Never Alone (PS4)

A 2D platforming buddy game that sees you playing as a young Alaskan girl and a snow fox that she crosses paths with early on as they try to uncover the cause of constant blizzards that have decimated her village's ability to hunt.  It's got somewhat basic but still gorgeous graphics and a really nice feeling to it for the majority. Although it can lull you into a false sense of security because like most fables and myths it's got a bit of a darker side as well.  At first I thought this would be a perfect game to play co-op with your kids for example, but a few moments along the way were pretty shocking to me, never mind under 10s!

Gameplay for the most part has a bit of challenge but nothing too taxing - was a chilled out play until the last section of the game which involved a lot of switching between characters on the fly while being chased by enemies and playing these sections solo was fairly irksome - I'd imagine they'd be a lot more enjoyable in co-op.  Up until this point, switching between the two characters had been a really enjoyable part of the gameplay as each has their own unique abilities.  Going through the game with a friend would make the pair's traversal of the world seem a lot more free-flowing and natural, but don't let that put you off playing solo.

You could probably fly through the game in about 2.5-3 hours without too much trouble, but you'd be missing out on one of the aspects I found most enjoyable.  Along the way you can unlock "Cultural Insights" which are basically bite size documentaries featuring Alaskan natives - some of whom helped make the game - ensuring it has a real level of authenticity to the story and the culture that it's rooted in.  The people in these shorts were amazing characters and great storytellers. I found each 2-3 minute video an absolute joy and themes of the videos tied into the part of the game you had just played.  There was a small story told about memories this person had as a child being told the myths surrounding the Northern Lights and it was really cool to see this then play out in the next level of the game.  You're given the choice to play each video as soon as you unlock it but I found the best approach was to watch a group that you had unlocked in between each level.  They gave so much background to the characters, the history of the story, the respect these people have for the wildlife that is such a part of their existence, the general lifestyle and so many beliefs that I know very little about.  You can really feel the love that was put into making sure this game respected the heritage of these people.

Other reviews I'd read of Never Alone had tagged it as an "Educational game" and I didn't imagine I'd come away from it having learned very much - to be honest I wasn't overly invested in the idea of watching all of the videos, but I'm so glad I did.  If you don't watch the Insights there's still a very enjoyable platformer to be played here that can stand on its own two feet, but the combined package is one that I feel is well worth your time.

Platform: PS4
Date Started: 20/02/16
Date Completed: 24/02/16
Time Played: 4:15