Introduction
Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breath-taking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland.
The game is unique in that it purposefully has no dialog or narrative. Players must breathe in their surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization. Play as an ordinary red fox who’s story becomes entwined with the guardian of the Northern Lights, a female spirit fox. As you journey over the mountains and under red-stained skies, you’ll discover more about your companion and the land left in ruin.
Review
Now I know this game was originally released on PlayStation 4 in October of 2019, however, I had only just heard of it in December of 2022.
I’m glad I found this little gem of a game, as it was well worth experiencing. The music is so soothing and added an extra layer of depth to this otherwise quiet gameplay. The only other main noises are when the fox barks, when you’re on water, or when you open a door/path.
Now, you might be thinking that a game solely based around a fox and a fox’s spirit seems dull and boring. However, who doesn’t like a good fox tale? This short but sweet story about a fox’s journey to save its home from a deadly toxin is just what you need. Plus, there’s spirit magic! You gain abilities as you play the game – a fox with abilities, pretty neat, right?
There are 8 chapters in total, which aren’t very long to play through. The only main time consumers are the puzzle solving and collecting the staffs and returning them to the Sharman (this is for platinum).
There are rewards for returning the staffs to the Sharman – these are skins for the fox you control. There are a total of six skins to collect.
It’s a very simplistic game with easy controls, puzzles and exploration. Playthrough of just main story will take around 5-6 hours and to platinum, around 6-10 hours. There is chapter select after you beat the game, so you’ll be able to clean up any remaining trophies.
Rating
Pros:
- Sweet story
- Beautiful landscapes
- Serene and calming gameplay
Cons:
- Some of the platforming was off
Summary
Beautiful little game that is worth the experience in my opinion.
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Game & Developer Information
Developer Website: Infuse Studio
Developer Socials: Twitter
Publisher Website: Merge Games
Publisher Socials: Twitter
Images – https://www.igdb.com/
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