This Is A Cute Indie Game With Good Ideas But Lackluster Gameplay

[Kazduin]

I just platinumed this game and it looked like a very artsy experience. I love foxes and it looked like a relaxing bite sized morsel in comparison to the triple AAA games I’ve been playing to completion lately.

 

I wanted to say that this game has some good ideas and some pretty visuals, however the gameplay and controls absolutely drag this game down. I’m playing as a fox and expected to be nimble, yet more often than not the floaty physics and annoying movement would frustrate me. The puzzles are absolutely braindead and I’d say calling them puzzles is being generous.
 

As far as story telling goes, this is one of those games that doesn’t speak a word and you’re expected to figure it out as you go. I feel like that generally only works well with easy to understand concepts. I think the intention was to leave it up to interpretation but most of the time I would ask “Why am I doing this? What is the red stuff in the sky? Where did everyone go?” Sometimes the puzzles didn't make much sense either. 

 

I get that it’s hard to write a story around animals that don’t speak but they could have presented some scenes that show the fox’s motivation to do what it was doing.  All I learned throughout the whole game is that the world is corrupted by a plague and the only humans you run across are dead. The ending wasn’t exactly great either. I’m not trying to be too harsh on this game because it has solid ideas and an awesome score. You can tell the two people who worked on this game did their best and they probably had an extremely small budget to work with. Overall I’d give it a 5/10. If the puzzles and gameplay were better it would have been an 8/10.

[DrBloodmoney]

You know - I thought I had played this game, and only after reading your review here, did I realise that I haven’t- the game I played was Never Alone - a different artsy, fox-based puzzle game ?

 

Thanks for review though, ?

[Kazduin]

16 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

You know - I thought I had played this game, and only after reading your review here, did I realise that I haven’t- the game I played was Never Alone - a different artsy, fox-based puzzle game 

 

Thanks for review though,

Glad I could help haha!

[xl-Kyo-lx]

On 4/11/2021 at 6:05 PM, Kazduin said:

I just platinumed this game and it looked like a very artsy experience. I love foxes and it looked like a relaxing bite sized morsel in comparison to the triple AAA games I’ve been playing to completion lately.

 

I wanted to say that this game has some good ideas and some pretty visuals, however the gameplay and controls absolutely drag this game down. I’m playing as a fox and expected to be nimble, yet more often than not the floaty physics and annoying movement would frustrate me. The puzzles are absolutely braindead and I’d say calling them puzzles is being generous.
 

As far as story telling goes, this is one of those games that doesn’t speak a word and you’re expected to figure it out as you go. I feel like that generally only works well with easy to understand concepts. I think the intention was to leave it up to interpretation but most of the time I would ask “Why am I doing this? What is the red stuff in the sky? Where did everyone go?” Sometimes the puzzles didn't make much sense either. 

 

I get that it’s hard to write a story around animals that don’t speak but they could have presented some scenes that show the fox’s motivation to do what it was doing.  All I learned throughout the whole game is that the world is corrupted by a plague and the only humans you run across are dead. The ending wasn’t exactly great either. I’m not trying to be too harsh on this game because it has solid ideas and an awesome score. You can tell the two people who worked on this game did their best and they probably had an extremely small budget to work with. Overall I’d give it a 5/10. If the puzzles and gameplay were better it would have been an 8/10.

Damn for 2 people that put out this game you are being too harsh to them, It doesn't always have to be the "perfect" indie game, sometimes its better to take it easy also. So far gameplay wise i quite like it, didn't experience any difficulties. Actually im getting the aura from your post like you platinumed it while being angry or some kind, If you hate these types of games then just don't play, easy as that. I get its your opinion but this harsh to only 2 people who did their best? That's too far in my opinion. They probably had an small budget like you mentioned and that's why they tried to bring something forward that people might enjoy, not every game is suitable for everyone and i get that but i actually respect these 2 people for what they put out and complaining about puzzles? puzzles don't have to be that difficult you know, maybe you like more difficult puzzles but some people like to take it easy with games. Try to make me understand what is wrong with the gameplay, cos im not seeing anything so far, the scenery is gorgeous and the controls are perfectly fine I M O. I think this is more a you problem rather than the games problem. Just saying though.

Edited July 28, 2021 by II-BurnedSins-II

[DPsx7]

I gotta agree, this game ended with a surprisingly flat thud. The 'puzzles' really can't be called that. There isn't a sense of what to do or why. And up till now the game has been kind of linear enough to make progress. It suddenly ends with an open world area in chapter 7. I've run around for an hour or two and the only thing is you can bark at a few people you rescued. That's it? No closure?

 

It doesn't matter how many people made it. A game is going to be compared to everything else out there. What sets this apart to make it memorable? Not saying all games need to be difficult or unique, but there has to be 'something' to give us a reason to run around in the woods for a few hours barking at red things. It kind of reminds me of Journey. At least I found an ending to that one, however there wasn't anything that stood out. Walk and walk until the end scene.

[mega-tallica]

This game is a dud, even for the artsy-indie game types. 

 

One of them "you figure out what the story is" kind of games because there really isn't one. Not really a whole lot of context clues anyway to even attempt to figure it out. You're a fox, you have a spirit fox and your job is to clear the world of some kind of plague and that's pretty much it. You just walk through the levels aimlessly looking for what you should be doing to get to the next part. The game just gives you nothing to get you invested in it, there's no substance. 

[NZBigC]

On 11/18/2022 at 9:23 AM, mega-tallica said:

This game is a dud, even for the artsy-indie game types. 

 

One of them "you figure out what the story is" kind of games because there really isn't one. Not really a whole lot of context clues anyway to even attempt to figure it out. You're a fox, you have a spirit fox and your job is to clear the world of some kind of plague and that's pretty much it. You just walk through the levels aimlessly looking for what you should be doing to get to the next part. The game just gives you nothing to get you invested in it, there's no substance. 

Yup, I agree with you and most of the others here. There is pretty much no meaning or point to this game at all. Also, locating all of those spirits was such a ridiculous trophy, especially with no counter or anything to help know if you have missed one or not.  What a waste of time.