Klaus (PlayStation 4) Review

In Klaus, players take control of an amnesiac who knows nothing about himself and only has the name "Klaus" tattooed on his arm. Despite this, the main character, referring to himself by that name, is willing to make his way out of the building and hopefully find some answers as to who he is along the way. While he never actually speaks, Klaus is constantly thinking in his head in every level, and he is also very much aware that an outside force (i.e. the player) is navigating him through these stages, which leads to humorous fourth wall-breaking bits of dialogue strewn about his thoughts.

This is a puzzle-platformer in which the main character must be navigated through various rooms of a skyscraper. There are a total of six acts that are comprised of six chapters, which are broken into three levels per chapter. Each one has a goal: navigate Klaus through the obstacle-filled level in order to reach the exit and move on. Every chapter has a level that contains a hidden secret, which transports Klaus into a bizarre, dreamlike landscape where, at the end, he finds a fragment that hints at something within his mind; by finding all six of the fragments, the entire portion of his mind will be unlocked, revealing the history behind this character. The backstory revealed through these fragments is quite interesting, showing the many ups and downs the man went through in life. Finding these fragments is necessary in order to better understand the story and to get the good ending.

In terms of mobility and fluidity, Klaus handles very well; similar to Meat from Super Meat Boy, he can perform a second jump while in mid-air, which can be helpful when making perilous jumps from platform to platform, avoiding the pit of spikes down below… although the looseness of Klaus can lead to accidental deaths if not careful.

A majority of the game involves platforming, and the puzzle-solving offered is normally found in levels that require operating platforms with the DualShock 4 touchpad in order to bring a key to where Klaus is, or in the sections where Klaus is teamed up with a mysterious being known as K1. In these parts, co-operation is key, as both characters must be utilised in order to make it towards the level's end. The major difference between Klaus and K1 is that the latter can punch and use his cape to glide over platforms; although such levels and the ones mentioned prior are only a small portion of the game.

Klaus is not a difficult game. A majority of it is a relative cakewalk up until the last two acts where the challenge does pick up somewhat, although the generous checkpoints and usage of infinite lives alleviate some of the frustration offered during those sections.