Kinsfolk Review

There is an argument that the length of a story doesn’t always indicate its quality. However, when it comes to modern media, there’s a question of worth alongside the quality, so you have to ask if a shorter game offers enough for the modern customer. That’s the very quandary that Vinko Kodzoman’s latest title, Kinsfolk, finds itself in. 

Kinsfolk is a story about fatherhood, the impact of memory, and the steps we take on our path to healing. It follows a man and his baby after the recent death of his wife as they travel back to visit his father. As you walk, you’ll traverse more than just the landscape; you’ll also have to visit memories and the scars that they can leave. 

Here’s the thing: the game is only about 40 minutes long in total, and for the majority of that, you’ll mostly be walking. There are no seriously complicated puzzles, no extensive world exploration, and minimal platforming beyond one section. Instead, the real focus is on the story, and it does it well enough. 

While the emotion and the character are all on point, the actual message can feel a bit hackneyed at times. Primarily, there’s a section with a baby deer that feels a bit Disney in its resolution. With that being said, I did feel a certain connection with the main character and his journey, and the ending does hit that emotional point you were expecting.

Part of the reason this works is the voice acting, which is pretty stellar for the unnamed main character. He manages to convey the sense of being lost, confused and emotional, at the right times. Unfortunately, the baby uses the same set of noises over and over again, which can get a bit repetitive. The music is also pretty stellar, with a mix of serene and introspective tones setting the stage.

The graphics are more of a mixed bag, especially when you look closely. The main character and the world as a whole are fine, even pretty at times, but the textures of a lot of the world are downright ugly up close. There’s also no real sense of impact as you move around; for instance, moving through water doesn’t really do anything other than add a blue shade.

The problem with Kinsfolk isn’t that it’s a bad plot; it’s that I’m honestly hard-pressed to call it a “game”. Now, I understand that story-focused walking simulators are nothing new, and some of them are even fairly good. Kinsfolk has an interesting story to tell, and it offers a look at a healing process that we don’t always see a lot of, but there’s no reason to replay it, and nothing to bring me back to it now that I’m done. 

If you’re looking for an emotional screenshot, then this could be the ideal title, but if you’re looking for a plot with some real bones, I’d say you could give this a miss.