Endling: Extinction is Forever Reviews
Endling – Extinction is Forever is a powerful game. It deftly highlights human greed, corruption, and our unique knack for environmental devastation. At the same time, it offers glimmers of hope and redemption, tiny bright spots that manage to shine through the encroaching darkness. The trials and tribulations of the traumatized fox at the heart of the game will leave your heart aching and bruised, and you’ll be left somehow simultaneously saddened and enraged. Such sorrowful fury is meant to be a powerful motivator: use it.
The main virtue of Endling - Extinction is Forever is that it manages to immerse the player in animal life in an intimate and believable way that few games can. The game is suitable both for lovers of more casual adventures and for those who want to enjoy an immersive narrative experience on one of the most important themes of this century.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Endling: Extinction is Forever has moments of heart and engaging gameplay with its interesting blend of survival management and immersive narrative adventure. However, it screws the pooch by giving us too much of its message while not motivating us to play more because of its slow pacing and unclear tutorials. Don't be mistaken, there is an excellent game underneath the many frustrating elements.
Endling: Extinction is Forever does not do anything more than pointing a finger at these problems and expect you to get something more. Yet the emotional connection in the game between the fox and the player relies on their love for the animals.
Endling is a very impressive game with the way it delivers message without lines, excellent visuals and sounds that match the atmosphere. Though the frequent loading time on Switch and repetitive gameplay are a bit disappointing, the game is faithful with delivering a message which is quite intense.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Overall, my time with Endling - Extinction is Forever is ultimately an emotional experience that can firmly be praised as an example of why games are art. Thematically deep, the game uses the control you have over the Mother Fox to deepen your connection and explore these prevalent themes.
If you’re looking for a game that is gorgeous, heartbreaking, and that tackles the most serious issue our and future generations will face then Endling - Extinction is Forever deserves your attention.
Without using a single word in its narrative, Endling - Extinction is Forever is a landmark game that offers one of the most exhilarating experiences available in the Switch library. Even if its gameplay leaves something to be desired in terms of depth and diversity, this survival indie does something much more important with its premises, which is to promote a reflection on the possible extinction of our planet's environment, an agenda that, unfortunately, is often overlooked and forgotten in many social and political debates of this chaotic 21st century.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Foxes are one of nature’s most incredible creatures. Playful like dogs, sleek and curious like cats, they exist as the woodland critter most likely to lift your spirits at any given moment. They tend to show up in video games frequently, often as playable characters, like in Spirit of the North. But in Endling – Extinction is Forever, the player must do their best to ensure the survival of an entire fox family. This may sound like a quaint and low-key experience, but it is, in fact, incredibly stressful and leads to some harrowing and intense moments. Beautifully animated and designed, Endling is a thought-provoking and powerful fable on the importance of preservation and environmental protection.
Had more steps been taken to engage the player in the minute-by-minute gameplay or encourage replayability, the number below might have been a notch or two higher. As it stands, however, Endling is a game where the gameplay and mechanics are readily outclassed by its theming and presentation. It’s certainly an experience worth having, but not one that lives up to its full potential.
There are plenty of games that approach the subject of the upcoming apocalypse by the hand of humans and their constant influence on Earth’s decay, and although Endling: Extinction is Forever shows but a slice of the effects of our actions upon the planet, it does so in a way that’s sure to leave a mark on you. It isn’t the most action-intensive game you’ll ever play, but it’s fantastic in a way that very few games manage to be with the limited scope that it’s given.
Endling - Extinction is Forever is not a game for people who deny our destruction of the world. If you think that our pollution and constant expansion is a good thing, then this game may be uncomfortable for you as it doesn’t pull any punches. It's is an experience worth having, and with a length of about four hours, it’s a tight, polished experience that doesn’t have any fluff.
An experience that is a departure from the norm, Endling – Extinction is Forever is a game that pushes a real-world agenda that could definitely use your attention if you care enough.
Endling: Extinction is Forever may not be very challenging gameplay-wise but emotionally it is quite devastating. The developers have managed to deliver a good survival game with a very important message that deserves a lot of attention.
Review in Persian | Read full review