Kotama and Academy Citadel is a premium action game developed by Atomstring Games that puts you in a Metroidvania side-scrolling gameplay wherein your end goal is to become the highest honor student in Academy Citadel. The game, which is available for PCs, places players in a survival of the fittest experience.

Kotama and Academy Citadel is similar to Kejora, which immerses players in a side-scrolling platformer adventure that lets you accomplish a certain mission at the end. In this game, you must fight your way to be the highest honor student by exploring Academy Citadel and overcoming obstacles. 

Survival of the fittest 

Kotama and Academy Citadel is set on Carmel, which lives up to the “survival of the fittest” principle. In Carmel, all students dream of becoming the “Carmel Star,” or the highest honor student. As their Centennial Anniversary comes, a new “Carmel Star Election” is also about to begin. In this game, you assume the role of a mysterious exchange student who suddenly enrolls and is determined to become the Carmel Star. 

For you to become the Carmel Star, you must navigate the Academy Citadel itself and master your powers. Here, you must survive all the deadly traps along your journey. You can even go back to areas you’ve already explored and use your newfound powers to find out the secrets behind some walls and locked gates, showing you shortcuts and treasures.  

Furthermore, you must also master Kotama’s powers to defeat the hordes of enemies. You can switch weapons, too, if you want to perform powerful combos. Likewise, you can encounter other students who can help you get the Carmel Star by helping them and hearing their stories. However, the drawback of this game is that even though it’s narrative-driven, it doesn’t have any character development features. 

A must-try Metroidvania side-scrolling game 

If you’re into narrative-driven Metroidvania side-scrolling action games, Kotama and Academy Citadel is a must-try game for you. This game lets you accomplish a mission of getting the Carmel Star, or the highest honor, in the Academy Citadel. Also, it lets you explore freely at your own pace and defeat enemies by mastering Kotama’s powers and unleashing powerful combos. However, it has no character development arc.