Never Alone

In the territory stretching from the shores of Greenland to Chukotka itself, for many centuries, an amazing and little famous people live. We, pale -faced strangers from green lands, are used to calling all its representatives Eskimos, although this name is only a couple of many dozen tribes.

These people manage to not just survive, but childishly enjoy life in the seemingly unbearable conditions of eternal permafrost and protracted polar nights. They live in harmony with the world, believe that everything has a soul, and pass from generation to generation simple, but deep fairy tales. One of these fairy tales told us Never Alone.

Tales of the North

Once upon a time in the edge of the snowstorms girl Nana. Despite her young age, she was a glorious hunter, she helped parents and fellow tribesmen in everything. But once a disaster came: a protracted snow storm deprived the tribe of the opportunity to hunt and fish. Then Nana decided to go to meet the wind and find out what is the reason for the revelry of the elements. A charming arctic fox has a mystical ability to call for the spirits of nature. And so their journey through the snowy expanses of Alaska began.

► On the way, Nana will meet such a colorful man-sova. Unfortunately, it will appear only once and for five minutes.

Never Alone – This is first of all Awesome Beautiful game. The nature of the North in it appears in all its splendor and diversity: the blinding whiteness of the snowy plains is replaced by the iridescent blue ice caves and the mystical flashes of the northern lights. Nana and the arctic fox find themselves both in really existing places – for example, on the reserved island of King in the Bering Sea – and in obviously fairy -tale, like a network of tunnels in the womb of a huge whale or forest with reviving trees.

The episode is especially fascinating in the ice: while the girl jumps from one melting ice to another, we see in the background the dark surface of the cold sea and the fuzzy outlines of the birds diving to the water for prey. Detailing is striking: during the game you can see almost every snowflake, each hair in luxurious hair.

► times the game really fascinates.

Fairytale atmosphere in Never Alone so tangible that it can be rowed with a snow -off shovel. The game is saturated with the spirit of European fairy tales that are not familiar to us, such as, for example, Child of Light, but ancient Inuite legends. The screensavers between the chapters are made under the drawing on the bone and accompanied by monologues on Inuopica – The language of the tribe of inopiatians, indigenous inhabitants of Alaska. The heated senile voice of the narrator sounds so colorful and natural that you have no doubt – the developers seated the real shaman in front of the microphone.

Throughout the development process, team Upper nongambancasinos.co.uk/ One Games collaborated with representatives of the remaining Inuite communities. There is almost nothing in the game that the developers would have taken from the ceiling – everything has its own roots in the cultural traditions of the northern tribes. What is especially valuable, along the way, we watch small videos in which the Inuites themselves explain the meaning in their culture of what we observe in the game.

So it turns out that the History of Nana of the Eskimos grandmothers told their grandchildren for centuries in the same version that the players hear and see. A terrible type of villain, chasing the girl the whole game – The murderer , A folklore character who personifies the feud and disagreement is the worst thing that can happen to the community.

► Northern lights – the phenomenon truly mystical. According to Inuite mythology, flashes in the sky are the souls of dead children.

Sometimes you catch yourself thinking that you are looking forward to the new mini-documents-it touches and fascinates this Eskimo vision of the world: pure, sincere and not spoiled by the world of stone jungle.

Cracking arctic fox

But, unfortunately, to completely surrender to beauty and identity Never Alone one unpleasant circumstance interferes – in it It’s just inconvenient to play.

Were the game of interactive parables like the same Journey, She would receive the highest score without unnecessary questions. But no, Never Alone -This is a typical platform-head. The game fails the most important thing in the genre – a sense of control. Nana moves too slowly, but the arctic fox, on the contrary, flies, like stung in the tail, constantly slips and jumps the platforms.

The heroes completely refuse to respond to the pressing of buttons when it is necessary. Having jumped a cliff and clinging to the edge from the twenty -fifth attempt, you will never understand that you failed in the previous twenty -four. Just so stars got up.

► wind in Never Alone plays an important role. Do not calculate the moment of jump, and you will blow out into the abyss.

AI partner is also very depressing. The arctic fox, according to Inuitian beliefs, is a mystical creature, it can call for spirits living in the surrounding world so that they transport nanu on their backs. Almost all game riddles are tied to this property.

The problem is that ghosts are material only when a fluffy animal is close enough to them. He, as befits a wild beast, is an extremely selfless creature and strives to run away from Nana, leaving the girl to fall through the phantom into the ice abyss.

Some episodes require very fast and coordinated interaction of heroes. At such moments, you especially clearly understand that in Never Alone It is necessary to play, as the name hints, not alone, because from AI you will not get either timely help or elementary care for your own skin. The arctic fox will concentrately look at the block of ice falling on top, but will not bounce to the side. Switching between the heroes very soon becomes damn tiring.

► Bole has to throw quite often. The problem is that she has no likeness of the sight.

Never Alone leaves behind mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is an amazing beauty and emotionality of a game that could be safely put in a row with such indie hits as Limbo And Valiant Hearts. But on the other, all the pleasure of her can be lubricated with a dozen or two stupid deaths due to the fault of crooked control.

But still – as often tells you magical interactive stories about unknown ancient peoples, whose life is fundamentally different from your? That’s the same.

Special ratings

Excursion to culture

The opportunity to get acquainted with the little -wreckled and mysterious folklore of the Inuits, their way of life and worldview is the most useful and fascinating element Never Alone. I even want the game to become the first in some new franchise dedicated to Earth ethnic groups. There are so many alien and unfamiliar in the world!

Never Alone is an original and very beautiful game about what you most likely never heard of. She could easily become a small masterpiece, if not for offensive technical jambs.