A Surreal Adventure In The Land of Qora

A Surreal Adventure In The Land of Qora

by Julie Morley

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ack in April, Holden Boyle’s Kickstarter campaign for Qora met its $4,000 funding goal – and then some, bringing in $10,692. Back then, however, the name was originally Spirit. With the additional funding gained, multiple stretch goals were met, promising extra features in Qora/Spirits gameplay, additional story content, and another game – which may be either a prequel or sequel. In the five months since the successful campaign, Holden teamed up with Curve Digital and went right to work on Qora.

Soon, Qora was transforming before our eyes, now including the telepathy feature and a more in- depth story about corruption and a thirst for power. The anticipation for Qora among many was palpable, and when the October 2nd release date finally came, people were understandably excited. I was among the fanatics eager to get their hands on Qora, and my excitement was through the roof. But was my excitement well placed?

The very beginning of Qora is exactly like the demo that’s available for download on the Kickstarter page. The story, in this respect, is unchanged. A man is retiring to an old, remote village located in the mountains and building a brand new house there. Whilst the construction workers continue building his home, the old man decides to explore the village and meet the odd folk about – and boy, are they odd -but in a quirky and endearing way. These neighbors welcome him and definitely do not hesitate sharing their odd stories. Some even offer him tools, which are useful down the road.

The old man continues exploring and checks out the town’s festival. But there is something mystical and ancient about this area. It’s something in the air. It’s the totems and stone structures everywhere. There is an otherworldly aura to them. Upon reaching the festival, the old man speaks to the village elder learning of his special ability: the power of sight. He can telepathically see whatever spirits still reside in the area.

From that point on there was no turning back, he couldn’t ignore his curiosity. The old man had to find this temple the elder spoke of. He must learn the history of the ones that came before.

And so, the old man leaves the village and treads through the bushes out in the wilderness. He cuts down brush, swims through pools of water, climbs up and down structures, and always meets a strange adventurer seemingly on a similar journey.

The entire trip is beautiful. Ever pixel feels as though there is a smidge of magic inside of it and together paint an elegant portrait of an eclectic environment ; small village, mountainous terrain, tundra. The wilderness is completely breathtaking and Holden does not refrain from covering everything in beauty, one pixel at a time. With a combination of the phenomenal sense of nostalgia – almost admiring the surroundings from a childlike perspective – and the soothing ambient music, Qora provides an exemplary narrative experience.

The actual story and gameplay of Qora is completely linear and for some may be considered slow in pace but this is a game for the patient and unequivocally curious. For the entirety of the game, the player continues in one direction, chasing after spirits and learning the truth of the past.

However, the story of Qora is nothing to take lightly, for it is the tale about a cruel, insidious, and greedy tyrannous leader with a thirst for an unheard of spiritual power and it ties directly to the old man in a surprising and compelling way that will throw the player for a whirl. Additionally, if the main story isn’t enough, there apparently are alternative endings. I stress, make sure to light the incense as much as possible. It makes a difference.

Qora is currently available for purchase on Steam for $9.99, and well worthchecking out!

[facebook][tweet][Google][pinterest][follow id=”Cliqist” size=”large” count=”true” ]