Kona
Developer(s)Parabole
Publisher(s)Parabole (PC)
Deep Silver (PS4, PCVR)
Ravenscourt (NS, XONE, Stadia, PSVR)
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Shield TV, Stadia, PlayStation 5
ReleaseLinux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
March 17, 2017[1]
Nintendo Switch, Shield TV
March 9, 2018[2][3][4]
Stadia
August 1, 2020
PlayStation 5
December 7, 2021[5]
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Kona is an adventure video game developed by the Canadian studio Parabole and published by Ravenscourt. Set in October 1970, the game centers on Carl Faubert, a private investigator, who arrives at a snowy town in Nord-du-Québec, only to find the place deserted with something that is lurking around.[6] A sequel, Kona II: Brume, was released on October 18, 2023.[7]

Gameplay

Kona includes survival and supernatural elements with buildings to explore, which contain loot (tools, light) and can serve as shelters.[8] The threats include cold (solved by setting up fire) and wolves (which can be shot or distracted with raw meat).[9] There is a stress level, which increases by seeing upsetting scenes, dealing with tough situations, or having accidents. A higher stress level will decrease the sprint speed and add a shakier aim, but Carl can calm himself by smoking cigarettes and drinking beers that are spread around.[10]

The navigation of the region is done by Carl's truck in a first-person viewpoint. While driving, Carl can hold the zoomable map in his right hand in case something needs to be checked.[11] The game has Carl's thoughts being narrated as he goes through clues to find out what has happened to the town, along with puzzles that support the story.[12]

Development

Kona was developed by the Canadian-based company Parabole. Initial funding for the game came through a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter website. The campaign was launched on August 7, 2014, with a goal of CA$40,000; it ended on September 6, 2014, with CA$44,271 raised by 1,304 people.[13] The lead developer, Alexandre Fiset, later said that the funding from Kickstarter would have produced a five-minute game.[14] Later funding for the game came from the Canada Media Fund, which accounted for roughly half.[15] It was released on Steam Early Access in March 2016, and fully released a year later.[16] The game was ported to virtual reality on June 19, 2018 for the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive platforms, with support for motion controls.[17][18]

Reception

On its release, Kona was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics on Metacritic, with an aggregate score of 73% for Microsoft Windows, 71% for PlayStation 4 and 63% for Nintendo Switch.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Snowy, Canada-based thriller Kona is releasing on March 17". PCGamesN. 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. ^ "Kona s'offre une sortie surprise sur Switch". JeuxVideo.com. March 9, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  3. ^ "Kona".
  4. ^ Sholtz, Matthew (2018-03-13). "24 new and notable Android games from the last week (3/7/18 - 3/13/18)". Android Police. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  5. ^ Square, Push (2021-12-07). "Frigid Survival Game KONA Now on PS5, Free Upgrade Available". Push Square. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  6. ^ Johnson, Maxime (March 14, 2017). "Kona: un jeu vidéo unique dans le Nord-du-Québec en 1970". Métro. Montreal. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  7. ^ "Kona II: Brume announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. July 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Walker, John (March 24, 2017). "Wot I Think: Survival meets adventure in Kôna". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Hoelscher, Kevin (October 9, 2017). "Kona". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  10. ^ Sheridan, Connor (June 16, 2016). "Kona is a survival exploration game with a chilling supernatural edge". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  11. ^ Taylor, Brian (April 25, 2017). "Kona Unites Story and Survival". Paste. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  12. ^ Riendeau, Danielle (March 23, 2017). "'KONA' is a Superb, Snowy Adventure". Vice. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
    - Turner, Jack (March 22, 2017). "KONA REVIEW: AN IMPRESSIVE DETECTIVE GAME SUFFERING FROM AN IDENTITY CRISIS". The Independent. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  13. ^ Parabole (August 7, 2014). "Kôna - A Survival Adventure Game". Kickstarter. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  14. ^ Francis, Bryant (May 17, 2017). "Take a look at the indie biz strategy that made Kona successful on Steam". Gamasutra. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  15. ^ McAloon, Alissa (May 19, 2017). "How Kona's devs used the Canada Media Fund, and why they won't use it again". Gamasutra. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  16. ^ Chalk, Andy (February 17, 2017). "Kona, the snowy supernatural mystery set in Canada's north, is coming in March". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  17. ^ "Kona VR Comes To PlayStation VR". VR News, Games, And Reviews. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  18. ^ Game, Kona (June 19, 2018). "Survive Northern Canada's harsh weather in a new perspective". Twitter. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Kona for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
    - "Kona for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
    - "Kona for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Turner, Stephen (March 24, 2017). "Review: Kona". Destructoid. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  21. ^ Mundy, Jon (March 21, 2018). "Kona Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  22. ^ Veillette, Guillaume (March 15, 2018). "Kona (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  23. ^ Codd, Matthew (April 17, 2017). "Review: Kona (Sony PlayStation 4)". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved September 6, 2019.

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