Koral
Gameplay 6
Graphics 8
Sound 7

Koral is a short puzzle game set in tranquil underwater environments. As a love letter to the ocean, it highlights the beauty and diversity of life underneath the sea while telling an important message about the destruction being wrought by humanity. While fun to play, the game is concise, and even with some variation in the puzzles, some parts can feel a little tedious. However, players who can overlook these flaws will find a game that was clearly a labor of love.

Gameplay: Koral features some mild puzzle solving and is relaxing for the most part, but the timed elements might annoy casual players.

Graphics: 3D models for the aquatic life and parallax for the fore and background elements make for a good-looking game.

Sound: The music is calm most of the time but isn’t afraid to tug on your heartstrings with some emotional orchestral swells in some spots

Summary 7.0 Good
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Koral

Developer: Carlos Coronado | Publisher: Carlos Coronado | Release Date: 2019 | Genre: Casual / Simulation / Indie | Website: N/A | Purchase: Steam

Did you know that over 55% of the world’s reefs are threatened by destructive fishing? Or that there are about 500 dead zones in the ocean created by pollution? Neither did we, but after playing Koral, we know these and other sobering facts about the ocean. The developer of Koral, Carlos Coronado, describes it as a love letter to the ocean, and since he made the game on a boat in a marine reserve, we are inclined to believe him. However, there’s more to this brief indie game than just reminders about how terrible humanity is for the environment.

In Koral, players take control of a sea current and are tasked with bringing coral reefs back to life. This can be done by collecting the healing energy of other aquatic plant life and then transporting it to where it’s needed. It is a non-violent game with light puzzle elements that can be completed in less than three hours but with a message that will stay with players for much longer.

Although it uses Unreal Engine 4, Koral keeps all the action on a 2D plane as players maneuver their small sea current around the beautiful environments. Coronado has used UE4 Marketplace Character Packs for the ocean environments, fish animals, and other underwater life seen in the game. The results are impressive as shadowy shapes swim about in the background until players heal the area, revealing the lifeforms in their full splendor.

Koral makes good use of parallax effects as well as some shiny particle effects and bloom to spice up the visuals. Unfortunately, the foreground visuals can sometimes obscure the view. Some areas are also beautiful, while others feel more barren. However, this is to be expected in a game that draws attention to the damage being done to the ocean by destructive fishing and other eco disasters. The game starts in a healthy reef before moving through caves, shipwrecks, and the deep. In total, there are fifteen different sea ecosystems for players to experience in their journey.

As expected for a game set entirely underwater, the music in Koral is suitably mellow and low-key. However, some nice orchestral swells kick in whenever something dramatic happens onscreen. Sound effects are decent for the most part, apart from one or two that can be a little grating. Unfortunately, the game does not feature voice acting and instead uses text boxes for the ocean facts. These are scattered about as glowing orbs that count as collectibles. Tracking them down isn’t too hard, and players can replay previous chapters, but getting all 32 of them does pad out the playtime a little bit.

The controls in Koral are very straightforward, and the game can be played with either a gamepad or a keyboard. The only thing players can control directly is the direction in which to move their sea current. Each area is gated by pollution barriers that halt progress until players solve all the puzzles needed to clear them. The puzzles mainly involve collecting healing energy and transporting these to the right spots, but the game does introduce some variation in this process. Initially, healing the coral is as easy as picking up the clearly marked energy orbs and taking them to where they are needed. Later on, players have to make use of coral switches to open up pathways or swim through unique plants for speed boosts required to get to specific points on time. It never becomes too challenging, but the timed sections, in particular, do require some reflexes to complete. Unfortunately, even with the brief playtime offered by the game and the changing puzzle mechanics, some sections can feel tedious.

Koral is not the first game with an ecological theme set underwater; neither is it the best-looking or most entertaining one. Nevertheless, the game definitely has its moments and offers a relaxing experience for the most part. While it doesn’t quite have the same impact as titles like Abzu, it is still an impressive effort from an indie developer who had an important message to share.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
  • Processor: Intel Core i3-2100 / AMD® FX-6300
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 750 Ti / ATI Radeon HD 7950
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
  • Additional Notes: Controller support: Microsoft Xbox ® Controller for Windows® (or equivalent) recommended
  • OS: Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD® FX-8350
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 970 / ATI Radeon R9 series
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
  • Additional Notes: Controller support: Microsoft Xbox ® Controller for Windows® (or equivalent) recommended

Related posts

F.E.A.R. 3

F.E.A.R. 3

The series is moving away even further from its creepy horror roots and starting to feel a bit like a typical "Call of Duty" style shooter. There's still a few nice ideas, but the scares are thin on the ground and the story isn't exactly gripping. The co-op seems to have been the main focus of the game and works well. Gameplay: The shooting mechanics are solid but it loses that spooky "F.E.A.R" feeling along the way. Graphics: Looks good and the environments are a bit more varied than before. Sound: Nothing but silence from the lead character, but overall the voices and music is decent.

Among the Innocent: A Stricken Tale

Among the Innocent: A Stricken Tale

Among The Innocent features a very unique setting, interesting story and puzzles that are immensely satisfying to solve. It also manages to keep you on edge the whole time, despite your idyllic surroundings, which is impressive for a game with no jump scares. There are some rough edges, but nothing that should deter you from grabbing this game and helping its protagonist crack the mystery. Gameplay: Explore a desolate farmstead while solving puzzles using everyday objects. Graphics: Nothing mind-blowing, but gets the job done and sets the mood perfectly. Sound: The audio is rather low-key, but definitely enhances the creepy atmosphere.

Dishonored

Dishonored

Step into the stealthy boots of a master assassin and eliminate your foes through violence or cunning in this immersive first-person title. Eliminating your enemies with deadly gadgets or supernatural powers is a blast, but playing as a silent shadow that is never seen is arguably even more fun. Dishonored might not have the most original storyline, but the amount of freedom it gives players makes for a very memorable experience. Gameplay: There is a lot of freedom to be as violent or stealthy as you wish. Graphics: Great art style and plenty of attention to detail. Sound: Stellar voice acting despite some repetition

The Legend of Tianding

The Legend of Tianding

The Legend of Tianding is a great sidescrolling action game filled with fast-paced characters, great levels, and memorable characters. Everything from the visuals to the audio is superb, and the combat remains enjoyable throughout. The game is a little on the short side, and most of the moves are unlocked right at the start instead of being spread out through the adventure, but other than that, there is very little to fault. Gameplay: Traversing the trap-filled levels is fun, but the combat really steals the show. Graphics: The game's presentation, animations, and overall art style are really good. Sound: Authentic music, sound effects, and voice acting bring this adventure to life.

Pulstar

Pulstar

Pulstar is a very straightforward arcade shooter so depending on your taste you will either find it a refreshing blast from the past or become frustrated after only a few minutes. It definitely packs quite a challenge and the difficulty ramps up very quickly, so quick reflexes and a bit of luck is required to make the most of it. If you enjoyed games like Geometry Wars and Beat Hazard you will have fun with Pulstar. Gameplay: Straightforward and challenging arcade shooter. Graphics: Nice, but it can be hard to distinguish the enemies from the background at times. Sound: The sound effects lack punch, but the music is very catchy.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything

Please, Don’t Touch Anything

Please, Don’t Touch Anything is a devious game that preys on your natural curiosity. You are given one order, but to discover all the hidden secrets the game has to offer you will have to disobey it. What happens after that depends entirely on how good your problem solving skills and lateral thinking are. It is a great game for anyone that enjoys cracking puzzles, but the easily frustrated might want to pass. Gameplay: Deceptively simple, but the multitude of endings will keep you coming back for more. Graphics: All the action takes place on a single pixel art screen. Sound: Some very foreboding and atmospheric chiptune tracks.

Leave a comment

two × one =