Koa And The Five Pirates Of Mara Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published July 27, 2023 · Updated July 27, 2023

For our Koa And The Five Pirates Of Mara Review, where we join Koa and her best friend Napopo on an action-packed adventure through the islands of Mara! Outwit traps, maneuver dangerous environments, and explore a series of dazzlingly different landscapes on their quest to recover stolen pirate loot.

Koa And The Five Pirates Of Mara Review Pros:

Big bright graphics.
1.14GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Can rebind controls.
Speed run timer option.
Accessibility options – quick level reset, and skip cutscenes can be toggled on/off.
3 save slots.
Two modes of play – normal, and relaxed (more checkpoints).
Fast loading times.
In-game cutscenes.
Opening tutorial level.
3D action-platformer gameplay.
Set of actions – jump, roll, cat jump which is like a ground pound, and roll jump to go further.
Earn three awards on each level – Find Collectibles, and beat the level record time.
Each level has a Bronze, Silver, and Gold record time to beat.
You can replay levels.
Seashells are the currency in the game.
Overworld is an ocean that opens up as you play and lets you freely drive your ship around.
In the ocean, you can collect seashells, and find hidden barrels and whales carrying items.
Customize your character by buying new clothes.
Very young gamer friendly.
Collecting the rubbish (Collectibles) within a level unlocks new clothing options.
Find map pieces to open up the ocean and unlock new areas.
Play how you want.
Aside from platforming, there are racing-style levels or even underwater sections.
Levels can have multiple routes.
Easy to play.
Races can be from behind or a side of view.
You can upgrade your boat by collecting cogs in levels and then paying a price.
Unlock mini-games like guiding hooks down a chasm to retrieve the collectible.
Bite-sized levels.

Koa And The Five Pirates Of Mara Review Cons:

Bad at showing where to go and the whole find a map then take it to the lighthouse for it to do something.
Few performance hitches especially in races.
Very repetitive.
The time trial speed run medals don’t seem to really serve a purpose.
Races especially the side-on ones are bad as they are auto scrollers and the camera does not keep pace.
No camera control causing a lot of issues with timing.
Cannot Invert controls.
Driving the boat is not always easy.
Pain having to return maps every time.
Gives the impression that you have some say over how the game unfolds but you really don’t, everything is handcrafted.

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