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Spirit of the North
Released On: May 7, 2020
59
6.7
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
59
7% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
71% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
21% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
59
7% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
71% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
21% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Spirit of the North's enchanting journey is magnificent on the Nintendo Switch Lite's screen, as played on for this review, and is even better on a large TV screen. The, at times, challenging game, has collectibles that add to the replay value, and playing as an unlocked snow fox in the snow magnifies the immersion of the game, with levels that beg to be experienced again simply for the fun of enjoying their beauty.
Spirit of the North is an atmospheric, evocative adventure game with puzzle/platforming elements that—despite being clumsily implemented in parts—are ultimately rewarding if you stick with it.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 28 User Ratings
6.7
57% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
11% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
32% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 28 User Ratings
6.7
57% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
11% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
32% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
I love this game. It’s probably my favourite indie game right now! Everything is so well made. It’s perfectly balanced between hard and easy.
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Nintendo Switch
Way better on Switch than I expected. The graphics aren't as good as PC and PS4 but I almost couldn't even tell. Had to play them side by side to see a difference(I own PC, Switch. I've played a little on PS4). Controls felt smooth. Lots of games with animal protagonists are really rough but this was honestly one of the best. Graphics and controls asside... The subtle symbolism is the best part of this game. It's really moving and powerful. Took me a second playthrough to see it. Honestly, there is a lot of hidden lore in this game, but don't expect the game to feed it to you. Crazy to think only 2 guys made this.
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Nintendo Switch
Overall, the experience remains a valid alternative for players looking for a relaxing, short-lived title with ethereal atmospheres, despite the technical defects that prevent it from making its full potential shine.
Spirit of the North almost nails it. From the art to the characterisation, and even the wordless narrative structure, the developers have clearly put a lot of thought and creative energy into this, and it shows. You might want to play on another platform to get the full scope of the vision, because on Switch it is a little limited by the hardware, but even then, Spirit of the North has moments where it soars. It's just unfortunate that it keeps crashing into walls along the way, as the developers tried to justify the existence of the game by what can only be termed "gameplay bits", and every time that happens the motor takes a while to get going again. If you can handle the clumsy pacing and arbitrary puzzles and collectibles, though, Spirit of the North really is beautifully earnest in what it is looking to achieve.
I really wanted to enjoy Spirit of the North as someone who is passionate for Nordic folklore, meditative video game experiences, and foxes. Unfortunately, amid the game’s performance issues and lackluster gameplay, the title comes across as unfocused at best and unplayable at worst. There’s a meditative, thoughtful, and even great game that’s underneath all of the uncomplimentary design decisions, and the poor technical performance of the Switch port is the nail in the coffin of an already flawed experience.
Sadly, my drive to persist was sapped by a series of glitches in one section that led me to replay the same should-have-been-easy bit over and over again. That was bad enough, but combined with the poor controls, lack of engaging gameplay, an inability to manually save and infrequent checkpoints, every session was a slog. Writing a negative review for Spirit of the North is tough because on paper, it seems like something I’d fall in love with. That said, it’s just not a good experience — my appreciation for its non-violent content and environmental themes can’t carry its many shortcomings.
Games like this can work very well if they’re backed up by visually stunning graphics and clever gameplay, but unfortunately, Spirit of the North has neither.
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Nintendo Switch
This game is cute. It’s not a massive game, and there are way better small 3D platformer puzzle games. But this game didn’t set out to accomplish much and it’s a beautiful game. It’s a tad bit easy, and in some places the area is too dark to see what your doing clearly. But overall it’s a very good game. And a good pick up if you have a few days to fill while waiting for a big release.
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Nintendo Switch
Pretty, but I'm not sure who this game is for. Long stretches of running around somewhat awkwardly in the pretty world make you think it's a chill game meant for the atmosphere. But then it's got its platforming stretches which are a little harder than they should be. Not always clear where you're supposed to go, despite an occasional hint. I get a bit dizzy playing it at times, though I don't in other 3d games, so it's something about the way you move around in this game. Controls are sort of wonky, especially that you have to hold L and left joystick to run... not a comfortable combination. Divided into "chapters", but there's no way to save, so you have to finish a chapter, which is super annoying when you need a break from the awkward platforming, awkward controls, or awkward movement making you sick. Some of this game is puzzling about what you're supposed to do next and how, and those parts have some promise, but they get sort of lost with the other wonkiness.
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Nintendo Switch
Controls make it unplayable, graphically not great: the fox is pixely, gravity is off, the snow squish effect is copy-pasted for every step, the jumping is as if you're launched straight up without any use of muscle.
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Nintendo Switch
This game is a pure disappointment. I played to the 4. section and could not take it anymore.
-Glitchy controls
-Missing Eventtrigger
-Softlocking
-Weird interactions by the charactermodel with the environment
are absolutely crucifying the potential this Game has within. I expected a chilled experience with a nice storry but i got a very frustrating GoatSimulator instead. Very sad conclusion for something that could ezpz be a masterpiece if the developers would put some heart and soul into the controlmanagement. Like this the game is unplayable, frustrating and just not a fun experience to go with. For me i will not waste a single more second into this unless the game gets patched.
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Nintendo Switch
Summary Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland with various pieces of Nordic folklore. The game purposefully has no dialog or narrative. Breathe in the surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization.
Rated E
for Everyone
Platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- Nintendo Switch
- PC
Initial Release Date: May 7, 2020
Developer:
- Infuse Studio
Publisher: Merge Games
Genres:
