Bokura had me feeling a lot of things, but mostly confused. However, this isn’t bad, as the confusion lends itself to how well the game plays out. Here is our review of Bokura, a look at its gameplay and story.

This review will cover Bokura’s gameplay and story. However, it will be difficult to talk about the gameplay without diving a little into the story. As such, please be wary that this review will have some spoilers about the game. If you want to avoid spoilers, you can head over to the review summary at the end of this article to get a spoiler-free and shorter version of the review. Bokura is currently available on PC in Early Access. Thanks to the recent INDIE Live Expo, however, we now know when the game’s release date is. This game leaves early access on August 10, 2023. More details about the game’s official release can be found in our dedicated release date article.

Now, let’s dive into our review of Bokura’s gameplay and story.

Bokura Review

Bokura Background

Chigau Fuyu no Bokura (A Different Winter for Us), or Bokura for short, is a strictly two-player co-op puzzle platformer. Thankfully, only one player has to buy the game, as their partner only has to download the Friend Pass to join in. Players will also need a way to communicate, as that is sorely needed in this game, as you will soon find out.

Bokura Gameplay

As mentioned above, this game is a two-player co-op platformer. After choosing their characters, the players will find themselves having to traverse a forest. This is where the platformer begins, and where the players go through a somewhat lengthy tutorial. The game teaches the players how to jump, as well as the fact that you can die from falling. Players also get introduced to the concept of ladders and ropes, as well as how to break their fall. The player learns about the danger of water, and how they should avoid it when they can. They also learn about platforms and how to move them around. The game does a very good job of teaching the player everything they need to know about how to play the game.

After a certain part of the story, however, things start to get a little confusing, to say the least. This is where the confusion starts. I remember when I first played this game, I was on a Discord call with my friend. I noticed a puddle of water in front of us and was shocked that he was able to walk over it. He, on the other hand, was in shock after I fell through the floor. This is where players realize just what the title meant by “A Different Winter for Us”, and why communication is important. This is your last chance to avoid spoilers for both the story and the gameplay, so please head over to the summary if you do not want to get spoiled.

The reason why communication is important is that once players reach a certain part of the game, the two players start to see different things on their screens. I don’t just mean that the graphics and art are different. What I mean is that the stage itself looks and acts differently for each player. This isn’t the normal case of one player only seeing parts of the stage, with their partner seeing the rest. This isn’t similar to that one part in Portal 2 where one player tells their partner how to go through a maze because they can see the answer.

What I mean is that although each player is in the same area, they do not have the same stage. Like in the example above, one player can die for something the other does not see. One player can fall into a hole that looks like the solid ground for the other. A player can climb a rope that is not present for the other. These differing stages make everything confusing, as you and your partner start to frantically wonder just what is happening.

Suddenly, everything you know about the game changes. Everything you thought you knew about how the game plays crumbles. You have to relearn how the world works, as you are now technically playing in two. Players will have to clearly communicate what they need to do, or risk resetting their progress over and over again. The game introduces new mechanics as well, which further adds to the confusion of it all. I remember feeling so mentally exhausted with my friend after playing this game for a while. He even got mad at me because he thought this was a normal, relaxing platformer. Needless to say, it was not, and it’s what sets it apart from a lot of platformers in the market.

Bokura challenges what you know about platformers. Whether you are a veteran of this genre or someone who just got dragged into it by their partner, this game definitely be a new experience. The same goes for the story.

Bokura Story (Spoilers Ahead)

Although it does not seem like it, Bokura is actually a pretty story-driven game. The intro sequence shows a boy on a train, reminiscing about his past.  He tries to recall one of his precious memories, one from his childhood. He recalls his friend as they were hanging out in a park playing what seemed to be an off-brand Pokemon game. For one reason or another, they both decide to blow up the statue of the mayor, located deep in the mountains. That’s how their story began.

After working together to go through various obstacles, they encounter what seemed to be a decomposing animal. After approaching the thing, they both pass out from the smell. A grotesque creature of sorts then approaches them, looks at them, then leaves. This is when the story and gameplay split. When my character woke up, I found myself playing as a duck, with my friend as a bear. When my character asked the bear to not eat him, my friend was audibly confused. As we continued playing, and the differences in stages became more frequent, my friend and I decided to send screenshots of what we could see. While I do not recommend doing this, it did shed some light as to why things seemed the way they were.

While my game had vibrant colors, with our characters being anthropomorphic animals, his game had more dark and gloomy characters, with all of them being robots. The dissonance between the game stages was not restricted to the stages. It also applied to the game’s themes and graphics. The constant confusion my friend and I had mirrored the confusion that the characters were experiencing. This made it even more endearing and immersive, as we made our way through the game’s various levels.

I will not mention any more than what I already talked about, as Bokura’s story is something you should experience fully for yourself. However, it is important to say that its story is not as happy-go-lucky as I originally thought it was.

Bokura Review Summary

I highly recommend Bokura. Whether you are looking for another game to play with your partner or friend or looking for a good platformer, then this game will suit your needs. Bokura’s clever use of different stages, as well as the well-crafted story that complements the gameplay, makes this game a very memorable experience. Just make sure that you have a good means of communication, as this game may be difficult to complete without it. Also, make sure not to just skip through the story, as your experience may be lacking without it.

Score: 8/10

Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PC review copy of Bokura to allow us to cover the game. This copy did not, in any way, affect this Bokura review’s verdict.

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