BOKURA Review

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Fast Facts

Do you want to return to your childhood and experience an adventure in pixel graphics that is part make-believe, part reality? Well, BOKURA might be for you.

Flashback to the 90’s

BOKURA seems to want to make you go back to the days when you had nothing to worry about. The atmosphere it’s trying to portray is evident. While I am personally out of the target demo that this would hit harder for, the look of the game makes it work pretty well. From playing Pakémon Green, a reference to Pokémon Green, to playing in the park, to talking with you’re best friends while waiting for the sun to go down, it’s very nice in its tone.

This also goes for the story, which is pretty simple at the heart of it all. A man is on a long train back home and reminisces about an adventure he had with his friend. It feels like a Slice of life animé, as you look back on times that have gone past, and have fun in unique environments. However, while it does seem make-believe at first, things get pretty intense at points. A good example of this is meeting two people and having to choose who a child would want to stay with between their mother and father. It can be a tough choice depending on how you’re upbringing was, and what makes things more tense is that you have to agree on what decisions you’re making.

I do think that the story is a nice time, teaching us to not forget what makes life fun, how the bonds you make as a kid can affect you for life, and how the bonds of family are significant to people. However, if the game had a bigger scope, I do wish we could have spent more time with certain characters. Haru is a good example of this. You meet him just before you do the final level, and after the game’s final level and big choice, you learn that he’s been killed off-screen. I do understand that was probably the developer working with what they had, but I thought it was a bit rushed.

The Meaning of Co-Op

The way I would personally describe BOKURA gameplay-wise is that it takes the word co-op, and stretches it to its absolute limit. You have to voice chat for this game, as at points, the game requires you to communicate between you and your partner to progress, and the world you enter is VASTLY different from each other. At first, you’re just humans. Yet after that, for most of the game, I saw the players as animals, and my partner as robots. As such, things can get confusing fast, but I do think the game’s reliance on you and your partner being in sync and talking is a good thing. It’s very unique to the co-op platformer genre I feel. There are also no real collectables, but I don’t mind that at all.

At certain points, cut scenes will require you to mute your microphone and take in the story, which is a nice touch and something I appreciate given that these act as downtime between levels. It also helps that there are mini-games for when you’re waiting for your partner to finish a cutscene.

Final Thoughts

BOKURA is a very unique game, and I think pulls off its concepts very well. While things can be a little frustrating at times if you and your partner are not in sync, it’s a fun time with a unique story and game. Compared to other offerings, it is absolutely worth the almost £5 price tag it goes for, or £10 if you want 2 copies for you and your friend.

4.5 out of 5

4.5

You can find and read our reviews on OpenCritic.