After watching a few game play videos on Youtube, I decided to buy this game after it strangely reminded me of “Journey”. Although very different games to play, Never Alone takes us on another journey with a chosen companion, overcoming a series of puzzles and obstacles.
In Never Alone we play as a young girl by the name of Nuna, from the Alaskan Iñupiat tribe. A blizzard threatens the very existence of her tribe, and she sets out to find it’s source and hopefully, a solution.
Accompanied by her pet snow fox, she is all set to come face to face with a series of puzzles, which at times can be quite frustrating, but with a little patience, all come together nicely.
You can play solo, or with a friend, however I would recommend trying to find a second player, as it makes for a better experience. The A.I isn’t too responsive, so even when I shouldn’t have needed to swap between the characters, I still found myself doing it to make sure both characters survived, and one didn’t drop off the map.
The games cut scenes are an example of great storytelling, told to us by an Iñupiat elder. After certain parts of the game, you unlock a series of mini-documentaries about the Iñupiat themselves, which are very interesting to watch, as we gain a better understanding of what its like to live in such a culture.
I do love the fact that the game has a story behind it, and supports a real Alaskan tribe, but the game lacks some kind of excitement or re-playability factor. It’s a great looking game by all means, but it’s not something that I would want to sit down and play for a second time.
