svarta Svansen
From my experience of similar games, due to influence of Portal, the (seemly good) character is malicious and sadistic. Also from the screenshot of the review, I already know the 'father' cannot be trusted. As both the mother and father cannot be trusted, I was thinking robby must escape from this hell.
And then I noticed the sister. Up to now from all the dialogues of robby, mother and father, it is shown that the sister is the only true/honest thing that robby can relied on (i.e. a pure form)
When robby finally reached his sister and then they team up and went into the 2nd last room where the 'countdown to minutes' played. I got intensely emotional. At that moment I'm immersed in the good atmosphere of two pure things, extremely hopeful and all I wish for them is to escape from this hell
When they grab sister's air tank and I saw how sister responded to robby, I was furious on how robby is manipulated beyond recognition by the evil parents. I'm sad that in the game, the sister doesn't try to convince robby that their parents are evil, or that robby had already being manipulated so much that he failed to hear his sister's warning.
Finally, THAT ENDING strikes. What I can feel is all hope is lost. I became more angry when the parents revealed they are using robby as a pawn all the time, they actually never treat him as their son. I also become hopeless as the sister is going to be tortured/killed/whatever by those evil doers. What's in my mind is: Nooooo! another pure form is killed!
In the end, I desire for KOLM 3 hoping robby and sister can finally escape from the hell
I also desperately want to see how the parents were being tortured by similar methods used in the film The Human Cetipede Full Sequence and then being mutilated, churned etc. over and over by Ridley that sadistic space pirate from metroid. Not to mentioned being Lulseced
In the end this awful ending caused me to listen 'countdown in minutes' over and over for 3 days just to get back that feeling of hope
Although I'm not sadistic enough to actually see these things happen (I'll faint the moment I saw it) I really hope the parents will know what is the consequence of torturing and slaughtering pure forms
I also hope all evil doers from real life, in games etc. all suffer the same fate, just to repay what they have done to the victims
Despite what I've said above, I like how the author can make such an emotional game, it can really inspire us to think deeply the morality issues, and make the world a better place
I haven't messed around with the face much but I'm almost positive it's there the whole time, just nearly impossible to make out when a level is there. Kinda creepin :S
The face is always there. Can't see it in the credits though.I can only make out one empty eye. Pretty creepy, makes it feel like someone's always watching you.
Re: How is the game like Mother
The souls of humans trapped in robot bodies? Earthbound/Mother 2 anyone? Also in Mother 2/3 how Pokey/Porky is pretty much half-robot and insanely malicious.
I think the words say
"It's kind of like Mothers" to clue you in on the fact that the Father is setting one too.
This is sad. I'm playing it again to earn the badges on Kongregate and I am stuck on room 6 just after you go back down for your voice box.
....
And I beat the game so easily here on JIG...
I got to say...
...i was somewhat disappointed in the ending...it made me unsatisfied in the fact that it seemed so sudden and cruel..
but, good job to the author for getting such emotional feeling into the game.
Hey guys, since no one wants to upload any photos of the "faces", I decided to do so myself.
This is from the credits
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3676/33phixr.jpg
It seems to be from an anime or something.
and this one is from the black screen between the rooms
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/32phixr.jpg/
This one is slightly harder to make out. While I was editing this one, I noticed that the eyes had scratches on them as said before however, whenever part of the image was clear the other half was completely black.
Whoops, link down, re-uploaded
Credits:
http://i44.tinypic.com/2hhm4k4.jpg
Black screen:
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rdk9xy.jpg
Stunned
Where are all my happy endings
@DSB, try tilting your screen down. That worked for me.
Here is a better picture of the face in the credits:
http://i63.tinypic.com/jgm8ok.jpg
Update