Never Alone

 Xbox One
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. MondoXbox
    Nov 30, 2014
    89
    An evocative work, telling us an old Iñupiaq tale through a dynamic and touching story and an all-beautiful adventure rich of symbolism and significance, with two outstandingly characterized main characters. It will win your love.
  2. Impulsegamer
    Dec 7, 2014
    80
    Never Alone is a beautiful puzzle game about the Iñupiat people that focuses on a young girl and her fox that is beautifully told through story.
  3. Gamer.nl
    Nov 30, 2014
    80
    Never Alone offers a good insight in the position of folklore within the Iñupiat community, that lives in parts of Alaska. As a puzzle platformer it made an impression by using blizzards and melting ice platforms as part of the gameplay. The AI and puzzles are a bit less impressive.
  5. Gaming Age
    Dec 15, 2014
    75
    Ultimately, though, it's the glitchiness that drops Never Alone from being a must-have game down to simply being a pretty cool achievement. The ideas are definitely there, and consequently I can't wait to see what Upper One does next, but right now, I can't honestly recommend Never Alone unreservedly.
  6. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Feb 15, 2015
    70
    A beautiful game that's let down by its clunky mechanics and frustrating AI quirks. [Issue#119, p.76]
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  7. Destructoid
    Nov 18, 2014
    70
    Sure, Never Alone is far from perfect, but its highs are much more significant than its lows. Rarely is an experimental take flawless, and that's the case here. But, hopefully everyone involved can take what's on display with Never Alone, improve the formula next time, and continue to teach because it's a fascinating way to learn.
  8. NZGamer
    Jan 6, 2015
    65
    A mediocre first entry in what I hope will branch into a kind of informative gaming genre.
  9. Eurogamer Portugal
    Feb 3, 2015
    60
    Quotation forthcoming.
  10. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Jan 6, 2015
    60
    We can't wholly recommend its gameplay, but as a vessel for an endangered culture, it's a worthy project. [Jan 2015, p.88]
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  11. DarkStation
    Dec 1, 2014
    60
    There’s a land of wondrous play and exploration somewhere in this premise, but Never Alone isn’t it.
  12. Metro GameCentral
    Nov 27, 2014
    60
    A laudable attempt to make a video game that is both entertaining and educational, but despite the interest it builds up for its subject matter the weak gameplay is hard to ignore.
  13. Digital Spy
    Nov 19, 2014
    60
    Never Alone is, nevertheless, an important game offering a fascinating window into a rich and ongoing culture among native Alaskans. And if you are open to accepting that cultural exchange then the barriers dividing the people of the world get a little bit smaller, and we all grow closer to never really being alone in the world again.
  14. Pure Xbox
    Dec 12, 2014
    50
    Some will be caught up in the emotion of it all and overvalue the game. Take that emotion out though, and you’re left with a product that is very much a point-to-point affair that doesn’t allow for any exploration, is short, has little replay value, and who's main mechanic - the interaction between the two characters - has a tendency to fail at inopportune moments.
  15. Xbox Achievements
    Nov 26, 2014
    50
    Never Alone isn’t without its merits. Telling an interesting story of a dying culture, it’s a hugely flawed game that manages to conjure warmth in the icy cold.

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best Xbox One Game of 2014
41
#41 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2014
61
#61 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 51
  3. Negative: 7 out of 51
  1. Bruce722
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    The game is smooth and visually stunning. It's also pretty short at only about 4 hours if you're watching all of the insight videos, leavingThe game is smooth and visually stunning. It's also pretty short at only about 4 hours if you're watching all of the insight videos, leaving about 3 hours or so of actual gameplay, which is a fairly standard length for the genre. Those videos added a refreshing element to the gaming experience and broke up the monotony that many platformers suffer from. They help you understand the Iñupiat people in a way that few games achieve. In fact, most games don't even bother. That being said, the game was not without its flaws. It suffered from the same issue that, in my opinion, plagues the genre... trail and error puzzle solution. I do not think you should have to die one, three, seven, or twenty times in order to discover the trick that is needed to solve a puzzle. Puzzles should be more predicated on timing and common sense that determination through several deaths. I also thought the ending sequence was a failure. They betray a couple established mechanics in order to artificially create a difficult finale but all they did was aggravate the gamer and decrease the game's final rating. Nonetheless, I truly appreciated the effort put in to try and deliver something original to one of the oldest genres around and thought the game did exactly what the developers sought to do; they delivered an inviting platformer that people can enjoy playing while also learning about a culture that much of society is still ignorant to.… Full Review »
  2. ScottSilversage
    Dec 3, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I purchased Never Alone because I wanted to introduce my two young daughters to video games. So of course, once I got home, I played it, and I liked it. But once I passed the controllers over to my 10 year-old and 7 year-old daughters, the real fun began!

    First off, my girls loved Nuna, the main character of the game. I decided to let my 7 year old play as Nuna and for the most part she could handle the controls (in the beginning, just basically jumping from one platform to the next). My 10 year-old then took on the role as the fox.

    For the next hour, as a family, we had an absolute blast playing, but also watching the videos about the Inupiat people that are embedded into the game. We especially liked the one about the Arctic Fox.

    It was very rewarding to watch the two of them work together to solve the puzzles that the game presented. Soon enough, we were mimicking the noise Nuna makes when the fox "dies", and of course we needed to sing "What Does the Fox Say?".

    I will say though, that the polar bear and the "fireman" were a bit scary to them. We would try to lessen the scariness of the "fireman" by mimicking what he does when he "catches up" with Nuna (he reaches down, grabs her bola and thrusts it powerfully into the air).

    Probably my daughters favorite part of the game was watching Nuna and the Fox swim, or (SPOILER ALERT) watching the boy fox fly.

    If there are parents out there searching for a game to buy their young daughters, they should look no further than Never Alone. It's really kid friendly, it teaches cooperation and teamwork and patience, as well as educating them about the Inupiat people.    … Full Review »
  3. chuckkevinz
    Dec 18, 2018
    2
    No redeeming features. Would only recommend to those looking to get an easy 1000g.
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