Kona has become something of a cult classic since its initial release in 2017, with its blend of walking sim, murder mystery, survival and classic adventure game building an interesting niche. The title certainly had some issues, with some obtuse puzzles and some raised eyebrows over the direction of its story, but it had fantastic atmosphere and a unique 1970s Quebec setting. Now, developer Parabole is back with Kona II: Brume, to revisit this story.

Kona II: Brume takes place immediately after the events of the original Kona. Private detective Carl Faubert has just looked into the events of the first game and is immediately thrown into a new mystery of a weird fog, strange elements, and dangerous snowstorms that certainly won't make you want to escape into nature. It builds upon the structure of the first Kona, but goes in different directions, which sometimes is successful and sometimes isn't.

Brume, Bigger And Bolder

The first Kona very much took the approach of a classic adventure game meets walking sim, with the player traveling around an empty town, picking up items to solve puzzles and advance through the plot. Kona II: Brume is a little more dynamic and also more linear in its focus, with the player generally moving from scene to scene within a semi-open world. There are still snippets of the original game here, such as its survival elements, puzzle solving, and vague horror tones, but it is certainly more streamlined.

Some of this streamlining works very well. It maintains the adventure game dynamic of solving smaller puzzles to progress in larger ways, but without the first game's approach of having too many items within the player's inventory. It still makes the player have to stop and think about the next step, and ties into the overall feeling of being a detective, but without the sense of puzzles being too arbitrary.

One aspect of Kona II: Brume that doesn't work quite as well is a new emphasis on combat. Throughout the game, the player will be set upon by animal spirits, in the form of wolves, bears, and moose, and the player can find axes, rifles, pistols and shotguns in the game world to deal with them. They don't prove much of a threat, and as such it can feel a little dull and adds little to the atmosphere, only proving to remove that scary walking simulator style that Kona had.

A Chilly Conspiracy

A shift from a gameplay perspective isn't the only change that comes with Kona II: Brume, with the game's plot having a serious change of focus. While the first game focused on a small town mystery that continually grows, Kona II: Brume becomes a much wider conspiracy. Faubert delves into the actions of shady corporations, mysterious laboratories, and science fiction plot points, which might be something of a shock to fans of the first game.

This drive towards science fiction is perhaps the most jarring tonal shift. The original Kona took a surprising supernatural shift, almost spiritual in nature, and although it didn't land with everyone it certainly stuck in the memory. In the sequel, many of the answers come, and have a more grounded answer than some may expect, rather than something to do with the nature of man and revenge. It's something that will certainly divide fans.

Meanwhile, there are some answers that do feel satisfying. The first section of the game takes place in the Hamilton mansion, the home of the deceased mogul that causes all the problems throughout the Kona games, and delving into the history of his family is very interesting. Even though the science fiction angle doesn't quite land as well, at least it's good to see Parabole trying different things.

Expansive To A Fault

Kona II: Brume also provides a lot more variety when it comes to setting. The small, disparate community of the first game is replaced by something far wider, starting with a large labyrinthine mansion before moving on to frozen lakes, underground laboratories, and mind-bending caves. It feels less focused than Kona, but it still just about thematically fits, and the threat of the cold is ever-present.

This atmosphere remains a key selling point, and Parabole has once again done a sterling job in creating that sense of treacherous frost. Trudging through the cold, barely able to see ahead, remains extremely immersive, and the game maintains a dreamlike quality because of this. Meanwhile, exploration has more options too, with the player getting tools like climbing gear and a boat, and even access to a dog sled.

Unfortunately this more expansive approach doesn't always work when the player isn't given something engaging to do. Some parts of Kona II: Brume feel padded for a relatively short game, such as tromping around in the snow looking for six sled dogs, playing about with power levels from a generator in a lab, or searching with a Geiger counter for parts of an element to build a very scientific MacGuffin. It's a shame, because Kona II: Brume doesn't need this fluff to be effective.

Our Review Score & Final Thoughts

Overall, Kona II: Brume is an interesting if flawed adventure. It attempts to change the formula from the original game, and although in some places it works, in others it comes across new problems. Nonetheless, its atmosphere is very strong and there's a decent and weird mystery to uncover.

Source: Ravenscourt / YouTube

Kona II: Brume is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a PC code for the purposes of this review.