Never Alone: Arctic Collection [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

I’m a sucker for a good platforming-puzzler and I love the idea of a snowy adventure in the arctic, so Never Alone: Arctic Collection really ticked a lot of boxes for me. It’s actually a game that I’ve been meaning to play for a long time, but it completely fell off my radar given that it initially released back in 2014. Now though, nearly eight years following that release, it has come to the Nintendo Switch, bringing with it the main game as well as the ‘Foxtales’ DLC to complete the package.

It can be an enjoyable adventure too, whilst the way that it embraces Iñupiat culture ensures that the narrative feels meaningful. However, some iffy controls as well as some technical issues do hold it back from being a must-play experience on the Nintendo Switch.

Check out a gallery of screenshots down below:

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Never Alone: Arctic Collection’s narrative is built around the Iñupiat, a tribe of Alaskan indigenous people that I’ll admit I had zero knowledge of before playing. Fortunately, the game teaches you about them as you play, with players able to unlock videos that highlight the lives that the Iñupiat lead. There’s a platforming adventure to be experienced here, but there’s also an educational element to the game that gives players some real insight into a completely different culture. It’s a nice idea and something that made the whole experience all the more immersive, especially since it tied in with the game’s storytelling.

Of course, there’s also room for elements of fantasy and mythology within the Iñupiat culture, which is what a lot of Never Alone: Artic Collection’s main story is based upon. Players take on the role of Nuna, who is joined by an artic fox as she heads out to find the source of an ever-lasting blizzard that is plaguing her home. This itself is based upon a story told by the Iñupiat, but there’s also room for more unusual myths of the culture to be found across the story (you’ll learn about those in more depth in those videos you can unlock). It’s hard not to find yourself completely invested in the story and even after I completed the game, I found myself perusing the internet for more information about the Iñupiat people.

“There’s a platforming adventure to be experienced here, but there’s also an educational element to the game that gives players some real insight into a completely different culture.”

The core gameplay experience revolves around platforming and solving puzzles, with players heading across a two-dimensional plane as they explore their surroundings and find their way to safety. You know how I mentioned Nuna is joined by a fox on the journey? Well, you’ll switch between both characters on the fly, with each helping each other out in different ways: Nuna can move objects to create new pathways for example, whilst the fox can crawl through small gaps and use the help of the spirits to make platforms for Nuna. They’ve got a few other tricks up their sleeves, of course, but I’ll leave that for the player to find out. It’s fun and ensures there’s variety found across the game’s roughly four-hour adventure (if you include the ‘Foxtales’ DLC).

Switching between both characters works really well in-game and makes for some creative scenarios (you can even play in local co-op if you prefer), though there’s never anything too difficult to face in Never Alone: Arctic Collection. Not once did I find myself stuck or wondering where to go next, with the solution always obvious. The only real challenging moments would be when you found yourself being chased in-game, with these often demanding some quick-thinking and precision-perfect jumping to get to safety. It’s not a bad thing, but those looking for a challenge may be left underwhelmed.

The only issue I had with the gameplay was that the controls could be a little fiddly at times. It felt like there was a little bit of input lag on the Nintendo Switch that took some getting used to, though the weightiness of the jumping could make it difficult to land some jumps perfectly anyway. The aiming controls when using Nuna’s Bola weapon could be cumbersome too, with it often difficult to line up shots perfectly. The controls of Never Alone: Arctic Collection never make the game feel bad to play, but they could feel awkward at times and caused a few unnecessary deaths when playing.

“I actually loved the visual style of the game, with the art direction one of the standout features; there’s a lot of white because of the snow, sure, but the way it manages to capture the enchanting sights of the arctic and the desperation of working through an overwhelming blizzard was nothing short of beautiful.”

Unfortunately, I also had a few technical issues occur when playing the game. One early sequence with a polar bear saw the animal completely disappear for example, meaning I wasn’t able to progress past that section of the game without re-loading. My fox companion got stuck in the environment on two separate occasions too, whilst another time I found my progress completely blocked because the game didn’t recognize that I reached a certain area. These are issues that are fixed by restarting from a checkpoint, but their presence was still frustrating. I also suffered from two crashes to the Nintendo Switch menu, so there are more than just gameplay-related bugs.

It’s a shame that it has these issues because Never Alone: Arctic Collection actually runs well on the Nintendo Switch. The visuals are slick and capture the almost desolate snowy vibe of the arctic perfectly, whilst the moments of vibrancy and colour really stand out when playing on the console’s handheld mode. I actually loved the visual style of the game, with the art direction one of the standout features; there’s a lot of white because of the snow, but the way it manages to capture the enchanting sights of the arctic and the desperation of working through an overwhelming blizzard was nothing short of beautiful. Sure, some of the character models look a little iffy, but the environments are wonderful. I didn’t suffer with any frame rate issues when playing on the console either, so the general performance held up and complemented the game’s mesmerizing vibe.

Developer: Upper One Games
Publisher: E-Line Media
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Website: http://neveralonegame.com/