Never Alone Arctic Collection

I played it mostly for my 5yo boy. He enjoyed the game, really liked the fox. Controls are awkward, but keys can be changed. And it is ok. Autosave is great and lets you play smooth without redoing big chunks of game when you died. Some places are a bit confusing for a casual play when you don't think too much just surf through the game, but the game gives you some hints when you are being thoroughly stupid (like I was few times). Anyway, my son immediately wanted to replay the game, but I said that will do it sometime later after other games, when we forget it a bit.

The offered insight into inuit culture is by far the best thing about Never Alone which otherwise is rather meh as a platformer. The controls feel sluggish and the game is just rather dull. You get video snippets of documentary style interviews with inuit people regarding the cultural significance of certain things in the game and these are highly entertaining to watch. Those videos can be unlocked in the game and are without a doubt the highlight of an otherwise mediocre game.

I suppose you could play it alone but I'd imagine it would be hard. As the title suggests, you really should play it with someone else since the whole game design is based around co-op. I usually don't play platformers but I really enjoyed this one. If you don't have anyone to play with then buy it and it's time for you to find some awesome friends. The main character is a girl but she is going to do the heavy lifting for the most part. The sidekick fox is a boy and in the beginning he has somewhat easier tasks. If you are male and veteran gamer and your (girl)friend is somewhat noob then maybe it would be wise to have some role reversal. Since it's platformer and doesn't require lengthy manuals to be read nor complex stategies planned, I'd say it's ideal for someone beginner to start playing with. The learning curve isn't that bad so almost anyone could just puick it up as you go. Death spawns you right back maybe only loosing little progress. There you have it. Enjoy bonding with someone and happy gaming!

I usually love platform games, and when I see a new release in this genre, I don't wait too long before watching trailers, screenshots and buying it. Well, Never Alone struck me for its story, and during the game the player is driven by a storyteller, unveiling all the secrets and magicians around the Alaska native people. The game graphics are just gorgeous, and the "usually smooth" gameplay is alternated here and there by some action, in which u have to act and take decisions quickly. Yes, it deserved its price and I can just recommend it.

The game itself is cute - the art is great - but gameplay is a bit basic. If the game were longer, it would become repetitive. It's basically a platformer in which one of the characters has to move the platforms around, which slows the pace quite a bit. It is worth playing because of the cultural immersion, a retelling of an Iñupiaq fable. The companion story, "Foxtales", plays a bit better and the puzzles are more fun. Regretfully, it has some inexcusable glitches. First, I had to try the game in FOUR computers before being able to play it -- it did not run even in relatively new ones. My advice is install it as soon as you buy it, and if it doesn't work return it! Second, the little videos ("Cultural Insights") just crash the game! How can a video crash a game? I wasn't able to watch any. There was also an early gameplay glitch: when you are chased by a bear, you get cornered and nothing happens. I solve it by switching to coop play, and then the story continued. Great concept, but poor quality testing I think.