Endling: Extinction is Forever Reviews
Endling: Extinction is Forever hides a monotonous experience behind a striking visual aesthetic and an empty message about the relationship between humanity and the environment. The gameplay never fully commits to building the relationship between the mother and her cubs, which leaves the whole story feeling emotionless and bare. The end result is more “call of the mild” than Call of the Wild.
When you’ve been playing 10 - 20 games a week for the last 4 years it can get to be a challenge for games to really stand out...
“Endling” isn’t the sort of game you might settle down to play after a long day of doomscrolling through social media; it’s the sort that forces you to confront the monstrous scale and toll of human activity on the ecosystem and the planet. And yet, even as a deeply apocalyptic look at what feels like the imminent end of our world, the game’s profound pessimism doesn’t stray too far from the truth. Scientists have already warned that we are in danger of losing 20 to 50 percent of all species by the end of this century; the bulk of this is due to human activity.
It avoids feeling like a simple educational game while also hitting emotional highs that underscore humanity's impact on animal populations. A story that becomes overly simplistic in its back half and some frustrating stealth sections aren't enough to stop the game from being an engaging survival experience, or to dilute its brutally honest message about the challenges that await us as we hurtle towards warming without adequate regulations. Endling's greatest skill is in making us empathize with the animals we live among, and in making it clear that though they bear the effects of climate change before we do, our fates are ultimately entwined.
Endling is a heartbreaking, yet honest and necessary take on the human effect on natural habitats. The harrowing tale is masterfully paired with this fresh take on the survival genre. Despite a few minor critiques when it comes to navigation and occasional unlucky scenarios, Endling is a dime a dozen type of experience worthy of your attention.
Endling: Extinction is Forever is narrative focused and has a good story. Its repetitive mechanics, however, can make the game tiring and difficult to play for many hours in a row. Even so, it's worth it; although quite sad, it has a proportionate characteristic beauty.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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
Endling: Extinction is Forever teaches care, emphasizes the hardships of being the only light in the dark tunnel for offspring. It is a true and fictional story at the same time. Bravo.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Endling may be lacking on the difficulty side, but it more than makes up for it when it comes to delivering a breathtaking story about loss, survival and the environment, topped with a gorgeous art style and an impressive evolving world to explore. It may be a brief journey (clocking in at around four hours), but it's one that's worth playing through, an emotional roller coaster that's still fun to play and gets you invested in the struggles of our furry friends, so don't sleep on it.
An exciting, tragic and narratively impactful journey that deals with its themes in a bold and never sloppy way.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Short but poignant; that’s ultimately what Endling: Extinction is Forever is. It perfectly conveys the horrors that mankind is capable of, and how it affects the land and animals around us. And it doesn’t pull any punches. There’s no happy ending here, no matter how good you are at looking after your cubs. It’s a game that should be played though, as its message is important. Just be ready to have your soul destroyed by the time the credits roll.
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.
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
In Endling: Extinction Is Forever the urgency of survival and the pangs of hunger alternate wisely with more relaxed moments and touching discoveries, for an engaging and emotionally charged adventure. The story told by Herobeat Studio is silent, accompanied only by the images evoked by the nose of mother fox and the excellent soundtrack. Perhaps also for this reason, the power of the message conveyed by the game is remarkable, able to reach its peak in an epilogue that you will hardly forget.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Endling is about survival and a deep maternal feeling, thanks to which even in a depressed catastrophic world there is still hope for salvation and at least some kind of future. And that's why it makes sense to fight until the last breath. And that's why it's worth playing this game with its message of sacrifice and love.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Endling - Extinction is Forever is a bit of a gut punch- in the best way possible. It's bleak and it's oppressive, but it's also surprisingly affecting, and in spite of some repetition, should keep you engaged throughout its brief runtime.
Endling conveys a necessary message through a moving story and entertaining and satisfying gameplay. The herobeat Studios video game is a must.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Endling - Extinction is Forever is a warning signal about humans that should pay more attention to their environment and avoid it being ruined by the pollution born out of greed. At the same time it is also a truly engaging and immersive game with well thought out mechanics. It manages to combine the social message with a fun experience.
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.