Karate Survivor [Review]

Karate Survivor: A Superb Rogue-Lite Jackie Chan Experience

Karate Survivor is a fantastic take on the Vampire Survivors genre and is an easy recommendation. The core gameplay is fun and engaging: players navigate the map, strategically avoiding enemies while allowing their character's auto-attack to engage foes.

What sets this game apart is the lively combat presentation. Your character executes various Jackie Chan-like attacks by picking up scattered stage items like, broken table legs, umbrellas, really anything that isnt bolted down—using them either as weapons or throwing them at enemies. The presentation is superb, featuring some of the cleanest character animation seen in a pixel art game. Actions like swinging off poles to kick multiple foes or grabbing a chair to spin-kick enemies are a genuine blast.

The game maintains a highly enjoyable experience over time thanks to its rogue-lite elements. Enemies increase in difficulty the longer you survive, and each round introduces new attacks for players to choose from. This selection constantly refreshes your auto-attack pool, ensuring that your combos change every time you play. The music is very enjoyable, complementing the overall fantastic presentation. My playthrough was on the Nintendo Switch 2, and the game is perfectly suited for that platform due to its portable nature and simple pick-up-and-play accessibility. This is a truly superb title.