Koira Review – Brief but Unforgettable Tale of Connection

Koira Review

As reviews go, this look at Studio Tolima’s Koira is going to be a pretty short one. There are at least two reasons. First, Koira is a compact experience, with a play time of only a few hours. Second, I can’t talk much about the story because Koira is so heavily focused on leaning into each moment of discovery. Without those moments, and the evolving relationship between the player character and dog, all that’s left is some pretty 2D art and music. So, brief and to the point it is.

Lots of Style Points

Playing Koira, you’re immediately struck by the game’s flowing, painterly art style based on simplified shapes and silhouettes. The game looks like an animated watercolor. It soon becomes apparent that there’s more subtle detail and expressiveness on screen than you thought. This is particularly true as it pertains to the main character, the dog, and other animals. Koira is a game in which a wide range of emotions is represented almost entirely by eyes and body language. The game is a masterclass in understatement, but it’s always incredibly clear what every moment’s emotional content is. We often expect game characters to be dense studies in realism. Koira is a great counter to that expectation.

Of course, many indie games — like Journey, one of the most well-known titles in this genre — replace dialogue with sound, music, and simplified gestures. Partly because the relationship between people and animals (especially dogs) is so primal, we instantly understand postures of canine sadness, curiosity, anxiety, or joy. If there’s anything that Koira does exactly right, it’s representing the depth of the human and animal bond.

I can’t imagine an animal lover or dog owner not enjoying Koira, although they should be warned that the narrative is not without moments of more negative emotions like terror, confusion, emotional pain, and longing. There are people who won’t play a game or watch a movie that includes animals in danger. By and large, Koira’s emotional landscape is focused on uplifting, heartwarming, and joyful moments. But not entirely.

A Very Little About the Story

Koira is very loosely about a dog trying- with your help- to find its way home. It’s an archetypal story, filled with other animals to befriend and help, and the assistance they give you, too. There are dangers in the world, most menacingly in the form of hunters who would like to snatch the dog. The world has hazards, and bad things can happen, at least temporarily. There are mysteries that reveal a deep and ancient connection to nature that nurtures, heals, and guides the player and the dog.

Music plays an enormous role in Koira, as it does in every medium that lacks dialogue. In Koira, the player and the dog communicate through musical gestures and the world likewise uses music as language. Koira isn’t exactly a music game, but there are puzzles and situations where music plays an outsized part. The game’s soundtrack, as you might imagine, is lovely and often very spare. It does a fantastic job of setting the tone of every scene, whether joyful or ominous.

In terms of actual gameplay, Koira is focused on exploring and puzzle-solving. Controls are simple, which means that the puzzles need to include some fairly basic mechanics. That said, some of the puzzles require at least a bit of thought and logic. There are secrets to find, too, enough that a single run through the game might not reveal them all.

Second Chances

Koira is a heartfelt and inspiring journey that explores the deep emotional bonds between people and animals, bonds that are dynamic and fulfilling for both. With expressive art and music, some interesting puzzles, and a bit of tension and excitement, Koira is less one dimensional than it might appear. As a game, it’s probably a one-and-done experience, but it leaves behind a warm glow and a bit of renewed appreciation for empathy, connection, and communication.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher for review***