Spirit of the North

 Switch
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 14
  3. Negative: 3 out of 14
  1. GameCritics
    Jun 26, 2020
    45
    Sadly, my drive to persist was sapped by a series of glitches in one section that led me to replay the same should-have-been-easy bit over and over again. That was bad enough, but combined with the poor controls, lack of engaging gameplay, an inability to manually save and infrequent checkpoints, every session was a slog. Writing a negative review for Spirit of the North is tough because on paper, it seems like something I’d fall in love with. That said, it’s just not a good experience — my appreciation for its non-violent content and environmental themes can’t carry its many shortcomings.
  2. Video Chums
    May 24, 2020
    40
    Spirit of the North may have been a noteworthy game if it released a decade prior but it's far too uninspired in today's gaming market.
  3. Nintendo Life
    May 10, 2020
    40
    Games like this can work very well if they’re backed up by visually stunning graphics and clever gameplay, but unfortunately, Spirit of the North has neither.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 6 out of 23
  1. SuperkenGaming
    May 8, 2020
    8
    Spirit of the North
    A Beautiful Adventure
    Spirit of the North is a 5 hour long puzzle platforming game where you play as a fox accompanied    Spirit of the North
    A Beautiful Adventure
    Spirit of the North is a 5 hour long puzzle platforming game where you play as a fox accompanied by a spirit, at first things are pretty straight forward, and this is when spirit of the north Is at its best, it’s at first a beautiful linear journey, with snow, and ice, and finding symbols to bring to life to move forward, all while beautiful chill inducing music plays in the background, spirit of the north starts as a game that feels like hot chocolate on a cold day and then the second half of the game happens.. spirit of the north becomes more puzzle platform and less puzzle adventure, here you’ll be activating symbols still, but not so much in a linear fashion, they now act as switches, so you’ll be in the same area running round figuring out which switch to throw to move onto the next switch until your able to leave the area, sometimes being introduced to a new ability to help you solve new puzzles, such as the ability to leave your body and activate switches out of reach to your solid form… an ability that has potential, but these puzzles proved to be a nuisance thanks to them being tied to a timer, and the switch so far out of reach that you don’t have a moment to spare on your way to activating it… overall I wish the spirit didn’t leave your body when youd activate a symbol, or destroy an object.. it would’ve bee na much more enjoyable experience just playing with the mechanics and not having to constantly find a flower to pill your energy from in between every switch press… its all just feels overwhelming in the final stretch, really making me miss those beginning moments when things were simple, and it was about enjoying the experience.. I would’ve loved moments like this thrown in between the puzzle solving rather than new puzzle area after new puzzle area.. let me breathe… thankfully towards the end, things start to go back to the way they should be.. back to enjoying the environment and music.. back to enjoying the beauty that is spirit of the north…
    Spirit of the north does have its pacing issues for the 2nd half of this 5 hour long game, but the overall package makes spirit of the north a must play for adventure and platforming fans…
    I give Spirit of the North
    a 7.5/10    … Full Review »
  2. Paleona
    Oct 6, 2021
    8
    I played through this game last year and was pretty enchanted by it, honestly. It's not a perfect game- the most notable flaws being theI played through this game last year and was pretty enchanted by it, honestly. It's not a perfect game- the most notable flaws being the sometimes wonky controls, some frustrating platforming, and the occasional glitch, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This game was literally made by TWO people, which is so impressive! It's not the most graphically stunning, but the visuals were still very pretty, imo. Love that there's no dialogue and it mainly focuses on the foxes- the music also really heightened the emotions of the entire experience. The soundtrack is so good that I still listen to it now and then. Give it a try if you love foxes and have the patience to deal with some flaws~… Full Review »
  3. RobFlandersN64
    Sep 22, 2020
    10
    Way better on Switch than I expected. The graphics aren't as good as PC and PS4 but I almost couldn't even tell. Had to play them side byWay better on Switch than I expected. The graphics aren't as good as PC and PS4 but I almost couldn't even tell. Had to play them side by side to see a difference(I own PC, Switch. I've played a little on PS4). Controls felt smooth. Lots of games with animal protagonists are really rough but this was honestly one of the best. Graphics and controls asside... The subtle symbolism is the best part of this game. It's really moving and powerful. Took me a second playthrough to see it. Honestly, there is a lot of hidden lore in this game, but don't expect the game to feed it to you. Crazy to think only 2 guys made this.… Full Review »
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