Released by GameMill Entertainment and Flux Games to complement the Cobra Kai Netflix series, Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues is an action beat 'em up that puts players in the shoes of their favorite characters from the franchise. With players able to control four members of the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Dojos (including their respective sensei), it gives fans of the franchise a chance to explore the world of Cobra Kai beyond what they may have seen play out during the events of the series.
With 2 seasons behind it and a third yet to come, the Cobra Kai series has plenty of content for fans to become invested in the cast of characters. Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues looks to add one more avenue for fans to grow attached to their favorite characters, allowing players to see their interactions in a different lens leading to the release of Season 3 of Cobra Kai. In doing so, the game finds itself falling back into the safety net of most video game adaptations of TV and movie properties, telling an original story while borrowing characters and elements of the source.
Most video game tie-ins and adaptations remain faithful to their source material as far as the basic elements go. Character dynamics and interactions, as well as location details, will tend to remain a 1:1 replica of the source material. Once the basic threads are handled, however, the main narrative elements can often go astray, foregoing the movie's plot whether for the purposes of game length or merely to tell its own story.
Comparing Cobra Kai's Game With The Netflix Series
Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues takes elements of the Netflix series and melds them together into its own world, with plot details and character elements finding their way in a manner completely faithful to the franchise. Beyond that, however, the video game creates its own path and story as told by characters Hawk and Demetri. Both characters attempt to explain to the principal the madness that is happening around the school and the valley, with both characters blaming the other for their respective dojo's involvement.
In a nod to the game's decidedly unrealistic direction, the principal mentions hearing a rumor of "flaming kicks and freezing fists." While the series is a highly-grounded, down-to-earth franchise focused on the development of a new generation of students and the character dynamics therein, the video game eschews this in its gameplay, opting to lean into its own brand of fantasy, beat 'em up action. In taking advantage of the ability to create a narrative separate from the Cobra Kai Netflix series, it allows the game to offer a unique experience that fans of old-school beat 'em ups will be able to appreciate.