![]() The most egregious of these in my eyes is the complete lack of direction or guidance as to what the next objective is or even where to go to move forward on the journey. To top this all off, Spirit of the North features a number of bizarre gameplay design choices that drag the weak gameplay even further into the mud. There are a handful of puzzles thrown in to act as mechanisms to unlock the way forward, but these puzzles aren’t challenging, complex or satisfying – in fact, they are more likely to frustrate the player due to the awkward platforming controls and obtuse puzzle solutions. This may sound incredibly reductive, but there are only a handful of instances where this formula is deviated from, and even those revolve around some form of ‘find the mechanism to unlock the thing to move forward’. Search around for the mechanism to unlock the roadblock.Follow the path until you reach a roadblock.The gameplay loop in Spirit of the North follows this simple formula for most of the game: The soundtrack itself is downright exceptional and is easily one of my favourite OST’s I’ve heard in a long time. It’s not easy to make players connect on an emotional level with a fox, but the level of detail in the character animations and the powerfully emotive soundtrack work wonders to draw you into the story and relate to the protagonist. The entire story is communicated wordlessly through the use of expressive animation, clever cinematic techniques and an absolutely incredible orchestral soundtrack. However, texture pop-in is a frequent occurrence and a number of the environments can look quite grimey when viewed up close. The majority of Spirit of the North looks visually stunning, even when viewed on the Switch’s handheld mode.The textures and lighting make some of the environments look absolutely gorgeous with many biomes being some of the best natural environments I’ve seen on the Switch. The developers have done a fantastic job of recreating the incredibly vast, varied landscapes of Iceland that are just begging to be explored. To do this, you’ll journey across windswept valleys, navigate ancient ruins and slip through cavernous glaciers, guided only by a helpful spirit companion and a blazing red beacon in the sky formed by the corrupted northern lights. The game takes place in ancient Iceland and you play the role of an adorable red fox who must help the spirit of the northern lights cleanse the land of an evil corruption. Spirit of the North could be best described as an adventure game – not in the way we typically refer to those classic ‘point-and-click’ style of adventure games, but more in the way that you play a character going on what could be described as a genuine adventure. ![]() ![]() If you’re the type of person that values style over substance, Spirit of the North is easily worth your time – but if outdated gameplay mechanics and frustrating design choices put you off, then you should read the rest of this review before you run off to pick up a copy. I can’t remember the last time I was so enamoured with a game’s visuals and soundtrack, yet at the same time so utterly frustrated with its gameplay. Supports the following languages: EnglishPlaying through Spirit of the North on the Switch was a rollercoaster of emotions for me, and the scores on this review might give a clue as to why.
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