Survival horror games have evolved so much since the days of titles like Alone in the Dark or Resident Evil. In the early days it was all about controlling your viewpoint while playing to produce those scares that were sorely needed to get gamers talking. As technology advanced, so did the requirements to get gamers interested in the latest survival horror titles. No longer was simply locking the camera in place an option for this genre as developers pushed the envelope with full on first-person options. Kona is one such suspense-based survival horror title and it is now available on the Nintendo Switch and NVIDIA Shield.
Set in northern Canada in 1970 around Atamipek Lake, Kona puts you in the shoes of Carl Fauberet, a private detective. A freak blizzard assaults the area and pretty much strands you in an unpleasant situation. Exploring the village is your only option to finding supplies, surviving the elements, and fending off the predators in the wilderness.
Kona is broken up into four chapters, features music by Quebec folk band Cure Label, and graphically period looking environments. What is interesting the most to me about Kona is the period it is set in. While Alone in the Dark was set in a much older period, the 70’s is almost current but still older and hard to pinpoint as far as technology and such. The period is a great one for a survival horror game heavy with suspense as this time was ripe with expectation and thrilling adventures on film (consumer video cameras were still new but coming down a reasonable level).
This is high on my interest list. Who else is ready to visit Canada and maybe learn why they say “eh” all the time?
Kona by Ravenscourt
Platform: Nintendo Switch and NVIDIA Shield
Genre: Suspense based survival horror
Rated: T for Teen
Available now on Nintendo Switch and the NVIDIA Shield platform