Never Alone

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 235 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 235
  2. Mixed: 127 out of 235
  3. Negative: 31 out of 235

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  1. Tubey
    Nov 30, 2014
    5
    Arrrgh... I got roped into buying this game by Eurogamer, and... it's a nothing title. Complete nothing. A by the books platform puzzler that is pretty to look at but lacks depth in a big, big way.

    Yes, it's atmospheric, but that means nothing if it has nothing in terms of game play. I could look at The Scream by Edvard Munch if I wanted an atmospheric visual without gameplay. It's    Arrrgh... I got roped into buying this game by Eurogamer, and... it's a nothing title. Complete nothing. A by the books platform puzzler that is pretty to look at but lacks depth in a big, big way.

    Yes, it's atmospheric, but that means nothing if it has nothing in terms of game play. I could look at The Scream by Edvard Munch if I wanted an atmospheric visual without gameplay.

    It's also very easy. It's difficult to get puzzle platformers right in terms of difficulty, but every puzzle is just so obvious as to take away any semblance of intrigue.

    There are much better titles out there, and whilst I applaud this indie title for getting the setting absolutely spot on, it's proof that gameplay is king.    … Expand
  2. FriedConsole
    Apr 13, 2015
    7
    A lot like Valiant Hearts in that it is trying teach you stuff in a puzzle platformer but the puzzles aren't as interesting and there is a lot of real boring platforming and running away from stuff.
  3. BaronMonaco
    Jan 6, 2016
    6
    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.

    Never Alone is one of those game that is more concern by its purpose than it is with its gameplay. Then yes you'll learned a lot about an original culture, the game has cute graphics that match its chara design. For an indie game the technical side is pretty good.    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.

    Never Alone is one of those game that is more concern by its purpose than it is with its gameplay. Then yes you'll learned a lot about an original culture, the game has cute graphics that match its chara design. For an indie game the technical side is pretty good.

    The story without being amazing is, like already said, a true discovery of this people culture with a very nice atmosphere but it will only last about 3 hours which is way too short for the 15€ asked.

    And at least if those 3 hours were intense it would compensate the length but not the puzzles and the platforming is so simple you'll just walk through each level and take the few collectibles scattered across.

    There's not much more to say, it's cute and interesting, but not very interesting and very short. If you want to play it I suggest to wait for a big discount.    … Expand
  4. JokeRPro12
    Apr 26, 2015
    6
    Beautiful game with a powerful story yet an un-fulfilling gameplay, while it works for the most parts usually the gameplay brakes when trying to control both characters at the same time. it collectible videos however are quite good offering a unique look at the Northern culture. Fun Enough to play once but not at full price [6.5/10]
  5. dubloon7
    Apr 20, 2015
    6
    I was intrigued for a while before playing this because of the aesthetics and tone of the game. Playing thru at first I enjoyed it, but soon enough into it I had become too frustrated with the clipping glitches all throughout the game. I had to quit playing even before finishing this game because the glitches were too prominent. I do enjoy the backstories and videos found throughout theI was intrigued for a while before playing this because of the aesthetics and tone of the game. Playing thru at first I enjoyed it, but soon enough into it I had become too frustrated with the clipping glitches all throughout the game. I had to quit playing even before finishing this game because the glitches were too prominent. I do enjoy the backstories and videos found throughout the game, but dislike the game as a whole since the videos were more content than the actual gameplay.… Expand
  6. Popan
    Apr 13, 2015
    7
    This is honestly a really good game with a great historical value. It also gives background info on certain things as well. My only problem is that as good as it is the gameplay is kind of boring.

    Art/Graphics:9
    Gameplay:6
    Value: 10(free for PS Plus in April 2015)
    Story:9
    Quality;9
  7. The_Garays
    Oct 13, 2015
    7
    Never Alone was the first indie genre game I played and I enjoyed it, but once I kept playing different titles I saw that my opinion on it was evolving, so I waited for a while to write this review.

    It's a game that has a very elaborate art design, it provides players a nice storyline and a very rewarding BS. You keep unlocking information about the Alaskan natives culture, those videos    Never Alone was the first indie genre game I played and I enjoyed it, but once I kept playing different titles I saw that my opinion on it was evolving, so I waited for a while to write this review.

    It's a game that has a very elaborate art design, it provides players a nice storyline and a very rewarding BS. You keep unlocking information about the Alaskan natives culture, those videos have a fascinating narrative, the stories captivate you, It almost felt like bed time when I was five and my grandpa read me stories.

    On the other hand, the gameplay is very poor, puzzles and riddles are very simple and they can be solved very quickly. I belive that if the difficulty was just a bit higher it would've been an 8 score game, anyway I enjoyed it and it was free for my PSN Plus, so... win win :)    … Expand
  8. Lion7
    May 7, 2015
    5
    This is what I want from free indie games on PS Plus. I actually don't want them, but this was good enough to not only get me to download it, but play it for a few hours and not feel that I've wasted time and HDD space. It's a game with a unique premise, good artwork, and a nice story foundation. With all that... it's still only as good as a "free" indie game can be. Which isn't all thatThis is what I want from free indie games on PS Plus. I actually don't want them, but this was good enough to not only get me to download it, but play it for a few hours and not feel that I've wasted time and HDD space. It's a game with a unique premise, good artwork, and a nice story foundation. With all that... it's still only as good as a "free" indie game can be. Which isn't all that special on a PS4.

    GAMEPLAY: I find most indie games boring as they rehash the 2D Sidescrolling Puzzle-Platformer tropes. Sadly, Never Alone's gameplay falls into that hole. Working together and using both the girl and the fox is a neat design choice, but the AI is downright awful at times. If you can get a second player, do that, and the game suddenly becomes a cute and charming little puzzle-platformer.

    Never Alone is an indie game that avoids committing indie game sins. No "pixel art/retro style" as an excuse for bad graphics. No "minimalist design" as an excuse for a lack of story. It's good as a free game, but don't pay out the $15 unless you wish to support the developers. It's not $15 worth of good gameplay.    … Expand
  9. joaopontesvaz
    May 11, 2015
    5
    Graphics: 5.5 Sound: 6.5 Gameplay: 6.0 Fun/Story: 5.0

    Repetitiveness, boring and unpolished game. When it starts it carries some good ideas and seems it will be a great game but it just doesn´t happened. Lacks a wonderful and variety of art.
  10. FozzyTheForger
    Apr 19, 2015
    5
    Had I not gotten this for free from Sony, I would have completely missed it. That would have been.. sad?

    See, as a piece of art and a somewhat interactive story telling device, I think it's quite exceptional, as it is outstandingly well made. I loved the 'cultural insights' I would get for every twenty or so yards I walked my two very, very cute characters. There is more and more to    Had I not gotten this for free from Sony, I would have completely missed it. That would have been.. sad?

    See, as a piece of art and a somewhat interactive story telling device, I think it's quite exceptional, as it is outstandingly well made.

    I loved the 'cultural insights' I would get for every twenty or so yards I walked my two very, very cute characters. There is more and more to do as you progress, but it's a very basic game. It is no more a game than, say, Valiant Hearts was/is. Was that a good game? Meh, it felt like Metal Slug on Valium. Valium Hearts. I loved the photos and the procedurally unlocked text, but would not recommend it as a basis to gain insight on the World War One.

    So, I find it hard to score this as a game, because the game component is so very minuscule. Does it serve as a story/history telling device? Maybe, I would have to step back, watch all the non-interactive exposition and come back to judge it differently. Maybe as that, it would get a 9 or even a 10? It is not categorized in 'history book', though. It is categorized as a video game. Too bad.

    Is it suitable for children? Again, I would have to watch all the 'cultural insights' first, see what they teach and tell me before I would be willing to let the kids have a go at it.

    If you've ever owned a dog, or if you're just a human being, things will inevitably touch you when you give this one a spin. Does that make it a good game? Nope.    … Expand
  11. Kinokee
    May 10, 2015
    5
    Simple platforming and too many clipping issues. Stupid AI. Inconsistent rates of movement. The game was alright up until the last couple levels until the problems became more apparent. The last two levels were just downright awful and ruined the entire experience for me. If you want to make a game to tell a story, don't try to add so much bad crap that no one wants to play.
  12. Drekassn
    Feb 27, 2015
    5
    This was very much "just okay". The fox dynamic was cute, but the controls were very clunky and the "story", if you can even call it that, was meh at best. It felt like it was trying to be artistic and deep, but it honestly didn't feel much like that at all, really. I mean, I'm not just some plebeian who doesn't appreciate artsy games or anything--I've played Journey and Flower and criedThis was very much "just okay". The fox dynamic was cute, but the controls were very clunky and the "story", if you can even call it that, was meh at best. It felt like it was trying to be artistic and deep, but it honestly didn't feel much like that at all, really. I mean, I'm not just some plebeian who doesn't appreciate artsy games or anything--I've played Journey and Flower and cried at them both, but this just left me feeling kinda nothing.

    Eh. It really wasn't a -bad- way to spend two hours, but it really wasn't great.    … Expand
  13. Winterhawk200
    Apr 27, 2015
    5
    Average.
    Story was average, game was average.
    Controls were ok. The AI seemed pretty stupid and caused some fustration as when the AI was in control of the second character it would sometimes cause your death for no reason then it would run straight to it's death off a cliff or something. I also found some issues with moving threw objects (spirits) you were supose to interact with    Average.
    Story was average, game was average.
    Controls were ok.
    The AI seemed pretty stupid and caused some fustration as when the AI was in control of the second character it would sometimes cause your death for no reason then it would run straight to it's death off a cliff or something.
    I also found some issues with moving threw objects (spirits) you were supose to interact with causing death, then for it to work fine on a second try.    … Expand
  14. dacritic82
    May 1, 2015
    5
    I got this game for free with my PS+ subscription. I guess the only way it's worth playing is if you also get it for free and have someone to join in. It has a nice story but everything else in it is just dull.
  15. Kargun
    May 12, 2016
    6
    Como documental funciona bastante bien, pero como plataformas es un poco justito. A pesar de que la idea pionera de mezclar documental con videojuego es una buena premisa no creo que este juego la lleve a cabo de manera adecuada.
  16. agurczuk
    Jun 27, 2016
    5
    A platform game have based on inuit culture following from what I understand a legend of sorts.

    The game is fairly short. The story strange but with a certain charm. I didn't find it the most interesting but I didn't mind it. The problem lies with the game itself. You control two characters - a girl and a fox. At any time you can switch between the two. However controlled by AI second    A platform game have based on inuit culture following from what I understand a legend of sorts.

    The game is fairly short. The story strange but with a certain charm. I didn't find it the most interesting but I didn't mind it. The problem lies with the game itself. You control two characters - a girl and a fox. At any time you can switch between the two. However controlled by AI second character has tendency to die more often than I would find it acceptable.

    The platforming is also not of the highest standard. The controls don't feel super responsive. The mechanics somewhat disappoint as well. The whole wind mechanic that can push you one way or another is more annoying than fun. The second level is a water level!

    I've played it through but did not felt the urge to play the fox tales addon. Can't really recommend this game really.    … Expand
  17. whatiremember
    Mar 6, 2017
    7
    As a game and story and historic/cultural document, I loved Never Alone. It is beautifully designed. The art is striking and the animation is playful. The co-op aspect is well-done, but it’s also fun and functional in single-player. My favorite part was probably reading about Inuit mythology and tradition in the extras section—though the gameplay was really engaging, sometimes platformersAs a game and story and historic/cultural document, I loved Never Alone. It is beautifully designed. The art is striking and the animation is playful. The co-op aspect is well-done, but it’s also fun and functional in single-player. My favorite part was probably reading about Inuit mythology and tradition in the extras section—though the gameplay was really engaging, sometimes platformers can get a little repetitive. Also playing as the fox was sometimes buggy and frustrating.

    The night we played this together you broke down when I told you I wanted to go home to sleep. You cried with your whole body and the sound of it seemed to hurt you. I felt a pain seeing you this way—in a pain I didn’t understand and that you couldn’t communicate. Eventually you calmed down a little and spoke to me. “I built walls. Walls so nobody could ever get in. But you did.” You looked at me with an anger I hadn’t expected. “So you can’t leave me. You’ll destroy me, when I did this for you.”
    I sat there listening to you, and I felt like I was in a movie. Like a highly dramatized version of a relationship—where one person doesn’t understand how things work or how people talk, and the other person is stuck. But it was happening. And I had to talk you down from it, and reassure you I wasn’t leaving or destroying anything. Later that night I lay awake in your bed very nervous. My whole body felt alight thinking about the way you had talked about us. But your body lay between me and the edge of the bed, and beyond that the door. That was the first night I felt afraid.
    Game Rating: 7/10
    Playing Experience: 2/10    … Expand
  18. PSGaming
    Aug 9, 2021
    6
    It was a good game.But there is no deepness in the story.It didn't got me.It is very short.It has many bugs and the aim is difficult.It is a game were you love it or hate it.But i am left with mixed feelings.
  19. bergcamp101
    Dec 4, 2020
    7
    Very nice small game with good story and interesting puzzle mechanics. Very satisfying.
  20. nexus151196
    Jan 29, 2021
    7
    Милая , ламповая игра. Арт - прекрасен, мифология тоже. С головоломками все понятно, они не напрягают. DLC - тоже достойное. На 1 раз - самое то.
  21. the_blueprint
    Feb 19, 2016
    5
    I can't remember having played a more frustrating game in the last, say, ten years :-O
    The first time one of the two dies it's tragic and breaks your heart sure, but when it happens a thousand times I just want to get it over with.
    What I did like were those documentaries. Though they were disappointingly short, I do get that this is so it doesn't distract from the game. However, I    I can't remember having played a more frustrating game in the last, say, ten years :-O
    The first time one of the two dies it's tragic and breaks your heart sure, but when it happens a thousand times I just want to get it over with.
    What I did like were those documentaries. Though they were disappointingly short, I do get that this is so it doesn't distract from the game.
    However, I don't understand why in a game like this it is possible to actually miss some of those unlockable documentaries. We misses about 5 of those and we're definitely not going to torture ourselves longer by playing through the game again.    … Expand
  22. RedWulfr
    Dec 27, 2015
    7
    This is probably 2014 cutest story about an important issue. The fact that they have involved informational elements is a good thought, but as a game its devastating. I would easily had classed this game as a top-game if this was better performed. Now its just a game i think would be obligatory to play in North American schools.
  23. dancingmind
    Apr 13, 2015
    6
    Never alone is looking to use the game medium to share the stories of the Iñupiat people through puzzle platforming, illustrated cutscenes and unlockable documentary segments.

    Unfortunately the title does not pull off what it is trying to at all as each element is executed poorly. The game portion is mostly frustrating and comical. There are plenty of checkpoints (thank fully) as the    Never alone is looking to use the game medium to share the stories of the Iñupiat people through puzzle platforming, illustrated cutscenes and unlockable documentary segments.

    Unfortunately the title does not pull off what it is trying to at all as each element is executed poorly.

    The game portion is mostly frustrating and comical. There are plenty of checkpoints (thank fully) as the game seems to know it will make you fail through poor visibility of where to jump, poor self-destructive companion AI, and poor jumping mechanics.

    The illustrated cutscenes look like poor flash animations. They seem to disgrace the magical art style of the Iñupiat. The story told is supposed to be from a legendary story teller of their people but most of the lines are just "there is a blizzard and it is cold. And the blizzard continued". Then the unlockable documentary videos are... okay. There's nothing really exciting nor do you get much of a sense of the culture besides it being in Alaska where it is cold and there is snow. A bit of a disservice to the people in my opinion.

    It's an easy set of trophies and won't take very long to obtain so long as you have a tolerance for repetition and frustrating design.    … Expand
  24. Sparkticle
    Nov 6, 2015
    7
    Interesting game with an interesting setting and cultural influence. It looks aesthetically pleasing, and it's a story game driven by your 2D actions, much like Limbo. If you had fun with Limbo and you would like to see another game that approaches that formula, then this is for you. For me it just wasn't compelling enough for me to call this a recommendation to anybody else.
  25. AnimeKing
    May 9, 2015
    6
    its ok you learn about eskimo life style, but as for game. its a platformer co-op style game. story wise its ok nothing big or grand about it. music eh, was just music in the background nothing popped out. overall, it was interesting the bosses were annoying to figure out what I was doing wrong probably the big problem I had was the wind there would be a build up on the wind before itits ok you learn about eskimo life style, but as for game. its a platformer co-op style game. story wise its ok nothing big or grand about it. music eh, was just music in the background nothing popped out. overall, it was interesting the bosses were annoying to figure out what I was doing wrong probably the big problem I had was the wind there would be a build up on the wind before it pushed which slowed me down and killed me a couple times.
    rating wise, I'd say pick it up for a quick run through but its not a need game if you have a friend you like to co-op with it's a good sit down.    … Expand
  26. Nel
    Jan 23, 2017
    6
    Fun short game, great story, and it will bring some interest in the way they live. The game has good controls, and is easy to play. The way they handle the story is innovating, and interesting, but falls short on the amount of actual content.
  27. Datamari
    Dec 27, 2015
    5
    The powerful message isn't enough to save this game.
    Never Alone at a glance may seem completely harmless, but even with it's charm, it really isn't that great. It's mechanic of using 2 characters at once, similar to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, is done poorly. The controls are sluggish, and the terrible character AI movements will result in a lot of unwanted deaths. The visuals,    The powerful message isn't enough to save this game.
    Never Alone at a glance may seem completely harmless, but even with it's charm, it really isn't that great. It's mechanic of using 2 characters at once, similar to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, is done poorly. The controls are sluggish, and the terrible character AI movements will result in a lot of unwanted deaths. The visuals, story, and quality may be great, but why play a game if it's unenjoyable to play? The game wants to give you an adventure, but the poor controls make this game average at best.

    Never Alone gets a 5/10.    … Expand
  28. Bumblebugbee
    Aug 27, 2016
    7
    Video games usually aren't the first place to if I want a learning experience. I do however enjoy documentaries and in many ways Never Alone is a hybrid video game/documentary. This original story of a young girl and a friendly fox has been cleverly designed to cover the life and legends of the Inuit people. The game lets the player go back and forth from the gameplay to mini-segmentsVideo games usually aren't the first place to if I want a learning experience. I do however enjoy documentaries and in many ways Never Alone is a hybrid video game/documentary. This original story of a young girl and a friendly fox has been cleverly designed to cover the life and legends of the Inuit people. The game lets the player go back and forth from the gameplay to mini-segments of a documentary covering various aspects experienced through the game. It is really cool to be able to discover the different parts of this rich culture and go on to experience them hands-on. If you're curious to learn about the native Alaskan people or you're looking for a light co-op experience Never Alone might be worth checking out.

    In this story you play as a young girl named Nuna. With a relentless storm threatening Nuna's village she decides to head out to find what the origin of the storm is. Nuna doesn't quite realize what she is getting her self into. Thankfully she quickly finds a Fox who will help protect and guide her. Both Nuna and her Fox have different abilities that require them to work together. You can control both characters or you can play co-op with each player controlling one character. On Nuna's adventures you'll come across different elements of Inuit culture which are explained in detail via the documentary. The story is definitely the focus of this experience and its quite fun to learn about all the different legends and beliefs of these natives.

    Game-play wise this is a pretty straight forward side-scroller. The two characters will need to avoid or maneuver around various hazards such as Icebergs and Polar bears. When there is no immediate danger the levels often turn into puzzles. You'll need to take advantage of Nuna's bola and the fox's ability to climb to navigate and progress to the next area. The game isn't particularly challenging which isn't too surprising since this is an educational game and was designed with children in mind. That being said there are a couple parts especially in the later half of the game that can get quite tricky and may require multiple attempts.

    Never Alone is very pretty game. As one may imagine there is only so much variety of things to see in this snowy paradise but what there is to see looks nice. The cut scenes are particularly interesting as they borrow the look of traditional Inuit art. To farther enhance the immersion the narration is voiced by a native in the native language. This game is all about spreading and promoting Inuit culture and it does everything it can to be authentic.

    How much you'll enjoy this game really comes down to how open minded you are. If you enjoying learning new things there is a lot to appreciate. However, more "hardcore" gamers find the gameplay a bit too lax. That isn't to say there is anything wrong with the gameplay, in fact I found the difficulty quite appropriate for the experience. This game also is a good example of proper asymmetrical multiplayer for those who enjoy couch co-op games. Find any reason to play Never Alone and I'm sure you'll walk away contented and a lot more knowledgeable about this fascinating culture.    … Expand
  29. FrpMan
    Dec 19, 2020
    6
    Orta zevk alabileceğiniz bir oyun. Uzunluk olarak iyi değil. Daha iyi olabilirmiş.
  30. Menni
    Apr 27, 2020
    7
    Bella avventura anche se abbastanza breve e facile. Arricchita dalle tante testimonianze dei popoli nativi dell'Alaska sbloccabili man mano che si avanza
  31. mara95
    Feb 17, 2022
    5
    It was quite short game. The story was beautiful but i didn't like that videos keep popping. I appreciate how they tried to promote that beautiful culture. But in my opinion, it is supposed to be more about game, at the end if I would want to learn sth I would watch a documentary.

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best PS4 Game of 2014
50
#50 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
71
#71 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. GameCritics
    Jan 16, 2015
    70
    Despite my frustrations with some unfair aspects of the gameplay, I found Never Alone to be incredibly compelling.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jan 13, 2015
    50
    Sadly, pretty looks and sweetly-edited shorts can't mask the lack of inspiration at its mechanical core. [Jan 2015, p.94]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Jan 9, 2015
    60
    A fragile container for a tale of such inestimable value, and what ought to be universally welcoming instead must be approached with caution: come expecting revelation on an emotional level, not a mechanical one. [Jan 2014, p.121]
See all critic reviews »