I'll preface by saying, I've never played Knytt or Knytt Stories, so this was all very new to me.

Oh boy, what a phenomenal precision platformer this game is! Knytt Underground has you playing as the voiceless protagonist, Mi, as she ventures through, well, the underground, accompanied by a bunch of fairies, who do most of the talking.

The story doesn't take itself all too seriously though, which is completely fine, considering the platforming and gameplay are definitely the highlights. It's extremely fun to navigate the various environments in this underground world.

You can transform into... a ball? Now that's odd, but it makes for some really fun movement options by using your momentum to bounce to certain areas, or grapple with the power of electricity? Yep, it just gets stranger, but I'm not complaining! I've never seen anything quite like it, and it's surprisingly fun!

The map is MASSIVE, there's so much to explore, with so many hidden secrets to be discovered. Platforming challenge sub areas, side quests and so much more. The only issue with such a large map is that there's a lot of backtracking, which can be really tedious at times, but other than that, it's super fleshed out with areas like factories, towns, forests... you get the idea! It's super vibrant and brimming with life! To add to that, the soundtrack is incredible, it perfectly complements the atmosphere of the game!

I was honestly surprised by how underrated this game is, it has so much character, and I encourage you to check it out if you're looking for a fun challenge!

It's a beautiful looking game, when it comes to the art style. There's a lot of exploration to do. Some philosophical reflections. And...

...a LOT of platforming! And that's the main reason I barely enjoyed this game at all. The platforming is pretty hard. I guess if you only aim for any-percent, straight to the end kind of gameplay, it's just average difficulty. But when you explore thoroughly and work to get all the achievements, it's really hard and frustrating... at least for someone who doesn't like hard platformers. I expected a more relaxing experience from the footage I had seen before.

Some redeeming points... 1- there are TONS of secret rooms and challenges!
and 2- some of the hardest ones don't give any achievement for completing them.
...I would have felt pressured to do everything if achievements were tied to it (particularly in this game). But "bragging rights"? I'm fine without!

When it comes to the story... it was less than average. Often ended up being disappointing. The developer wants you to appreciate the journey more than the end result. I eventually got tired of the drama, the extreme cynicism of one character, her outbursts and 18+ language (including violent and sexual stuff).
For me, it clashes with the beauty of the environment. Again, not at all what I expected.

This closes a chapter for me, with Nifflas games. I played a lot of Knytt Stories around 2011, as well as Within a Deep Forest, then saw Knytt Underground in store when it was released... was it on Wii U? Or PS Vita? I always wanted to play this beautiful, relaxing looking game! Now I'm glad it's off my list!

Story: 3/10
Graphics: 10/10
Music: 4/10
Sound/Ambience: 9/10
Controls: 7/10

Overall: 6.5/10