Koira Review

There are a few genres that are a fairly safe go-to's for smaller developers, and the 2D adventure has become quite a popular choice over the past decade. It allows creators to flex their art style without breaking the budget, and along with some limited interactivity and a touching story, it can pull on a few players' heart strings without saying or writing a word. Koira, a debut for developer Studio Tolima and published by Don't Nod, embraces this formula and follows a young hero as they traverse a mysterious forest alongside a puppy companion.

As many titles of this ilk, players assume the role of a figure that rests in a dark forest. From an isometric perspective, you then begin to explore, and find that the land has been mostly taken over by some dark presence. You soon encounter a small puppy that has been caught in a trap; after freeing it, the two form a quick friendship, and begin to explore the rest of the land in hopes of clearing the darkness.

Koira, presumably the name of the protagonist, does not speak and the game does not feature any written dialogue. Instead, the pair of adventurers communicate using musical notes, squeaking at each other freely as they go along. The game has a somewhat musical inclination to it, with the background soundtrack and various special effects when interacting with the environment or completing quests.

While the two characters do not speak, the game does a decent job of creating the expected relationship between them. They also convey their emotions through body movements and eye expressions, which works decently well. The little puppy is whimsical and charming with its glowing nose, and well animated, creating the expected attachment from the players. There's of course a bit of drama and predictable – but at least not manipulative – pulling at the heartstrings. And yes, you can pet the puppy.

Neither the audio design nor the art style are particularly impressive, however. Games from small developers often adopt a unique visual style that helps them stand out, but that's not really the case here. The color palette is mostly subdued with lots of white and shades of grey, with occasional dabbles of color, and doesn't feature much variety, with the art style being rather unmemorable and character designs a bit basic. The music and audio is also fairly barebones.

Over the course of the adventure, the pair will explore the forest, which features a couple of different biomes, including groves, snowy areas, and caves. Moving across the screen is simple, as is pressing prompted buttons to interact with specific items. The game is linear, but you will often come across small areas where you need to collect a few musical notes via varying methods, and bring them back to a central totem. To get the notes, you may have to solve puzzles, often with the help of the puppy that will interact with items through specific prompts. There are also elements of danger, such as hunters that you will have to avoid. Other unique moments involve interacting with other creatures in the forest, like helping a family of boars reunite, or taking a moment to play a minigame of simply observing the clouds above.

At only about 2.5 hours long, this isn't a lengthy adventure, but it should keep players engaged. There are no collectibles or a reason to replay however, making it an average value proposition at about $20. The game features minimalistic menus and visual settings, though it performs without any problems, and supports both keyboard / mouse and controller input.

Koira is a middling entry in the ever-persistent minimalistic 2D adventure genre. The game has a cute puppy companion that should draw some players in, and the puzzles combined with running around and the occasional moments of drama make for a decent time, at the asking price. But at the same time, it really doesn't offer much to stand out, and so would only really please those who are fans of games such as this.