Kya: Dark Lineage

GameCritics

You're one of the most satisfying, worthwhile, and excellent platformers I've ever met. Time spent with you was challenging but never frustrating, beautiful but never, ever shallow, and utterly captivating for every moment we were together.

PSM Magazine

A brilliant title. The visuals are on par with "Rayman 3," the control almost as tight as "Mario," and the quests and puzzles both epic and innovative. [Holiday 2003, p.30]

Next Level Gaming

Not only are the levels in the game massive, they are also graphically beautiful.

Play Magazine

If you're the type of person who likes to get lost in fantasy worlds, Kya is your oyster. [Dec 2003, p.78]

GameSpot

A top-notch production from top to bottom, and the experience of playing it is surely worth the time of any 3D action adventure fan.

G4 TV

An original game with a well-developed theme and a lot to do. If the fighting and voice acting had received a little more attention, this would surely be a five-star game. As it is, some gamers might have trouble taking the game seriously.

Worth Playing

Its gameplay is tight and varied at times to keep you involved and challenged but not frustrated.

Armchair Empire

An overall solid entry into a crowded platformer market. I would have scored KDL a lot higher if it wasn’t hindered by annoyances such as the camera and having to trek across the land to get to shops.

Times Online

While the format is fairly standard (flipping switches, collecting objects and solving puzzles), the detailed worlds and neat touches — Kya can tame and ride wild animals, and dribble or kick certain creatures like a football — more than make up for it.

GameZone

This game feels rushed. The interfaces is simple and easy to get hold of, but the tempo of the game is such that you have little time to savor what you are seeing or doing.

Game Informer

The biggest reason that I'm not ga-ga about this game is that I don't feel like I know Kya as a character. Because of that limitation, your desire to spend some serious time in her company isn't as high as, say Voodoo Vince. [Nov 2003, p.145]

IGN

A good solid game, one that's deep with a huge variety of things to do, be it fighting, solving physical puzzles, collecting stuff, wandering around in a vegetative daze or leaf-surfing.

GameSpy

Despite a lack of polish and the ineptly presented storyline, Kya: Dark Lineage had enough fresh ideas and fun scenarios to keep me pluggin' through to the end. It's not the prettiest game out there, nor the longest, or the coolest. It is, however, fun and original.

GameBiz

Kya’s fantastic and diverse gameplay makes the standing block for a successful start in the gaming industry, Visuals and sound could have been a lot better but by and large Kya is fun.

TotalGames.net

The main character is nothing special and a character-based platformer needs to have a very strong lead to even stand a chance. In this day and age it takes a lot more than just being 'a nice game' to get anywhere, and Kya is just that: a nice game.

eToychest

Everything about Kya: Dark Lineage is pretty standard and expected, and while most of it is executed quite well it still feels a little recycled.

Yahoo! Games

Dropping the boomerang in favor of the stronger hand-to-hand combat or some other model might have been a good idea, but it's nice to see the extreme sports influence integrated into the fabric of a totally non-sports title.

PSX Nation

If you are able to look past frustrating controls and a poor camera, the game is quite enjoyable. It’s also not one of those games that added a bunch of annoying sidequests to extend its length, and as a result, it can be beaten with a healthy weekend of gaming.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

The camera can be absolutely maddening at times. [Jan 2004, p.138]

GameNow

It's too bad that poorly designed levels, headache-inducing obstacles, and an embarrassingly cliched story spoil so much of the fun. [Jan 2004, p.59]

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Despite some gorgeous visuals and intriguing gameplay elements, Kya simply isn't any fun. And just like the wind, that really blows. [Jan 2004, p.123]

Eurogamer

Ah... sub-"Jak & Daxter."

Edge Magazine

Structurally, the game is a waking nightmare. The hub world is vast and unnecessarily confusing, and it is possible to become trapped in levels if you can't figure out where to go next. [Mar 2004, p.108]

GMR Magazine

Controlling the camera is a minigame all its own. [Jan 2004, p.72]

GamePro

Unfortunately, Kya is a very difficult game to play as the controls are not particularly intuitive and the camera seems to delight in going haywire during delicate jumping situations.