My first meeting for GDC was for an interesting title named Koi; the first game developed in China to come to the West on the PlayStation 4. Koi stood out to me because of its relaxing visuals and the way little narrative moments came out through the gameplay. It was one of the highlights of my very busy week.
Koi follows the story of lonely koi fish who’s been separated for his owner. And the missing person just so happens to be the lost hope for purifying the game’s polluted waters. Players will take control of the koi and swim through murky levels to solve puzzles and release the “Light Fish” which will grant you passage to the next area.
My hands on proved that this game isn’t meant for players who want just action and explosions. Koi’s greatness reveals itself with it’s amazing design and music. The calming piano music and water droplets echoed in my ears as I traversed through spring waters to help other fish and find my owner. The game starts off fairly easy with wide open areas and arrow assistance to help guide your way through, but in the later levels this type of assistance goes away, leaving the player to find their own path and work towards solving the puzzles. For completionist, there are hidden collectibles in the form of stars and jigsaw puzzles that will help narrate the story.
Koi was originally released as a cell phone game in the East developed by dotoyou, but has now been ported to the PlayStation 4 through Oasis Games. My hope is that the game can find it’s way onto the PlayStation Vita where it’s sure to brighten up the day of any players commute.
Koi will be coming to PlayStation 4 on PSN this Spring.
