Never Alone Reviews
Let's hear another one
Never Alone is a mediocre first entry in what I hope will branch into a kind of informative gaming genre. I certainly see a promising future if they can improve on what they have. For this game though, if you want to know more about the Iñupiat people and don't have anything else to play, the story of Nuna and her arctic fox isn't bad - just don't expect it to light your world on fire.
Never Alone is beautifully presented on the Xbox One and successfully tells the story of the Iñupiat people through the eyes of Nuna and her pet fox. Sure, it may not be the most original title with its gameplay but its captivating characters and information create a thoroughly enjoyable experience on the Xbox One about a world encompassed by a never ending blizzard with magical spirit characters.
Never Alone is a major disappointment. It masters aesthetic design and cultural storytelling, but simply cannot succeed on that alone.
Never Alone is a fairly ho-hum platformer with an intriguing hook—the culture of the Alaskan native Inupiat people.
Never Alone's shortcomings are counterbalanced by it's huge amount of charm. This is a great escapist device because it is successful at taking you somewhere else for a while. Sure, the place it takes you may seem like a cold and barren wasteland at first glance, but once you spend some more time there you will realize that this land is full of warm-hearted people that have made full lives for themselves in the most unlikely of places.
Never Alone is not just telling a story—it is connecting the player to a culture. To play it is to be transported to two places simultaneously. First, to the world of Nuna and Fox, and their epic journey through the blistering cold. And second, to the warmth of a fire, listening to an old man tell a story that is as old as the Earth, feeling it sink into you for the first time.
I'd never heard of the Iñupiat people before this year, and I'm still not an expert, but through playing Never Alone, I've gained quite the appreciation for them. Playing and interacting with this story taught me about their culture better than any Wikipedia page could. It's a fascinating example of games as learning tools and cultural documents. But equally as importantly, it's a delightful, painterly, moving gameplay experience unlike any other.
Never Alone is a charming tale of companionship and exploration. It opens a window to a world rarely seen and is a unique mesmerizing experience.
It's rare to pick up a game now and actually learn from the experience. All too often we're gunning down hundreds of people in the name of some cause or another, but seldom are we asked to actually think about what we are doing, why we are doing it, and where we are. In Never Alone I felt like I'd been given a real grasp of Iñupiat culture and enough of a peek behind the curtain to understand a certain way of life. For that reason Never Alone is a wholly worthwhile tale, a chance to learn something new, but the occasionally frustrating gameplay jars slightly with the usually ethereal and dreamlike experience.
We'd welcome more games from the developer as there's promise here, but promise may not be enough this time around.
Despite the game's AI issues, Never Alone is definitely worth playing—maybe with another person. It's a very short game and can be finished in two or three sessions. But it's the educational aspect that I appreciated most, and I imagine you will, too.
Never Alone is the first project of a unique studio from Alaska, and tells a traditional Alaskan Native story of a girl, a fox and their hunt through the arctic for the source of a blizzard. Beautiful graphics, an amazing sense of location and amazing storytelling combine to make an unforgettable experienc
Never Alone is a short but sweet indie title that shows video games can be more than just entertainment. It's an enjoyable romp through a blizzard that may just teach you something. If you've been looking for something different but not silly, grab a friend and gather around to experience a story passed through generations of Native Alaskan storytellers.
Though brief and beset with occasional frustrations, at its best, Never Alone a simply spellbinding experience and a true reminder of the power of games to transport us to another place.
A journey of purpose and consequence is sidelined by glitches, but is ultimately too powerful to ignore.
A warm and nourishing tale, set in the realms of folklore and imagination combined with an interesting, well made documentary. Finicky controls and poor AI, however, let down what could have been.
Never Alone is a game that has gone from hardly being on the radar, to something that could quite possibly be a Game of the Year (2014) contender. Those who take a chance on this game will come away knowing they have been part of a unique experience that shows that games can be used as a serious vehicle for story telling. When we said as a community we wanted to show games can be mature… This is exactly what we meant.
The lack of dialogue and narration is a good connotation of how words simply do not do feelings justice. It allows us to be swallowed up by the emotions of what we are seeing without having to process words
This may look like a harsh score, but it is hard to justify Never Alone's price tag when it is plagued with buggy gameplay and the story is shorter than Halo 4. The game is commendable for its goal and what it achieves in terms of raising awareness on the Iñupiaq culture and stories. In conclusion, Never Alone is a wonderful story and concept that is unfortunately wrapped in a slightly off, but still fun, gameplay experience.