Koi Reviews
Koi is at its best in the brief interludes between fish and flower, when you're simply inside this environment doing what fish do best. That's where the gameplay and small environments rip you from the edge of tranquility to be ushered into the next area, and also where this experience falters heavily.
Koi is a beautiful but shallow pool. The first impression is strong but as you go on into the game it quickly becomes clear there just isn't much below the surface. The puzzles, story and gameplay are "barely there" enough to work, but without much that develops from the basics. As an experience, it's enjoyable enough, if over a bit too quickly, but as a game, it's pretty lackluster and tough to justify the price tag. It's a shame since there's a lot of potential here, but Koi doesn't manage to realize it.
I think it’s an absolute tragedy that Koi is all-but guaranteed to be lost among everything else that’s available on the PlayStation 4. It’s a smart, genuine little game, with soul and a story to tell, and wraps it within one of the best examples we’ve seen to date of serenity as a play concept.