Common Sense Media Review
By David Chapman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bland supernatural mystery with good looks but little else.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Kona
What's It About?
KONA is set in 1970 in Northern Canada. Players take on the role of Carl Fauber, a private investigator called in to find out who's been causing trouble for the town's resident business leader. It was supposed to be just another normal case, but you immediately notice that things are far from normal. Everybody has seemingly vanished into thin air. Things take a more supernatural turn as this already isolated town becomes a literal ghost town, the spirits of the villagers frozen in place by some unknown force. Alone and facing the elements, as well as whatever dark forces have cursed the town, it's up to you to discover what happened to the residents of Atamipek Lake -- and hopefully to find your own way to survive the experience.
Is It Any Good?
Let's get one thing straight right from the start: If there's one thing the developers of this supernatural adventure know, it's atmosphere. From the moment you start Kona, it's hard not to get lost in the amazing look and feel of the Canadian wilderness. You're instantly transported to a place and time that feels authentic and has an eerie feeling of isolation. This feeling is made more intense by the utter lack of human interaction and a raging snowstorm. Unfortunately, the problem with Kona is it's like a bowl of wax fruit. Sure, it's great to look at, but it tastes bland and is way too hard to swallow.
For starters, there's the narrator. This is the only voice you hear over the course of the game, and his performance is weirdly dull yet still overdramatic. Then there's the jumbled mess of controls. Without any sort of tutorial, players must dig around in the options to find out which keys serve which function. There's not even an inventory key. Instead, players have to dig through the main menu wheel to access any items they may have. And finally, there's no real thought required. Whenever a "puzzle" presents itself, solving it is usually only a matter of having the right items in your inventory to combine, which the game does for you automatically. Kona feels less like a dramatic mystery and more like a grade school filmstrip where the player is simply there to advance to the next frame.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in gaming. Does it make a difference if the violence in a game is against humans or animals?
Talk about communities. What are some ways that isolated or smaller communities band together?
Game Details
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