Flash In The Brainpan: K.O.L.M

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Who doesn't dream of being a little robot with a mother that seems waaaay too emotionally manipulative? No, it's not A.I., it's K.O.L.M., the story of a lost robot.

 

 

Maybe I'm just out of touch, but I've never seen a game daring enough to start out blurry. In this very original platformer maze, you begin as a helpless robot torso, without even eyes or legs. You need to drag yourself to the distant powerups while your mother ignores your pleas for help and insults you. But her cruel words really do make you want to be stronger. Maybe she's got a greater plan? Or maybe she's just a jerk.

 

 

Regardless, once you have eyes and legs, it's easier to explore the maze. You'll find things like guns and dashpads, and you'll start to think about how they can help you survive. The levels are very interesting, with some working as regular old jumping puzzles, and others seemingly designed to drive home one specific point: you are a small and helpless robot in a strange and uncaring world.

 

 

K.O.L.M. is one of those games that's about the experience, rather than just the victory. This works out just fine, because you've got an endless number of lives. Even when something gets you killed, you still come right back, and that makes it easy to learn on the go. The style actually reminded me of Ico, especially since the music was so nice and fit the mood so well. Grab the headphones and settle in for a snowy winter's day (ahem, Northeastern America) of K.O.L.M..

 



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