''Kya: Dark Lineage'' is a
third-person platforming action-adventure game
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, developed by
Eden Games
Eden Games (formerly known as Eden Studios) is a French video game developer based in Lyon, France, that mainly focuses on the development of racing video games.
History
The company was formed as a development group within Infogrames' European ...
and published by
Atari
Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...
.
Though initially set in the present, ''Kya: Dark Lineage'' throws the title character and her half-brother Frank into a strange new world. Kya finds herself separated from her brother, with the burden of protecting a friendly tribe of creatures called the Nativs from the predations of the evil overlord Brazul and his minions, the Wolfen.
Plot
''Kya: Dark Lineage'' begins with the protagonist Kya and her half-brother Frank home alone. In her upstairs bedroom, Kya hears a suspicious noise and follows it downstairs to finds Frank in a previously unknown room in the basement. While speaking about Kya's father, Frank unwittingly finishes a mysterious puzzle on a table, opening a portal which sucks in both Kya and Frank. Kya awakens with three Nativs (animal-like creatures) looking down on her. They are then ambushed and chased through a jungle by feral werewolves called the Wolfen/Wolfun. All but one of the Nativs were captured during the chase. Kya and Aton eventually reach a strange village, called Nativ City, and meets the village leader Atea.
Atea explains that the Wolfen/Wolfun are merely Nativs mutated by Brazul (formerly Alan), Kya's father. Kya resolves to save Frank and is introduced to Akasa, who teaches her how to fight using mystical bracelets which greatly enhance her strength. Kya is blessed with a power which allows her to exorcize unconscious Wolfen/Wolfun and transform them back into Nativs.
In return for freeing the excorcized Nativs, Atea agrees to help Kya find her half-brother. Kya learns she must find a magical medallion which will allow her to return to her own universe. The medallion was split into seven runes, emblems made of pure energy, which must be housed in a special amulet. During the course of tracking down the runes, Aton leads Kya to an industrialized area dedicated to mining magical
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...
. Aton betrays Kya, allowing Brazul to ambush her. During the course of the fight Kya collapses part of the mine to escape.
Eventually she discovers that Frank is being held in Brazul's laboratory, and she assaults the complex to rescue him. Upon arriving in the lab proper, she is horrified to learn that Brazul has turned Frank into a Wolfen/Wolfun. Kya defeats the Wolfen/Wolfun Frank and performs the exorcism ritual which returns him to his human form. Kya goes on to gather the last runes required to return home though she is ambushed again by Brazul, who takes the seven runes from her. Kya learns that she is a half alien and she escapes her imprisonment.
Kya journeys to Brazul's fortress, she fights and knocks out Aton who is now a Wolfen/Wolfun but when she gets the chance to exorcise him she doesn't because of falling, heavy crystals. Kya then heads for Brazul and the runes. After a difficult battle, Kya defeats Brazul and returns victorious to a cheering Nativ City, where she activates the portal and finds herself in a desolate place which is not her home. Kya and Frank are in a desert island and are attacked by a creature.
The story ends here, but if all the wolfens are all exorcised it cuts to the credits.
Gameplay
''Kya: Dark Lineage'' focuses on
action-adventure
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
platforming gameplay, with the player guiding Kya through a variety of stages. During the game the player can earn "nooties", allowing them to return to the Nativ city to purchase items required to progress through the game. The player can purchase several items which allow Kya to increase her mobility, including the ability to climb slippery surfaces, perform
wall jump
This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.
0–9
A
...
s or ride fast-moving lizards called Jamguts. Whenever the player suffers damage, Kya can recover energy by draining it from big amber shards.
The game focuses strongly on the element of air, featuring various sequences in which Kya must use strong wind currents to her advantage (although these can also prove to be a disturbance in certain points). It also features several freefall sequences during which the player must control Kya's speed and the direction of her descent, which usually ends when Kya lands on a big flower called Amortos, serving as an air bag. The player will suffer damage by touching objects while freefalling, or instantly lose a life by landing on the ground (at which point the freefall sequence will be restarted).
Complementing the player's mobility is Kya's "Boomy", a magical
boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
-like weapon which allows Kya to cut ropes and attack enemies. The Boomy can be upgraded twice in the Nativ city, first allowing the player to aim it in a first-person perspective (Silver Boomy) and later (Golden Boomy), which allows the player to activate switches or attack normally unreachable foes. The player can also purchase explosive or electrifying bombs to damage foes. Additionally, there are purchasable traps that can be used to capture rare monsters for the Nativ zoo.
Puzzles
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle ...
, which often rely on items or creatures within the immediate environment to solve, are another part of the game. Other puzzles might require creative use of Kya's mobility or use of her fully upgraded Boomy's ability to be directed as the player wishes. Some may only be solved when the player has acquired the correct equipment for Kya from Nativ City.
Beyond the beginning portion of the game the player's advancement is based on three factors: The equipment they have purchased, the number of Wolfen/Wolfun Kya has turned back into Nativs and ultimately, the collection of all seven Runes. A total of 260 Nativs can be rescued throughout the course of the game, though the player is not required to rescue them all in order to confront Brazul and complete the game.
A hand-to-hand combat system which is very similar to modern
brawlers is included, during which Kya is unable to use her ranged weapons and must instead engage her foes in melee with punches, kicks and throws. The player will engage in this form of combat whenever a Wolfen/Wolfun is near. Players start with only a few simple moves Kya learns from Akasa, though players can acquire more powerful bracelets in Nativ shops which increase the strength of Kya's attacks and allow her to use a greater variety of combat moves, such as grabbing Wolfen/Wolfun by their tails and spinning them around, or even riding on top of them to ram against others. Whenever a Wolfen/Wolfun is knocked unconscious, the player can exorcize it back into its original Nativ form, assuming Kya has enough Mana spheres.
Further adding to the diversity of the game are ''Magic Boards'' which allow Kya to rapidly descend across rocky or otherwise treacherous terrain. These sequences greatly resemble
snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
games, though Kya initially is forced to simply slide down slippery areas on her feet. Later sequences require players to initially purchase and then upgrade Kya's Magic Board so that she can gain the ability to jump or rapidly increase her speed.
Reception
''Kya: Dark Lineage'' received mixed reviews.
GameRankings
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
gave it a score of 72.98%
and
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
gave it 69 out of 100.
While well received by some (including
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
and ''
PSM'') it was critically panned by several major publications, including ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
''
and ''
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' (often abbreviated to ''OPM'') was a monthly video game magazine, published by Ziff Davis Media. It was a sister publication of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. The magazine focused exclusively on PlayStation ...
''.
Common complaints include the game's spotty camera and imprecise controls,
while other reviews cited the game's poor script and entry into an oversaturated market as reasons for disliking the game.
References
External links
Official website(As of early 2010, the official site has been removed. Redirecting to Atari's website)
Kya: Dark Lineageat
Atari.com
*{{moby game, id=/ps2/kya-dark-lineage
2003 video games
3D platform games
Action-adventure games
Atari games
Beat 'em ups
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 2-only games
Video games developed in France
Video games featuring female protagonists
Single-player video games
Eden Games games