KarmaZoo: PS5 Review

Developed by Pastagames

Published by Devolver Digital

Platform: PS5

Pastagames' KarmaZoo offers a gaming proposition seldom seen within the platforming genre - a multiplayer online game that sees you needing others to achieve your ends.

While many shooters and a few co-op games encourage team ups, KarmaZoo's MO makes it a necessity, and even rewards good behaviour.

You play a little blob who works to earn the most valuable resource of all - Karma - by platforming with others to achieve your end goal. From singing at various elements to working as a team to open doors, KarmaZoo has a very simple gameplay that gets trickier as the puzzles continue - but which feels enough to stretch gamers of all levels and abilities.

Working within a big bubble, the need to play nicely with others is a mechanic that sees your character rewarded with karma for helping. It certainly beats being blasted by others like in FPS or competitive games like Fortnite - and it's a welcome change for an indie game to take a more wholesome approach to the idea of gaming.

It is also to be noted that that cooperative approach does require all gamers to be on the same page, and occasionally that can lead to frustrations, but for the large part KarmaZoo's positivity is a welcome change in an environment that's usually more toxic helpful.

It looks nice too, with simple level design that's brightly lit and simply executed. KarmaZoo has an unexpected charm and is possibly one of the few games you'll be willing to undertake an online multiplayer experience that offers something truly different.