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.
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 may look nice, but it is a monotonous animal adventure with simple fox-feeding gameplay, bland skills, and restrictive exploration.
The events in Endling create sad emotions but they do not connect with how mankind is destroying the Earth. Events happen and we're supposed to feel something because they happened, but the emotions are diminished because there is no connection to the message or the characters. It held up in the short five hours of play thanks to intriguing survival mechanics, but even those were messed up by an unfortunate, frustrating tug of war between survival and story progression.
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.
Endling: Extinction is Forever is a tech-savvy game built around well-built gameplay. The repetitive process of hunting for survival and exploring whenever possible seems intentional and draws the player into this world. There are no ordinary moments in this wild nature, and any moments of routine or boredom quickly end with a bear trap or an encounter with a Scavenger. Endling knows what he wants to achieve and doesn't try to overdo it or over complicate it. Every choice matters to the designers, as well as to you when you're trying to survive and feed your puppies.
Endling: Extinction is forever has many improvable aspects, from its level design to its core gameplay loop. And yet, its repetitive structure is exactly what it's needed to fully make you feel like you are the fox with her little cubs, to experience how hard it is to keep on living in a world that is trying in every way to get rid of you. A touching, sincere and heartfelt experience which can be told only through video games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The title may not be a good pick for casual gamers or those who enjoy survival narratives that are fantasy-driven, as it specifically focuses on displaying the real-world effects of habitat destruction and pollution. Despite this, Endling, Extinction is Forever is a deeply emotional and thought-evoking journey that will leave an impression on anyone who chooses to play it.
Endling - Extinction is Forever gives a cold hard look at what pollution and human cruelty are doing to the environment. The message is driven home as you fight tooth and claw to raise your fox cubs while navigating a dangerous world. Exploration and survival aspects make for a unique experience, but if your pups die it can be heart-wrenching
It feels weird to call Endling - Extinction is Forever’s brutal tale enjoyable, but it was. The unique survival gameplay from the perspective of a family of foxes combined with the dark themes and storyline is a captivating mix. Though the gameplay can sometimes get repetitive, and it would have been nice to have a broader range of random events to experience, it’s still one of the more interesting games I’ve played recently. Keep a box of tissues nearby, though, as it’ll punch you right in the heart.
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.
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 - Extinction is Forever is a harrowing and touching tale. It highlights mankind's destructive nature and deadly touch. Furthermore, you'll experience one mother's unwavering love as she battles to keep her family alive. Heartwrenching, captivating and beautiful!
Endling: Extinction is Forever tells a moving story through a beautiful visual narrative and a simple but complete gameplay in which the most important thing is to survive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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 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
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.
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 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 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