Never Alone Reviews
Upper One Games succeeds at bringing Native Alaskan cultural heritage to the fore, but fails at making a good platformer.
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.
We'd welcome more games from the developer as there's promise here, but promise may not be enough this time around.
Never Alone is close to being an OK game. It has a lot going for it with its gorgeous aesthetics and authentic presentation. It even has a couch co-op mode, and the few times the game does have things to do in it, there is some legitimate involvement. Too bad these moments are too far apart, and the more vulgar qualities of Never Alone are the most apparent, such as the buggy AI, barren level design and lacking gameplay.
It's obvious that Never Alone's Inupiat influences took precedence throughout the whole game, and as a result its gameplay took a hard knock. Some serious AI flaws and glitches ruined any enjoyment we could have with the game, as we spent more time wrestling with its problems than actually gaining any satisfaction. Never Alone is just not an enjoyable or fulfilling experience, and that is why it is best left alone.
Never Alone is a major disappointment. It masters aesthetic design and cultural storytelling, but simply cannot succeed on that alone.
Never Alone isn't without its merits. Telling an interesting story of a dying culture, it's a hugely flawed game that manages to conjure warmth in the icy cold.
If you've got enough patience you'll probably be able to mine for the diamonds in the rough - but the easily frustrated should steer far clear.
A disappointing but noble effort.
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.
'Never Alone' is a beautiful experience. Its somber story is masterfully expressed, but not by its gameplay. As a platformer it is subpar, and yet I am still telling people to play it. Despite its tiny length and substantial flaws, it has a soul, something that is sorely lacking in many of the games we play.
Documentaries aren't known for being the most exciting experiences in the world, and, therefore, it should come as no surprise that a documentary-esque "game" is only mildly engaging. That being said, compared to the mental illness emulation of Depression Quest, or the political surrealism of The Cat and the Coup, Never Alone is a highly accessible version of the form.
Never Alone: Arctic Collection is an endearing attempt to blend a learning experience about the Iñupiaq culture and its folklore, and bring that to a video game.
If I had to describe Never Alone succinctly – I’d say that its intentions are pure but that it falls flat in its execution.
Never Alone is, nevertheless, an important game offering a fascinating window into a rich and ongoing culture among native Alaskans. And if you are open to accepting that cultural exchange then the barriers dividing the people of the world get a little bit smaller, and we all grow closer to never really being alone in the world again.
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.
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'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 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.
What E-Line Media and Upper One Games are doing is admirable. It's awesome to see the Iñupiaq people author their story in a video game like this, an opportunity that few cultures and minorities have. Their involvement is felt everywhere in Never Alone, and I just want to play more games that explore that mythology.