Review: Kernal Hearts Is a NieR-Like Roguelike Game, Who Agrees with This Statement?
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Although I think the story of Kernal Hearts could have been told better, it’s an inspiring take on the magical girl genre. People feel a sense of power and progress. Instead of using it for good, the military begins recruiting girls or women who are at risk and have no other options.
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They were tested. Transformed into MAHOU units. Treated as subhuman beings, so the only people they had were each other (or perhaps a pet or a truly sympathetic friend). Their reward? The best performers had their “souls” preserved. And now that the world has ended and the towers have appeared, they’re once again relying on them.
But since they can at least remember a lot of things and have this team of four now, at least they have each other. (Spika and Laika’s story, in particular, broke my heart.) I appreciate the idea, even though the execution isn’t always perfect and I feel there’s still room for more storytelling and world-building.
Honestly, that could be my motto for this entire review of Kernal Hearts. It’s a standard action RPG with roguelike elements that involves chaining combo attacks, using Skills to attack, discovering Mementos passives from fallen sorceress girls by using souls on their coffins, obtaining Relics, and equipping Chips on your mechanical body before diving in.
Overall, the game is fine, but some characters are more fun to play as than others (especially Laika and Spika), and I found dodging to be a bit of a hassle. Mainly because the camera is a bit odd and won’t center on your protagonist’s back when you lock onto an opponent, which means you have to keep readjusting while you’re focused on other attacks. Combined with the clunky dodging mechanics, this can be annoying.
In my opinion, the most frustrating element is the leveling-up system. You can only level up if you collect enough pink souls—either by platforming to reach them or by defeating enemies. But it’s not automatic. You also need to find a shrine within that level to do so.
