NORTH

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 229 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
NORTH Game Cover
North is an interesting, insightful game that’s worth a look. It doesn’t ask a lot of your time (or wallet), and when it’s firing on all cylinders, it has something genuinely important to say.
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"NORTH is a single-player Mystery Action game with an intriguing story, set in a cyberpunk mega-city filled with strange creatures and customs. As a refugee seeking asylum, you'll explore and solve simple puzzles, with the narrative progressing through letters to your sister. The game features pretty visuals, an amazing soundtrack, and a stellar atmosphere, culminating in a short , immersive experience, complete with a full soundtrack ."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 229 reviews
story18 positive mentions
optimization6 negative mentions
  • NORTH offers a unique and surreal exploration experience that effectively conveys the feelings of alienation and confusion faced by refugees.
  • The game's artistic style and atmospheric soundtrack create a haunting and immersive environment that enhances the narrative.
  • The use of letters as a narrative device provides insight into the protagonist's struggles and adds depth to the story.
  • The game suffers from poor optimization, with low framerates and clunky controls that hinder the overall experience.
  • There is a lack of clear objectives and guidance, leaving players feeling lost and frustrated without a proper tutorial or menu options.
  • Technical issues, such as an unskippable intro and the inability to save progress, detract from the gameplay and make it difficult to recommend.
  • story54 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it profound and engaging, while others criticize it for being vague or lacking substance. Many appreciate its exploration of themes like immigration and personal struggle, often highlighting the emotional depth and atmosphere, though some feel the execution is hampered by poor controls and a lack of clarity. Overall, it offers a short, immersive experience that resonates with certain audiences, but may leave others wanting more in terms of narrative development.

    • “The story is rich with the oppressive mood and ironic humor that Orwell and Kafka are famous for, and the style draws from expressionism and absurdism as well as cyberpunk dystopias.”
    • “This is a short but immersive experiential game telling the story of a refugee in a strange land.”
    • “Amazing game with a powerful story.”
    • “The game does not help you through the story.”
    • “There's no semblance of a story.”
    • “I like what I think it could have been, but this feels like it was an abandoned project and the story lacks substance or any real trace of originality.”
  • music41 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience with a mix of moody electronic soundscapes, synth lines, and varied styles that match the gameplay's emotional tone. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing to a captivating and immersive environment, despite some noting occasional jarring transitions. Overall, the soundtrack is described as sublime, entertaining, and fitting for the game's themes, making it a standout feature.

    • “The atmosphere is amazing, the visuals put goosebumps on the back of my neck more than once, the story is quick and punchy, and the music rolls really well with the gameplay.”
    • “The soundtrack carries a lot of weight in this game.”
    • “The atmosphere and music were fantastic and almost made up for the really confusing controls.”
    • “The music and some of the design/color/lighting is cool, but the game itself is a low-budget mess.”
    • “You walk around, go through an unacceptable number of loading screens, find some really weird, completely irrelevant things to click on, then enter a maze with 80's techno music and die almost immediately.”
    • “In the shop, it looks kind of good, but after the first 30 seconds and an (unskippable) intro that has a duration and a soundtrack that you feel dying a lot of times before you played it... you already know that you have made a very big mistake.”
  • gameplay40 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by poor optimization, sluggish movement, and minimalist mechanics that prioritize aesthetics over playability, leading to frustration for many players. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, the lack of clear instructions and engaging gameplay mechanics detracts from the overall experience, making it more of a narrative exploration than a traditional game. Players seeking a gameplay-heavy experience may find it lacking, as it often feels more like a walk-through story with confusing objectives.

    • “Great example of how gameplay and level design conveys clear feelings and messages.”
    • “While it's short and not very complex, I think North does deliver on atmosphere, and the game mechanic with the letters home that function as a combined narrative and hint system works quite well.”
    • “Still, it is enjoyable if you are open to unusual gameplay and immersion.”
    • “The game is very badly optimized, with low framerates and janky gameplay even on a high-end rig.”
    • “The way this game falls short is that the gameplay seems to prioritize maintaining aesthetics before playability.”
    • “Good graphics and ambient music, but the forced and unimaginative gameplay combined with a lack of controls leads to nauseating disappointment.”
  • graphics39 mentions

    The game's graphics are a polarizing aspect, featuring a minimalist, low-polygon art style reminiscent of early 90s titles, which some players appreciate for its unique aesthetic while others criticize it as outdated and poorly optimized. While the visuals evoke a compelling atmosphere and align with the game's abstract themes, many reviewers note performance issues, such as low frame rates and graphical glitches, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players find the art style and ambiance engaging, contributing to a memorable, if flawed, gaming experience.

    • “The non-literal but evocative sets, characters, and events are all compelling enough as visuals and excel at evoking the feelings of cultural unfamiliarity as you navigate a city you don't quite understand.”
    • “But these slight problems in no way detract from the game's many strengths, including its beautiful art style, interesting and cleverly conveyed story, great soundtrack, and immersive world.”
    • “The graphics are simplistic but suit the rather abstract symbolism of the game.”
    • “The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
    • “The graphics are outdated at best and feel flat.”
    • “The graphics are weak and the game is poorly optimized.”
  • atmosphere27 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of music and visuals to create a surreal, dark, and emotionally charged environment. While some critiques mention technical issues and a lack of depth in certain areas, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a compelling atmospheric experience that resonates with players, particularly in its exploration of themes like alienation and dystopia.

    • “The atmosphere is built excellently; the imagery and the soundtrack succeed in creating environments that evoke identifiable and varying emotions.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing; the visuals gave me goosebumps more than once, the story is quick and punchy, and the music flows really well with the gameplay.”
    • “Sweet, dark, dystopian, somewhat psychedelic, and atmospheric adventure about the experience of an asylum seeker who ended up in a strange city he's not familiar with and barely understands.”
    • “This decimates the atmosphere.”
    • “> no meaningful attempt towards building atmosphere beyond pretentious, linear, grossly cramped entry points.”
    • “The only thing I don't like about this game is the dark city you start in; something about the atmosphere feels somewhat flat and strange in a bad way. However, I got used to it after half an hour or so of play.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with many players reporting sluggish performance even on capable hardware, such as a GTX 1080, and frame rates dropping to as low as 15-30 FPS. Additionally, the controls feel unresponsive, and the overall graphics quality is considered weak, contributing to a frustrating gameplay experience. Overall, the lack of optimization detracts from the enjoyment of the game, leaving players disappointed.

    • “If you're looking for a gameplay-heavy experience, then look elsewhere. I'd be lying if I said the game's non-existent budget couldn't be felt in its sluggish controls and slight performance issues.”
    • “Played this in between the Division series, which runs at a steady 50fps, versus this which runs between 15-30fps, so not the most well-optimized game.”
    • “I really wanted to enjoy this game as I'm a fan of cyberpunk, but the controls, performance, and vagueness left me feeling very disappointed.”
    • “It's not optimized at all (sluggish at 1920x1080 on a GTX 1080), most of the game is too dark to see where you're going (they say it's part of the effect, but it was just annoying for me), and the puzzles make almost no sense.”
    • “The game is very poorly optimized, and the controls felt very off.”
    • “If you're looking for a gameplay-heavy experience then look elsewhere, and I'd be lying if I said the game's non-existent budget couldn't be felt in its sluggish controls and slight performance issues.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game effectively conveys emotional weight through its symbolic imagery and the character's letters, creating a profound impact that resonates with players. While some may find the imagery heavy-handed, it ultimately enhances the emotional experience, offering a unique perspective rather than focusing on skill challenges. Comparatively, it may not evoke the same level of emotional involvement as titles like "Spec Ops: The Line."

    • “Though some of the symbolic imagery initially seems heavy-handed, there is emotional weight in every scene.”
    • “Without them, I don't think the game would have anywhere near the emotional impact it does.”
    • “This isn't the type of game that exists to challenge your skills, but to offer you a different perspective on the world, and the way it does this through abstract and creative imagery along with the letters your character writes (a stroke of genius, the way these lead you through the game) is effective and deeply emotional.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game is criticized for being unpolished and buggy, with significant lag issues that detract from the experience. Despite these stability problems, it is praised for its strong allegorical message.

    • “Unpolished and buggy.”
    • “As buggy and laggy as it is, the game has a wonderful allegorical message.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as being exploitative, with reviewers suggesting it feels like a rushed, low-effort product designed primarily for profit rather than quality or player experience.

    • “This game feels like a cash grab, with minimal effort put into its development and a heavy focus on monetization.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It seems like the developers prioritized profit over player experience, leading to a frustratingly monetized gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

27% average critic score

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