6/23/2023 0 Comments Spirit of the north backgroundFrom the gorgeous lighting in a dark cave to wide open grassy fields flanked by rocky cliffs, Spirt of the North shines most when it’s showing off it’s fantastic art.Īlthough there is no dialogue or text in the game, the wonderful vistas are accompanied by a great score. One of the main hooks for me was simply surveying the beautiful environments in which I found myself. The world that Infuse Studio has constructed for SotN simply does not look like the efforts of two people. The duo have a background in building game environments and it absolutely shows. Spirit of the North is the debut game from Jacob Sutton and Tayler Christensen who make up the entirety of Infuse Studio. Save for a small handful of times where I felt stumped as to where to go next, the game flows quite well and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Overall there is a good balance of gameplay variety and focus for this type of game which lends itself well to quality pacing throughout. Detailed platforming isn’t required, so frustration is kept to a minimum, but moving the fox around with precision can sometimes be a chore. It’s an odd sensation and it creates moments you can’t help but feel could have been avoided with a more nimble protagonist. With no way to directionally move the fox mid-jump, you simply miss certain platforms because you can’t course correct mid-flight. Throughout the adventure the player must partake in a fair share of platforming which unfortunately can be cumbersome due to some generally clunky controls. Successfully returning a staff to it’s rightful owner sets the spirit of the corpse free from the darkness and returns them to the aforementioned lost city. Each area also has hidden collectable staffs which need to be returned to equally hidden corpses. One ability, introduced mid-game, has the blue spirit fox disembody from the physical red fox which, for a limited time, gives it freedom to explore areas previously inaccessible. Spirit energy is the name of the game for our red fox hero and you’ll need it to accomplish most functions, solve puzzles, and traverse the beautifully rendered world. Puzzles begin to tie in with each ability as they are unlocked. Game mechanics are introduced slowly throughout the adventure and never feel overly complex. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Like most time-tested companionships, this adventure is emotionally up and down, but offers a great conclusion which caps off the roughly 6 hour experience. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. I am reminded of the 4th chapter of Ecclesiastes when Solomon writes, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. Spirit of the North does a great job of symbolizing the necessity for companionship through the trials that the red and blue fox encounter. Relying on the blue fox is a regular routine and as time goes on and your powers progress, the challenge is ramped up and the reward is heightened. Companionship is at the core of this game. The player will soon discover that the power to revive a once lost civilization rests within the red and blue fox. As a classic looking red fox, the player will set out on a snow capped mountain following an ethereal blue fox. Spirit of the North is an art based adventure game akin to titles such as Journey and Abzu. Spirit of the North was developed primarily by two men and displays some rough edges that may turn off some players, but there is a good game and an inspiring message underneath this focused adventure. The notes won’t tickle every ear and the overall message may fall flat to many players, but the song is still worth singing even if only a handful will draw true inspiration and meaning from this game. They are subtle and often require human experience to fully extract. The chords that Spirit of the North attempt to strike are not easy to hear. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
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