Different cultures have different stories, and there are many that you will be familiar with. However there are a whole host more that you may never have the chance to experience or learn about. Heroes, villains, gods and demons whose names have never crossed your mind. E-Line media is working with Upper One Games to bridge those gaps in cultural knowledge through games that look at lesser known about societies, and their myths and legends. The first of these titles is Never Alone which explores tales from the Iñupiat, an Alaska native people.
Never Alone tells the story of Nuna and her arctic fox companion as they explore different stages based on the stories of the Iñupiat, with a mix of puzzles and platforming to navigate each area. At EGX, Tuffcub and I teamed up to tackle the stages that were on show in co-op mode. One of the first things that will strike you is the visual representation of the game, which takes place during a blizzard meaning much of the environment is a mix of grey and darker shades of icy blue, due to the sky being overcast and the snow being compacted. Comparatively the white fur of the arctic fox stands out, and Nuna also manages to stand out amongst the bleak atmosphere.
You can play as either the fox or Nuna with each having their own skills to help traverse the rather dangerous areas in the game. The fox can scramble up walls and fit through small gaps, while Nuna can move objects. Together this pair must use their skills to get past each area. During our playthrough we managed to get the hang of things, though there was some trial and error involved as we got used to the controls. Once those were picked up Never Alone was pretty easy to control.
The game itself does have some challenge and the puzzles require a bit of thinking to work out. You can’t just run and jump through each area, and you’ll have to find the spots where both characters would be most useful to allow progression. In some areas this was easy to work out while in others it had to be pointed out to us. It wasn’t frustrating to not being able to find the solution straight away, as learning to experiment a little will be key to success.
Nuna and the fox couldn’t defend themselves so you have to watch out for the spirits that will snatch them and take them away. The spirits we came across were green giants, and followed a set path, so timing runs and jumps perfectly was a must. Time a run or jump too late and your character will be whisked away, with your partner unable to do anything to stop them. The checkpoint system was generous though so not much progress is lost should you find yourself in the spirit’s clutches.
Through the game a story was being narrated by an Iñupiat elder letting you know about the world you were running through, so as well as the gaming side you’ll also have an educational tool at hand. Never Alone has been getting comparisons to the likes of Limbo, and I can see why but the key difference is that Never Alone presents a new step in games. Not only was the section I played fun but this game marks a step in making fun games that could be used in classrooms too. If E-Line Media expand to other cultures then I could see a new rise in educational gaming. The stories we experience in Never Alone will be alien to many of us, but I look forward to learning about them.
Youles
Nice read, am really looking forward to this (and RIME), it’s nice to play something different. Hopefully it won’t get lost amongst GTA5’s release seeing as it’s on the same day!
bunimomike
With you on this one, fella. Really looking forward to this and Rime. Right up my proverbial street, ahem. It’s quite the mark of some diverse gaming when you can switch off GTA V and then load the likes of Rime up. :-)
Youles
I concur, and the older I’m getting the more I welcome new games like this, and the less I can cope with sequel after sequel of repetitive franchises!
bunimomike
There’s only so much we can take of whatever makes us feel that yearly franchises are getting too much. Although, there’s a huge emotional difference too. The fact that a game like Journey can leave people with tears in their eyes after two hours (for the right reasons, I might add as oppose to people crying because it’s a shit game) speaks volumes.
The ones that affect us are the ones that stay with us. Sure, most of us will dive into the finely-honed outings of Battlefield or Call of Duty or {insert other massive franchise here} but it’s lovely knowing that the entire gaming industry is packed with “quieter” games that I utterly adore and remember for years to come.
Youles
Definitely, I seem to get more from games where there is a deep story or emotion attached to it – which is kinda odd as I’m not a very emotional person – but it seems more important to me, or a game will have more of an affect on me, if it’s engaging on that kind of level. Perhaps it’s to do with it being mentally stimulating rather than mindless shooting/racing/whatever.
bunimomike
Agreed. That’s obviously a part of it, now I think about it.
I can handle being an emotional wreck when playing Journey or Walking Dead.
vjmwilliams
I’ve been looking forward to this for months now. Still refuse to watch trailers as i don’t want to spoil it, i’m limiting myself to screen shots!
I do love snow in games.
Gaztee
That looks gorgeous. I can see why there’s comparissons with journey. Think this is going on my hdd on release day.