The original Spirit of the North was an enchanting, if flawed, adventure puzzle title from American indie developer Infuse Studio. One where the visuals played as big a part in the game as its tale, which had no dialogue or narration. It was simply about a fox who discovers it possesses spirit powers. It was unique and one of those ‘actions speak louder than words’ experiences. And, I was very surprised to see that the 2019 title has just been given a sequel, Spirit of the North 2.
Fox Moulder
This sequel, for better or worse, is in many ways more of the same. You once again begin the game as a fox awakening in what it calls home. It’s at this point that you can, rather oddly, customise your furry friend.
Yu can pick its fur colour, and even eye colour, from a limited selection to start with, but that selection grows as you progress.
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The core tale this time unfolds through scrolls found throughout this ancient world left in ruins. Our fox hero, with a little help from a wise raven, seeks out the lost legendary guardians to free them from the grip of the dark shaman Grimnir, who is bringing darkness to the world.
It sets the tone for the adventure, though the opening is a bit underwhelming, as you technically unleash Grimnir yourself by reuniting him with his magical staff.
Explore-Em-Up
Gameplay-wise, you are given free rein to explore the forgotten lands. Exploration will reward you with crystals and wisps. These, in turn, help unlock the map and grant access to dungeons, where the bulk of the game’s puzzles lie.
Some are basic fetch quests, requiring you to find objects often left in plain sight and place them on specific spots. Others mix things up by offering three objects, with only one unlocking the way ahead.
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It’s not high-level, big-brain stuff, but it keeps you engaged. When paired with the so-so platforming, it creates a gameplay loop that, at times, is more than the sum of its parts. Or maybe I just enjoy running around as a fox.
Upgraded Fox
Your fox also features an overly large skill tree that feels more sprawling than impactful in effect. This is a broader issue the game struggles with: everything feels a bit too spread out, and the world itself often comes across as a bit too empty.
Platforming is also handled strangely. Some parts are left to you, while others are guided, which feels forced and unnatural, and sometimes doesn’t make much sense.
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Visually, Spirit of the North 2 is an odd one. It blends real-world and animated styles in a way that and the mix doesn’t quite land. It would have been better if it picked a style and stuck to it.
And while it’s running on Unreal Engine 5, it can be a little rough around the edges.
Spirit of the North 2 aims to build on the original, to go big or go home, but ultimately falls flat, delivering an OK game with an OK story and middling gameplay. It simply has too many rough edges and lacks the polish I would expect.
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