REVIEW / Spirit of the North 2 (PC)

Don’t judge a book by its cover is a phrase I don’t live by. I judge books by their covers (or, in this case, video games). Appearance doesn’t always correlate with quality, but in many instances, it does improve the overall experience. Back in the day, I used to play a single-player online game called WolfQuest, which put me in the paws of a wolf in Yellowstone, so when I saw the preview for Spirit of the North 2, I knew I had to try a new kind of quest with a canine variant. Playing as a fox and exploring beautiful landscapes inspired by Nordic countries sounded right up my alley. I tried to keep my expectations low so as not to be disappointed, and I’m glad I did.

At first glance, Spirit of the North 2 looked promising. It’s an open world with ruins and secrets to uncover, a dark shaman called Grimnir, magical runes, and a black-winged companion. Within the world are different regions composed of cliffs, beaches, and snow-covered mountains, immersive biomes to traverse, and I’m usually a fan of games that offer freedom to roam and explore. It’s a great form of escapism, and sometimes I need that after a long week or a stressful day. The art style of Spirit of the North 2 is stunning, full of vibrant colors and verdant paths, making me long to travel back to Iceland. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was the best part of the game, and it still ended up feeling flat.

It’s common for games to have a brief tutorial at the beginning, and I found the mechanics simple and straightforward, easy to get into. There was no problem with the keybinding. The problem was with the way the game responded. I started off using my controller, thinking it would be more comfortable based on the little I knew about the game. I had no stress going into this game, but wow. This game stressed me out. The mechanics are ridiculously janky, making it nearly unplayable. The way my little fox character, Worm (yes, I named him after a worm), moved from the ground to a higher level, leaping across planks, long jumping between rocks, was torture. It felt like the game was designed 15 years ago, based on the mechanics alone. If it’s a bug, it’s forgivable, but I have a feeling it’s intentional.

Because the mechanics were so poorly executed, I had little faith in the combat, and I’m pleased to report I was right. Personally, the combat felt out of place in this game, and it was just as much of a struggle as navigating the world. I’ve done a lot of boss fights, and these ones felt outdated, clunky, and colorless. Visually, the designs of the opponents are beautiful, but that’s the only positive takeaway. Honestly, the puzzles weren’t bad, but they weren’t good enough to save the game.

Spirit of the North 2 was not for me, and the nonverbal narrative wasn’t particularly impactful. The soundtrack certainly helped to enhance the story, and it’s worth a listen, but don’t waste your time with this game. Perhaps its predecessor is more worthwhile since it focuses on exploration and puzzles and does not include combat. If you’ve come this far and still think Spirit of the North 2 sounds interesting, check it out on Steam (only available on Windows).

In the meantime, I’ll be decompressing from this underwhelming experience. I had hoped to be whelmed, but Worm the fox will have to hunt for answers on his own.