Kotama and Academy Citadel Review – Slick Metroidvania with Fluid Combat
I jumped into Carmel’s academy and came away with a tasty metroidvania: tight parry-based combat, smart exploration tied to an in-game clock, and a few buggy platforming mishaps that keep things spicy.
Kotama and Academy Citadel wears its anime influences on its sleeve but plays like a confident metroidvania — think Hollow Knight energy with a brighter, more techy skin. It’s worth a look if you crave parry-heavy fights, secret-dense maps and quirky systems like room-based time progression.
You control Kotama, a fluid-bodied exchange student, and the game revolves around fast-paced, combo-friendly combat. There are three core weapons (umbrella, whip, twin blades) you can swap and upgrade, plus Memocards as build modifiers and a satisfying Fluid Detonation that clears crowds when you time it right. Exploration leans metroidvania: zones are self-contained biomes with secrets, backtracking gated by new abilities, and a useful map that auto-tags points of interest. The neat twist is the room-based time clock — each door you pass advances in-game time and affects NPC schedules and quests, which forces you to plan routes instead of mindlessly rushing. Bosses are tough but fair, with parry windows and stance breaks that reward learning patterns. Platforming gauntlets spice things up, though a dodgy dash and some choppy animations can make precision segments frustrating. Presentation is a highlight: nice 2.5D visuals, great music and Steam Deck support. Localization and a few placeholder story images need polish, but the core systems are fun and addictive.
Kotama and Academy Citadel is a confident indie Metroidvania with a smart hook (the time-per-room quests) and strong combat that carries it — despite a few technical and localization rough spots. Worth picking up for fans of exploration-heavy action.
Pros
- Fluid, satisfying combat with parries, weapon-swapping and bursty Fluid Detonations.
- Clever exploration systems — dense biomes, lots of secrets and a room-based time clock that adds strategy.
- Great presentation: polished 2.5D visuals, strong soundtrack and Steam Deck verification.
Cons
- Occasional control hiccups — dash can feel unreliable during precise platforming.
- Localization gaps and placeholder art in some story scenes break immersion.
Player Opinion
Players praise the combat, artstyle and the map’s depth — many call it a solid new metroidvania and enjoy the boss fights. Common gripes are the dash bugs, some choppy animations and a few untranslated text bits or placeholder images. If you like Castlevania/Hollow Knight-style exploration with tight combat and a few anime flourishes, this will likely click for you.