“Kick is a nostalgic tale of making your way to school, all the while honing your soccer skills throughout challenging levels packed with unique challenges. Do you have what it takes to Kick it?” – Steam Description

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Kick is a game that I am glad exists. It’s a very simple premise, you are on your way to school you have to kick your soccer ball there. The soundtrack for it is very cute and it’s a solo developed project which again, I’ll say: I’m glad it exists. The developer said on social media about their game:

“In the world we built, there are just so many places to go, things to see, neighborhoods to explore. Inspired by just dropping a pin on Google maps and building a world only from pictures of a place we’d love to go one day..”

Dribble, Dribble, Pass

The developer may say that Kick is a nostalgic tale but for me? Dark Souls was easier. I did not have an easy time completing the levels in Kick. As you make your way through each level, you collect yen by kicking your ball or running into the coins yourself. At the end of the level you must use 100 yen that you collected in that level to get a gachapon from the gachapon machine. However on your way, you must slide under obstacles or kick your ball over them. These obstacles can range from something like a moving truck or a guard rail: something that is immovable and HAS to be avoided, or they can be something like a child holding a stuffed doll, a woman holding an umbrella in the rain. If you run into one of the moveable objects (e.g. people, moving boxing, bicycles) you are slapped with a foul and you lose some of your yen. If you foul three times in a level, the level restarts. Sometimes, I made it through the level but was 89/100 yen and could not complete it because I had fouled too many times on my way. It was frustrating having to restart because of that but it just meant that I needed to have a more perfect run.

There some extremely over the top levels such as fighting a giant gunpla, or being in a fighting game with your soccer ball (move over FF: COTW’s Ronaldo.) It definitely feels like you’re letting your imagination run wild as you race against dogs, against the train, and past giant onigiri mascots on your way to school.

Looking the Part

One of the best parts of Gachapon is the Gacha, obviously. You can’t change your character’s appearance. After all, you’re in a school uniform. However, you CAN change your soccer ball “skin” and that was honestly enough to give me some dopamine.

Afterwards you can even view all the different soccer balls that you have collected in your room which makes it a nice little trophy wall to fill up.

• Graphics– Wonderful artstyle for Kick, and if you look at the developer’s artwork from before they started working on Kick it’s ALSO fantastic.
• Gameplay– Gameplay is frustrating but it’s frustrating because I’m bad at it. I restarted, a lot. I restarted again after that even! It’s deceptively simple but the developer wasn’t kidding when they said “challenging levels” in the game. Level design is really fun and unique and there is a sense of satisfaction when you do get that run down as (maybe) it was intended.
• Sound– Great soundtrack, I would listen to it on its own honestly. The sound design outside of the soundtrack also is good.
• Controls– The ball control was a little frustrating at times but I really could not tell you if it was just me, or if it was the game. I have seen a couple other complaints about the ball control online but I am still in the same boat of “skill issue” vs “game design.” Other than that, sliding, jumping, and kicking all feel great.
• Story– You’re going to school, you’re kicking your soccer ball on the way there. No real story to speak of and it definitely isn’t needed in a title like this.