Challenging open holes where you can air it out.
Interesting water holes--not too far but nail biters.
Great mix of open and woods holes.

Woods holes too tight with some weird lines.
Navigation could be better, we got lost in the open field section more than once.

Definitely worth playing if you are close. Not as good as Rockness, but different feel.

Another course for Roxboro? Someone up here likes building courses more than playing him because I've never seen another person on any of the three beasts, but each time I have been, significant work has been done, including the creation of a third course in Kraken. While Rockness is the jewel of the area, Kraken offers a nice variety of holes. The first half of the course is open, and by that I mean wiiiiide open. Mixed in are few interesting shots, such as the early tunnel on 3, the basket tucked into the woods on 4, and a basket placed in the center of a tennis court on 5. The rest of the first nine provides plenty of chances to air a disc out. There are some rolling hills, and a few places where a tree line borders one side of the fairway, but if you want to bomb drives, the Kraken will not disappoint.
The course transitions around the midpoint to a series of tight wooded holes. And I mean tiiiight wooded holes. Very narrow gaps here and though a few trees could still be removed there are a lot of chances to really put some sharp angles on a throw. Eighteen holes of either the front nine or back nine might have been too much but nine of each is just right.
Then there are the water holes. For me, 13, 14 and 15 were the highlight of the course. 13 uses a nook in the lake to create a traditional carry of about 220 feet but with significant bailout space to the left. 14 and 15 play alongside a large lake, but the tees and baskets are laid out so that a disc has to hang over the water before crashing home to the right. 15 offers nice choice with a long over water path to the pin or a much shorter and straighter carry that would leave a long and possibly difficult approach shot. I enjoyed all three but if you don't want to risk a disc, there is always a red tee.
Additionally, the Kraken features the same amenities that are present on the other Roxbury courses: a set of red tees that are often absurdly easy but are nice for very new players, a set of blue tees that add a tremendous amount of difficulty but are often absurd, and some of the most creative and helpful tee signs that I've seen.

Kraken shares the main flaw of its beastly neighbors: The course is very much structured around the white tees and the blue tees often suffer for this. I played the whites but I noticed where the blues were. Some, like 3, are ridiculous shots that discs don't do, in effect creating a forced layup. Others aren't bad throws but don't have a good flow. For example, after finishing 5, someone playing blues would have to walk along half of the hole they played to find the 6 blue tee in the middle of the 5 fairway. I'd recommend that newcomers play the white tees, because it is definitely intended to play that way.
And while there is variety in the holes, most of the hole-types are done better elsewhere. A few of the open holes come off a little flat. A few of the wooded holes have plinko sections. And yes, the downed trees make playing the water holes difficult. Some of the walks between holes are rather tedious as well.

A really nice complement to Rockness in that it doesn't duplicate any of the things that the older course does so well. It doesn't stand out as a great course on its own but playing both courses in an afternoon offers a varied 36 holes that is all the better because you may well have the course to yourself.

As someone who plays the triangle of beasts often (Rockness, Sasquatch, Kraken), I could be a little biased towards this course, but yet i'm keeping an open mind during this review. On to the positives.

New, level baskets:
This is often taken for granted now a days, but still must be looked at as a positive part of the course. No missing chains. Not broken down and old. I play a few courses that the baskets are sub-par, so I always take it as a positive.

A great mix of every type of hole design:
This is a big positive to me. Having almost a 50/50 split in wooded to open gives you a feel for the variety of disc golf every time you come out. You can get great practice in both distance and touch as well having no trees or a 100 in your way with one visit. The design also worked in both anhyzer and hyzer holes of both open and wooded. Lastly, water holes are included. You get something of everything here. I think the design was well thought out, though some challenges are still there (addressed in my cons).

9 hole loops:
This is just a personal preference for me, but I address as a positive. I love the idea of playing a quick 9, if time is limited. Kraken makes this easy since 1 and 10 in the same location where you park.

Lines:
I'll say that though the lines may not be easy on every hole, if you walk it, there are well defined paths for every basket. There are also multiple options for most holes. Whether it be backhand, forehand, lefty or righty. As a righty with no forehand, i had no issues at Kraken. You have an option to take an easier shot or go for the 2. Again, though difficult, there are no blind shots.

Growth:
Though this is looking to the future, I see a lot of potential growth, which can only be looked at as a positive. Dave, the designer, is always open to ideas and changes. You can see this in his other courses, Rockness and Sasquatch, which have become favorites of those visiting. I see great potential and assistance from the parks department, which can only make it better and a positive on my list.

Keeping the unbiased look at Kraken, I am also reviewing this in it's infancy (4 months old), which i'm keeping in mind.

Lines:
I said in the positives that there are lines on every hole, yet some are rather difficult. This would probably turn off lower level players and could be frustrating.

Tee pads
No tee pads make it pretty difficult, especially with longer holes where you need to trust your footing. I don't think it's a deal breaker since they are level and do have some gravel. In the end, teepads are needed here.

Safety
This is one issue that's difficult to address due to the location and, to me, also depends on who is playing. Holes 13-17 have some safety issues regarding tee and hole location. Though you can see the tee pads and baskets from 13 & 14, it's still in a difficult location and you have to be cautious if other players are around. With #15, if you go long because of the water OB, the road is right there with possible players or pedestrians walking. #16 you can take time to see who is ahead of you, so it's not as bad as the others. Still safety is a pretty big con when you're dealing with fast moving plastic saucers.

#7 (tennis court)
This is a small con since it is an easy fix, and it's already been noted in the description a alt basket will be placed here. Throwing your disc 300' directly onto on a hard surface is far from ideal.

Let me preface this by telling you that I'm an intermediate to advanced disc golfer (@930 rated), so definitely not even close to a pro level...but I love the challenge and I get it here at Kraken.

I believe in the ebb and flow of course design and that is important when it comes to difficulty, which I believe you get here. A great mix of hyzer/anhyzer, open/wooded, short/long with room to mature and grow it. It's a challenge to adjust yourself to different holes the entire time.

My favorite hole is Blue #13 as an example. I know, right off the bat, i'm not going to park it every time and I could be in the water every now and then. That's part of it. That's part of disc golf. Making those decisions based on how you are playing and the hole you are playing. Lay up or go for it.

Again, You get that here at Kraken

Am I saying Kraken is the greatest course? Far from.
Is it the worst? Far from.

I do believe overall the positives outweigh the negatives by a hair, which is why I gave Kraken a 3. I think Kraken has the foundation to be a great course that will challenge you every time. It may still be far off from becoming that, but definitely on the right path.