Spirit of the North 2 is a slow-paced, meditative indie adventure with beautiful visuals that expands on the previous game. Although it still has some issues, the game is powered by Unreal Engine 5, which enables dynamic lighting and weather effects.

The vistas are vast and traversing them can occasionally feel like a chore

You play as a fox who wakes up in his lair. The beginning part of the game acts like a tutorial, introducing you to the different moves available. I found that sometimes getting my fox around the landscape could be quite frustrating because the game requires very precise movements when jumping, which quickly becomes annoying. Oddly enough, when climbing, the game restricts you to only certain parts of the environment, even though the scene suggests you should be able to climb in other areas of the rise.

Apart from environmental and animal sounds, the game is played entirely in silence, which makes sense as foxes can't speak. Travel is swift, and as the game progresses, you start to gain some useful abilities, necessary to complete the game's puzzles, but also useful to survive the game's environments. You may get a little tired of falling off stuff until you get the glide ability, which negates a lot of the fall damage. You can further navigate the map via any lairs you discover. There are other useful abilities to collect, and this is done by collecting runes and skill points.

The back story of the game tells of the original five tribes of animals, who once lived in comparative harmony, until the bears turned against the others, causing devastation. The game is set many years or even centuries later, and the last is a wasteland of shattered buildings and dark, sinister elements blighting everything. There are bosses to encounter, and each of these presents another unique puzzle.

Spirit of the North 2 is an artful journey

When not fighting, the game encourages you to explore, and there are many things like wisps, manuscripts, raccoon-run shops, and obelisks, which all expand the lore and back story.

This is in no way a fast game, and anyone looking for a lot of action may be disappointed. The game encourages contemplation, and depending on your engagement, this may be a good thing or not. The vistas are vast and traversing them can occasionally feel like a chore. Likewise, collecting the wisps and such can feel a little grindy.

Undoubtedly, Spirit of the North 2 is an artful journey, better suited to players who are looking for a more contemplative experience.

7

Charles Packer