Power Hour Review: Never Alone (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

The Alaska carefully crafted in Upper One Games’ first creation Never Alone is as beautiful as it is haunting; as enchanting as it is perilous. In some of the most treacherous lands in the continent a young girl named Nuna, accompanied only by an arctic fox known simply as Fox, must traverse the frozen tundra, brave the arctic wind, and battle evil creatures in order to save the community and family she lost. Imbued with Inupiat culture in every part of the game, the sheer devotion to its culturally accurate storytelling makes some mundane and occasionally difficult mechanics and simplistic puzzle structures forgiveable.

For those who may be unaware, Upper One Games was formed as a collaboration between E-Line Media, an organization dedicated that uses video games to spread awareness of social issues affecting children and teens, and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, an organization representing the needs of Alaska Natives across the state. Discouraged by the inaccurate and stereotypical portrayals of indigenous peoples and, more specifically, Alaskan Natives, Upper One Games seeks to empower indigenous people through positive media representation and educate others about native culture. Unsurprisingly, Never Alone accomplishes exactly that. Written and directed by Inupiat natives, every element seems to have been crafted in a way that facilitates a total absorption of the player into the educationally-driven narrative that lies before them.

On a completely sensory note, Never Alone is a beautiful, elegant creation. The environment manages to escape the bleakness of the tundra, creating the kind of wonder in every frame that makes you want to stop and appreciate it all slowly. The animation is also incredibly fluid – and detailed. Nuna trudges through the snow adorably, stumbling a bit in the dips in some parts and slipping in others, with Fox following ever behind her in that distinctly fox-like manner. Narration entirely in the native Inupiat language (with English subtitles) with accompaniment of traditional song and drums helps to round off the experience wonderfully.

While yes, it is clear that Never Alone has been created for educational purposes, it doesn’t get weighed down by that label. In fact it delves into Inupiat culture rather ingeniously. In addition to letting you explore said culture via immersion – a benefit of the gaming medium – the game also offers the opportunity to watch short, documentary-style videos along the way that offer further insights into Inupiat tradition, language, and lifestyle. Unlike Valiant Hearts, whose historical snippets must be accessed via a menu, Never Alone presents you with these videos naturally as you explore. Rather than read testimonials of the importance of, for example, drums in Inupiat ceremony, you get to see Inupiat drummers and hear their testimonies firsthand, which is a unique and enriching experience.

Unfortunately Never Alone‘s gameplay is nothing new. The puzzles are all largely straightforward. That’s not to say that it’s completely unrewarding or dull, but I wouldn’t call it much of a challenge either. In order to progress, players must switch between Nuna and Fox. Each has their own strengths: Nuna can throw a traditional, net-like weapon called a bola to knock down things that block their path or free trapped spirits. Fox can summon said spirits and scratch his way up walls. Although there is the option to play both characters as a single player or enter into a cooperative mode where each player plays one of the pair, playing in single player seems to have a few issues that may be avoided. At one point, for instance, I had to dodge a flaming rock being hurled my way while still guiding the rock towards one side of a platform. A single touch led to an instant death. With the AI not keeping entirely in sync, I had to rush to move Nuna and then quickly switch to Fox and rush to move him as well. Certainly the mechanics would work best with multiple players.

Despite certainly having flaws in gameplay, the sheer respect and insight Never Alone provides coupled with an admirable female protagonist and gorgeous design and animation largely keeps my review of the game positive.