Review - 'Kisima Inŋitchuŋa - Never Alone'
This week, I played 'Kisima Inŋitchuŋa - Never Alone' on PS4. I first saw a trailer of it on Gametrailers.com and it reminded me a little bit of 'Child of Light', a game that I adored.
The game is based on an Alaska Native folklore tale about a Iñupiaq girl Nuna and her Arctic fox, who are on a quest to find out the cause of the blizzard terrorizing Nuna's village. I think one of the game's strong points is that the game was developed and created by the Alaska Natives. The entire story is narrated by a Iñupiaq native. As you progress through the game, you unlock cultural insights, allowing you to learn more about Alaska Native culture.
The game is a 2D side stroller with the emphasis on puzzle solving and jumping. You can play it on your own, switching between Nuna and the fox. You could also play it with a friend, where each one of you controls a character. It's fun to see the two characters work together.
As much as I liked the game, it isn't perfect. Controls could've used a bit more fine-tuning. At one point, Nuna gets a bola which is very difficult to handle. I hated using it.
When you encounter a certain enemy, there is a huge difficulty spike that will almost make you want to quit the game. Up 'til then, you'll only have encountered jumping, running and puzzle solving at a leisurely pace. Suddenly, you'll be forced to make quick decisions or face a 'Game Over' screen. I wouldn't have minded this if the game had somehow prepared you for this kind of sections.
I'll also admit that there is little to no replay value. You could replay it to unlock any cultural insights you've missed but that's it really.
Nonetheless, I would recommend this game to anyone. The story, soundtrack and artwork are lovely. I also think it's very important that stories like these, especially those created by the indigenous people themselves, should be represented more in our world.