Pankapu, a Narrative Action-Platformer is Currently Free to Keep on Steam for the Next Week

If you're looking for something new-to-you to play, pick up a copy of Pankapu over on Steam before its no longer free!

Pankapu, released in 2016 by Too Kind Studio, is currently "Free to Keep" on Steam, which means as long as you "buy" it during the promotion period, you'll get to keep it forever. The catch? Products added to free like this aren't eligible for Steam Trading Card drops, which is hardly an issue.

Pankapu is a narrative action-platformer, with a touch of metroidvania, that takes place in the dreams of Djaha’rell, a child troubled by a tragic incident. Upgrade your skills, find new competencies, switch your Aegis in real time in order to get rid of Nightmare's invasion.

Is this worth picking up a copy? Looking at all the reviews, the game has been received as Mostly Positive, though more recent times we see the reviews as being Mixed. Seeing that mixed reviews tag can make one hesitant to check a game out so we took a look at the reviews that were written and here's what we've found from the negative side of things:

• The gameplay is generic.
• It is frustrating to play because as you progress the platforming gets more annoying.
• Combat is repetitive and boring.
• Controls feel clunky. (This has been a recurring complaint since the game's release)
• The difficulty curve of the game is very punishing. Even with more upgrades,  the enemies get even more difficult so you never feel like you've really gained power.

On the positive side of the discussion, we've seen:

• The artwork is fantastic. (Many reviews mention the great artwork)
• The exploration feels rewarding - plenty of hidden collectibles.
• The story feels interesting.
• The platforming is "cruel".
• "No, the controls aren't clumsy. (If you prefer a gamepad - then perhaps, or you're just bad at platforming.)"

It's interesting to see that some folks aren't a big fan of the "cruel" nature of the platforming but then for others they feel like it makes Pankapu shine. Among many of the negative reviews though, the art style has only ever seen praise so if you want to dive into a story and see some great visuals, while getting punished, Pankapu may be a good choice!

How long could it take you to complete the story and go for full completion of the game? One reviewer commented that it took them around 15 hours to 100% complete the game, so if you're looking for something to do this weekend, maybe give Pankapu a go!

Quote From EmilSo

Got it for free recently and really like it so far. Besides having a very beatiful Artstyle and some cool abilities, it has some metroidvania character so prepare for backtracking if you want all collectables and stuff! It reminds me a bit of Hollow Knight, which is a game I loved a lot.
It is a fairly difficult but enjoyable game so far. Its a little bit sad that you cannot use mouse controlls and the standart keyboard controlls felt really weird but since you can change them its totally fine and I found a comfortable controll system for myself!

Update: 100% done, a fun journey but could have been a bit longer! It got pretty hard tho (around 15h of gameplay for the 100% first playthrough for me)

Let us know in the comments below if you end up trying the game and what you think of it. Grab Pankapu now for free on Steam before the free period ends on December 18.