That’s not to say that’s a bad thing but I would have loved it if the game was more of an open world where you could go anywhere, thirdly is the lack of life within the game. While the game makes it look as if you can explore to your hearts content it is rather linear and you will always end up going where the game intends you to go to get to the next chapter. Luckily these platforming sections are not too tricky but there are timed sections which are a little frustrating due to you falling off ledges due to the controls. Controls are a little clumsy at times and it’s not as tight as it could have been in a game which has platforming sections. GAMEPLAYĪs you control your Fox there are a few things I want to get off my chest before talking about the positives within the gameplay. As you start out your fox becomes involved with the guardian of the Northern lights, a female Spirit Fox.Īll you have to go on is a red mist in the sky and your companion which you quickly begin to follow as you investigate the surroundings further and unravel the mysteries. This is full of mystery and one which will have it’s claws in you till the end. From the moment the game loaded up I was captivated by the wonderful scenery and controlling our little protagonist, a which stands out majestically against the snowy surroundings and the beautiful green lands of Iceland inspired by Nordic Folklore. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that this game will make you think about things that we do to our world such as the pollution we create and what that can do to wonderful landscapes. We will get into those parts in a minute but this is more about the journey and how it makes you feel. If you have played games such as Journey, Abzu or Inside then you will know that games can tell a story without using any words at all and leaves a lot to your own imagination through the games music and visuals. Wonky controls and a lack of polish prevent it from reaching the upper echelon of indie adventures, though.Let’s break this down and see if it’s worth your hard earned cash. This is the perfect chillout game to get stuck into over a day or a weekend, especially if the idea of playing as fox gets you excited. The gorgeous, sprawling locations are packed with detail and feature some nice puzzles and exploration, and the whole journey is paced wonderfully. Spirit of the North is a lovely game with an adorable, furry protagonist. I had to reload my game quite a few times before it finally stopped happening – lucky, because I’d almost given up. I also experienced a near-game breaking bug in which the fox would fall through the scenery during the final sequence, resulting in my being stuck there. Used more sparingly to punctuate important moments, it would’ve been much more effective. The soundtrack, while hauntingly evocative and mournful in all the right ways, is played pretty much constantly throughout the entire game, meaning it’s repeated heavily. It’s quite easy to get stuck in bits of the environment, especially when prodding boundaries while hunting down secrets, and the fox is sometimes pretty wonky to control. Spirit of the North looks great, but it’s not the most polished product. Unfortunately, there are also times where it all falls apart. For the most part, your only real goal is to keep pushing forward, helped along by a glowing wisp and the borrowed powers of your ethereal fox friend to navigate all manner of environments and help them eventually ascend to the stars. There are hints in the environment and throughout the game at what might have been – a civilisation lost to a deadly red mist, a mythical fox with powers from the heavens themselves – but it’s all kept intentionally vague, as these types of meditative indie experiences are wont to do. Spirit of the North’s completely wordless tale follows a red fox, who finds a connection with an ancient ‘spirit’ fox that takes them on a journey through a vast land inspired by Iceland and Nordic folklore. Spirit of the North, from developer Infuse Studio, might not have the polish and tightly-honed design of the indie greats, but it’s just as memorable and full of heart. Games like Journey, Inside and Vane have done it so well in the past. There’s something about a game that can take you on a rousing, ever-moving and succinct journey in the space of a single day that makes it truly memorable.
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