Koira Review

Koira arrived on 1 April with a lot of anticipation from the casual gaming fan base. Developed by Studio Tolima and published by DON'T NOD, from the moment the game was announced, Koira promised to give you a unique, emotionally driven experience. After diving into the game and finishing it multiple times, I deeply felt that the developers delivered on that promise.

If you are looking for something that gives you a great treat to the eyes whilst also making you go through an emotional voyage, well, this one delivers. Koira tells you a beautiful, simple, yet deeply emotional story where you take on the role of a mystical spirit who stumbles upon a stranded puppy caught inside a trap.

What happens next is a really touching story of friendship, trust, and survival as you navigate a world both enchanting and dangerous. Rather than relying on dramatic plot twists, Koira goes on a route that embraces pure and sincere forms of storytelling, making it a great fit for casual gamers.

The first thing that stood out to me in Koira is the story; what makes it so compelling is its focus on nuanced companionship rather than unnecessary drama. The game mixes various themes from survival, to trust, and it does a good job of reminding you of how fragile life truly is. 

Taking you through a journey that ventures into various emotional spectrums whilst also giving you something that a lot of people can pretty much relate to in their day-to-day making it resonate with whoever plays the game.

Koira's gameplay is a mix of exploration, stealth, and solving various kinds of puzzles, which I didn't really find bothersome. The mechanics in the game are that you'll need to guide the puppy through dangerous environments, which then introduces the stealth element. 

You will need to be careful when you maneuver around the enemies to avoid hunters and their dogs, which creates a bit of tension. It's not something that casual or cozy gamers will find a burden, but it certainly does draw attention and immersion to the experience.

Koira is definitely not overwhelmingly difficult, but it does require thoughtful planning; you'll need to anticipate dangers, be strategic with your movements, and use the environment to stay safe. The puzzles that the game has to offer are pretty unique in the sense that they have a musical element that adds a bit of flair. The music act is a form of communication and I think it's a cool way to incorporate sound into the gameplay.

The puzzles that you encounter are satisfying, and you often find them keeping the gameplay fresh; you'll need to listen to the environmental sounds carefully in order to progress, and I find the game's way of blending themes of music and nature really beautiful.

I found the game to be gorgeous; the hand-painted art style makes every frame feel like a living painting. The greyscale theme of the game wasn't as depressing as I thought it would be. With the burst of colors highlighting important elements, you can tell that this is an artistic choice that does more than just look pretty. 

It plays an important role when it comes to storytelling. Colors are there for a reason. When you the game you're clearly able to tell that the colors are there to portray different emotional meanings and it's a neat way to make the game more immersive without adding verbal cues.

Koira's environment design is quite simple, and it does the simplistic theme quite well. Every environmental nuance is so well thought out and they are well placed.

When it comes to sound design, music is definitely an important part of Koira. There is no dialogue, no red words. You simply rely on visual prompts and environmental help to understand your puppy and figure out what you need to do next; it's a silent communication that makes a bond between the characters even stronger.

The various areas that the game presents have their unique musical themes, with different sounds marking different stages of the journey experience. Whether that be interacting with objects like touching flowers or playing some melody that might just end up being an upcoming puzzle. 

The world itself feels alive, and it speaks to you through sound, making discovery all the more rewarding. And the game soundtrack is no slouch; it's composed beautifully.

Koira is a pretty short game for what it’s worth, with most playthroughs lasting for about 3 to 4 hours. But it does a great job at making use of that time to keep you fully emotionally satiated. If it's rich storytelling gameplay without requiring a massive time investment, Koira is something you might consider.

I can see why people might see the game shortly. The length of the game is its downside, something I feel certainly doesn't work in its favor. The stories are short and sweet, and it's well, and it feels like a movie that's just three hours for the sake of it. While there isn't much reason that you might want to replay the game once you've completed it, the journey is something that feels pretty memorable.

While Koira is an overall great experience, it's not flawless. I didn't counter minor bugs, mostly related to graphical glitches, and the game would sometimes freeze and look bugged out when transitioning between different areas. I also found the puppy's pathfinding to be a tad odd, it sometimes needed me to reset a path or wait for it to catch up which was annoying.

Another thing that a lot of people may consider to be an issue is Koira’s lack of replayability. Since the game is so short and story-based, once you do end up finishing it, there's little to no reason that you'll want to live the story again.

If you're on the lookout for a short but meaningful experience, one that definitely is something that stays with you even after you finish, Koira might just be it; it might not be the most exciting, and it might not be the most dopamine-secreting neurotic game out there with its greyscale theme, but it really doesn't need to be. 

In the end, Koira delivers a heartfelt, visually stunning experience with emotional storytelling and unique musical puzzles. Though short (3-4 hours) and lacking replay value, its touching narrative, artistic design, and serene gameplay make it a memorable journey for fans of casual, story-driven adventures.

It offers you an artistic and emotional journey that a lot of people can relate to, and sometimes, less really is more. It's a game I would recommend to anyone who appreciates heartfelt stories with great artistic visuals and someone who enjoys simple, relaxing gameplay.