by A sense of mystery can be a strong force that connects you to a place. Kairo relies heavily on mysteriousness, and a thick layer of atmosphere too, to draw you deep into its minimalistic realm. For such an empty place, the blocky architecture and dark corridors hold a lot of intrigue. Who built them? What happened to the people here? Why am I here? These and other questions pop up as you explore and solve abstract puzzles during your colorful trek through this desolate landscape. It’s a journey that’s strangely compelling, despite a distinct lack of excitement.
From the onset, Kairo doesn’t give you any story setup or goals to follow. You appear atop a stone structure in a vast blank landscape. In the distance there’s another building, silently calling you to investigate. The drive to explore comes naturally, even if your purpose isn’t clear. With only the ability to move and look around, the resulting gameplay is a pretty streamlined process of navigating rooms and peculiar regions of the land as you venture forward to see what waits ahead.
Puzzles manifest subtly at first: hitting switches to match arcane symbols and pushing objects to reveal secret pathways. These challenges are solved through the natural course of adventuring, though more elaborate conundrums arise that require some thought. None of the puzzles are particularly grueling, though a few are tricky enough to stump you for a bit. Fortunately, most of the tougher puzzle obstacles are overcome by spending more time searching your surroundings and seeing how different elements react to your touch.
Moody music and dimly-lit environments complement and enhance Kairo’s basic visual style, adding an ominous air that’s more unsettling than creepy. As intriguing a journey it may be at times, Kairo’s slow pace and vague direction won’t ensnare everyone.
The bottom line. Strong atmosphere and artsy, minimalistic presentation make Kairo’s puzzle-adventure gameplay a fascinating experience, though it lacks the structure and direction that many players come to expect from the genre.
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