Kona Critic Reviews

Kona is a story based game worth telling, combining aspects such as narrative world-building and free-flowing gameplay. This title cannot be overlooked.

Kona is a well-crafted experience thanks to a good history accompanied to a simple but effective gameplay.

Kona certainly doesn’t rewrite the book on them, but it fills that nosy friend niche nicely. Looking through every cupboard in strangers’ houses scratched a strange itch I didn’t know I had… But wait, does that make me the creepy friend now?

Kona is an atmospheric, surprisingly varied modern adventure, mixing point&click tradition with survival suspense and the exploration aspect of recent game novels..

Kona is a game that relies on its narrative to deliver a very engaging experience. It doesn't offer anything special gameplay-wise, but if you like exploration and a good story, give this a try.

Kôna doesn’t inundate the player with a complicated story, and Parabole allows this captivating narrative and stellar graphics to speak for themselves. While there are a few issues within the game, they are not enough to spoil the fun of the game. If you are one that loves investigative story lines, this is for you, however, if you aren’t totally sold on the premise of the game, you might want to wait until the price of the game drops a bit.

An inventive and relentlessly atmospheric detective effort, Kona's last minute stumbles and clumsy combat system don't considerably detract from an effort that breathes some fresh life into the first-person adventure genre.

We enjoyed our time with Kona Day One, even if the survival and combat elements often give the idea of being thrown into the mix without too much thought. When the game does what it's best at, which means telling a story, can make you forget about technical hiccups and a lackluster finale. A good beginning for a new series we're curious to see unravel.

An interesting adventure that sadly becomes as cold as its plot in terms of gameplay. This game is a new walking experience through almost empty but with lots of items in order to make our research. Good ideas, weak development.

Kona is an inspiring game that pulls the player into the story. Unfortunately, Kona cannot maintain the same pace that it has at the beginning of the game. But besides that, Kona is still a nice game.

Kona is an exciting game with an amazing atmosphere, that is tainted by a disappointing story and average tech. It is very enjoyable as a Canada simulator though, thanks to its mix of different genres.

It may not be the best in the genre, and it certainly has its problems, but you’re given an intriguing mystery to solve in an interesting and unique setting.

Kona is by no means a perfect game, but it shines in the fact that it dares to let us roam freely through the mysteries of its snow-ridden quebecois forest village. By refraining from leading us by the hand and showing us where to go at every step, the sense of exploration and discovery is heightened. To me, Kona feels like a breath of fresh air amid the current blizzard of AAA juggernauts.

That ending notwithstanding, Kona is a trip worth taking. It’s a beautiful, moody showcase of the snowy wilds of northern Canada, and a slow-burning mystery steeped in atmosphere. Play it for the journey, not the destination.

Quotation forthcoming.

Kona can thrill you during the first hours, but then it loses some of its appeal due to technical issues and a not-so-original plot. If you like exploration with some survival mechanics and a good narrative level, you will likely enjoy it.

Kona's story is intriguing, which makes the lacklustre ending all the more frustrating. Technical difficulties round out a rather disappointing whole.

While the overarching story in KONA will no doubt leave you cold, the tense atmosphere at the centre of its snowstorm setting will warm your desire to see it all the way through to the end. It should also be applauded for trying to add a surprising number of mechanics to what's ostensibly an adventure game, and while the survival gameplay ultimately feels superfluous, it at least works well in service of developer Parabole's presentational aspirations – which is more than can be said for the pointless combat and distinctly average collection of puzzles.

Spanning several hours and sporting a number of more traditional game features, Kona feels far meatier compared to your average walking sim. The combination of nonlinear design and survival mechanics certainly help to dispel some of the issues I have with the genre. That said, the vagueness surrounding some puzzles, frequent backtracking, and a somewhat dissatisfying finale left me with mixed feelings despite introducing some welcome changes to the formula.

Quotation forthcoming.