REVIEW: ‘KOIRA’ Puts Compassion First

Read our interview with Studio Tolima Game Director about Koira’s inspiration and aim for impact here, 

Publishers DON’T NOD add another narrative-driven title to their roster with Koira. This 2D adventure game, developed by Studio Tolima, follows an individual through a dialogue-free journey where the sound of music is the language. Koira may have a minimalist approach to art, but its use of sound and narrative still carries a lot of emotional weight.

In the depths of a forest, you awake in an ocean of darkness. The whites of your eyes shake in distress as you navigate the void. You eventually come to light—blushing shades of pink and red foliage scatter about a white, snowy mountainside. In this unfamiliar landscape, another lost figure, a dog, emerges and breaks the silence. You are no longer alone. Together, you and your pup begin the story of finding your way home that fosters a deep emotional connection.

The scores, notes, and tunes trail along your wandering path back. Skating down an icy landslide cues a light-hearted melody as you glance at your pup’s gleeful smile. When danger is near, the tonal shift is distinct and complements the body language of our two protagonists. It is just you two building trust and relying on each other to navigate the forest.

Building rapport with your new puppy is achieved through a single input replicating the sound of two wind instruments. Calling out to your pup when it wanders off too far, calls it back to you. Similarly, if you get lost, your dog will respond with the direction you need to go.

Often cheery and bright, your puppy becomes your beacon of light in an otherwise hostile environment. As players enter deeper into the forest, they encounter Hunters disrupting animal habitats and their surroundings. The serene, scenic trip becomes littered with traps, cages, and debris. Distant gunfire and distressed animals flee from the burrows hidden beneath bushes. Distress is seen all around. You begin to see the scenery change, and what once was a cheerful stroll back home becomes heavy with emotion.

Koira offers moments of clarity following tense situations. 

A familiar darkness is visible throughout the landscape. It is the same void you awakened to, but now parsed out into the world. Clouds of dense black fog loom around, heavier and more frequently seen in some areas than others. Impassable, they serve as literal roadblocks and a reminder that even in our most idyllic times, things come up that make it challenging to progress. To pass through, your puppy must champion you through the darkness. 

Guiding you through with a nose and aura so bright, your puppy is light. A ring of light illuminates your puppy once you complete an objective. These objectives appear as finding apples to fuel your hungry companion or completing an environmental puzzle.

Your furry companion grounds you in comfort while in the forest as you slowly see it decay from the Hunter settlement. Your puppy offers respite from the harsh settings by inviting you to do little activities, such as building a snowman or cloud-watching. Gesturing towards the objective for the area needed to press onward. Fragile ancient stone ruins are also among the Hunter’s areas. Gathering broken parts of the statues is one of the environmental puzzles players engage in.

Often in threes, players will have to find parts of the ruins or assemble pieces with musical notes. The musical notes scatter into objects, like placing relics as offerings. Once players acquire the notes, they play back the notes to the statue, a musical hymn or offering to the player that helps clear the fog.

Amid dangerous hostiles, Koira takes breaths to find calm and clarity. This occurs after completing an environmental puzzle, such as restoring ancient statues. In other instances, it is shared through moments encouraged by your puppy. This simple, small interaction centers players back to stillness and calm in an environment they have no control over. It reminds us of the things within our control and recalls the things that lighten our day. A ring of light enchants the ground beneath you as you sit in a meditative state. Golden leaves fall from above you, and players will have to guide the leaves into the ring, which then blooms into flowers. It symbolizes clarity, calm, and growth.

Finding beauty in stillness. 

There is beauty in the still, simple moments. Periodically, Koira regrounds me with this idea as I often look for the puppy when  Koira consistently reminds the player that we need to appreciate the small moments of beauty in life instead of looking for immediate gratification. Appreciating small moments of beauty is lost as culture favors immediacy and immediate gratification.

During Koira, I often asked myself: “What else? What’s next?” as if I’m rushing along, expecting more of what already is. We don’t celebrate the small wins like we ought to, nor are we as present as we could be in what is happening right before us. Sometimes, it is simple things like watching the clouds go by with someone you value. Existing in a time and space that would not be the same twice.

Koira lacks in-game substance as it offers little encouraged progression like collectibles or various ways to experience the journey more than once, which could otherwise make it one to remember. Koira creates an interesting story for players to experience with its direction. It can be as simple as you and your puppy finding your way back home.

Still, the way the game embraces music as the language evokes emotion that players can build upon is introspective. This is where Koira succeeds. It creates room for interpretation and discussion about what more it could be about, if nothing more than a wholesome time with a beloved companion.

Koira is out now on Steam and PlayStation 5.