Never Alone has critics disagreeing: on the one hand, it has technical and design issues along with a short length. But on the other, its art style, story and tribute to the Inupiaq culture elevate it to being more than a mediocre game.
Never Alone
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Never Alone Review Summary
Critic Reviews for Never Alone
A beautiful, fascinating exploration of a world that may soon be nothing more than fantasy.
Never Alone carries the sensibilities of its inspirations, and it feels and looks just as it should.
Never Alone is bursting with promise and charm, but is savagely let down by technical flaws and maddening design decisions. Not even the cutest fox in gaming can save it.
A laudable attempt to make a video game that is both entertaining and educational, but despite the interest it builds up for its subject matter the weak gameplay is hard to ignore.
The story and information is interesting, but the gameplay is an unimpressive delivery method
While I'm in no great rush to play it again, the appreciation I gleaned for a culture I knew practically nothing about is something I really cherish. If you can patiently plod your way through the game entwined with the story of the Iñupiat people, I suspect you'll cherish them too.
Upper One Games succeeds at bringing Native Alaskan cultural heritage to the fore, but fails at making a good platformer.
Despite some occasionally frustrating difficulty spikes, Never Alone tells a fascinating, evocative tale that leaves a deep impression. A terrific platform game, despite its flaws.