A Narrative Journey into a Frozen Mystery
Surviving in the wilderness has always been a good source for a gripping tale, from Robinson Crusoe trapped on a desert island to the adventures of survival games like The Forest and Ark: Survival Evolved. I was a big fan of the TV series Lost in the 2000s too, not just for the aspect of coping with the wilderness but for the strange, weird elements like polar bears and hatches in the ground.
Arctic Awakening is a game set in the snowy wilds of the Arctic. It’s a game where you go on a real adventure, try to uncover a mystery, and discover why you are there. It’s also like a TV show in that it is presented in five different episodes for you to enjoy.
A Crash and a Companion
This game is a first-person narrative adventure set in the near future, around the 2060s. You are Kai, an ex-Navy officer who is now a pilot. We join him on his plane during a simple supply run to an Alaskan town. You are joined by Donovan, an old Navy buddy, and Alfie, a flying robot therapist. Suddenly, a disaster strikes, and the plane is ripped in half. Donovan jumps out with a parachute, and Kai is left crashed in the middle of nowhere with half a plane and his robot therapist as his only companion.
Soon, at the crash site, you are joined by other drones, and this sets you off on an adventure to try to find Donovan, but also to work out where these drones are coming from. Kai soon begins discovering huge, abandoned industrial structures, and there are strange lights and blackouts that happen in the sky. What is going on?
Puzzles, Pacing, and Peril
The story is a very good one, full of mystery and some nice writing. It’s partly a buddy movie, with Kai and Alfie’s relationship changing from animosity on Kai’s part to something warmer. You have a lot of dialogue choices that do change the nature of your journey and your personality, but ultimately the end result is still the same. The level of visual storytelling is strong here, with hints of the overarching narrative and mystery displayed through discoveries and clues found throughout. It reminded me at times of Firewatch – which looks to be a big influence on this game – in terms of the conversations you have with Donovan from afar. I also loved the mystery, and the game did land its ending in a satisfying way.
Survival and the Slow Burn
Gameplay-wise, it’s worth noting that as we had the review code early, the developer provided a list of bugs and small, unfinished bits that will be patched on day one. Some of them are annoying, and I hope they will all be patched. However, some of these bugs have seen me have to restart sections, and the last chapter had a few problems with progression.
The game is played in the first person, where you can walk around and perform a short run. There is some basic platforming to be had in certain moments, and there is a climbing mechanic for a few situations. These are simple mechanics and work fine, but they were never something I looked forward to doing. The other elements that I didn’t quite get on with were the survival mechanics of eating and drinking. You will find bits of food and drink around your plane wreckage, and as you explore, you will collect more. When your meter goes down, your vision will become foggy, and you’ll move a bit slower. It’s a strange mechanic because there are sections where you are going for ages without food, and the foggy effect is just annoying.
A more successful mechanic is when you have to clear your mind. You sit at cairns throughout the world and look out across a vista. You then go into a minigame where you have to breathe in and out. This is great and strangely quite addictive, especially when you do it in the real world at the same time.
Beautiful Vistas and Unresolved Bugs
At times, Arctic Awakening is a walking sim, and for me, it works brilliantly when going through the environments. The game has a slow pace, and when you get into that groove, it feels right. For others, it might feel too slow, and there are gaps where you’re not quite sure if you’re even going the right way or what you need to be doing. There are some good puzzle sections and some clever ideas introduced into the gameplay that offer some variation, like driving an electric van.
Visually, the game has a beautiful aesthetic, with its Arctic landscape and brilliant lighting. There are also some breathtaking moments where the landscape features huge sci-fi structures that suddenly appear on the horizon, or while sitting at a cairn watching a waterfall in the distance. Audio-wise, it has a sublime soundtrack with music by Joff Winks. The voice-over work is great as well, with heartfelt performances by all the actors involved.
A Brilliant But Flawed Journey
Even though I loved my time with Arctic Awakening, it did frustrate me in equal measure. The pacing is sometimes off, and there are moments when the story wanders off track. But the overall premise is great, and the visuals and soundtrack are lovely.
If a patch can solve the problems the game has in terms of bugs, then I would add another half star to this review. For now, it feels like a brilliant journey, but not quite a complete one.
Important Links
Facing the Elements is the Least of Your Worries in Arctic Awakening – https://www.thexboxhub.com/facing-the-elements-is-the-least-of-your-worries-in-arctic-awakening/
Shedding light on the mystery, a new story trailer emerges for Arctic Awakening – https://www.thexboxhub.com/shedding-light-on-the-mystery-a-new-story-trailer-emerges-for-arctic-awakening/
Buy Arctic Awakening on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/arctic-awakening/9n87drf76k0b
