NORTH

 Xbox One
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. TheXboxHub
    Feb 26, 2018
    70
    It’s important to have games created like this; games that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but are happy to push experimentation and storytelling to the limits. Give me more please.
  2. TrueAchievements
    Mar 22, 2018
    60
    North is an interesting game with something special to offer despite its flaws. As a gaming experience it will be most satisfying to those who enjoy thought-provoking titles or exploring dark worlds. However, it will also appeal to achievement hunters looking to gain an easy 1,000 Gamerscore in less than an hour.
  3. Xbox Tavern
    Mar 6, 2018
    48
    North may indeed offer up some unique design choices, but the overarching plot is messy and underwhelming. Gameplay requires minimal effort, and even the puzzle aspects remain far too simplistic throughout. That being said, the game’s heart is in the right place, it’s just a shame that its structure is far removed.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Mar 7, 2018
    6
    I loving playing games that can be completed in one playthrough sometimes, but in order for these types of games to be enjoyable they have toI loving playing games that can be completed in one playthrough sometimes, but in order for these types of games to be enjoyable they have to be interesting, and thankfully NORTH is interesting despite suffering with a few shortcomings. Without a doubt the most interesting thing about this game is its story. The story hooked me from the get go and it remained fascinating throughout because the ending was very fascinating and it answered all the questions I wanted answering. In terms of content the game doesn’t have very much to sink your teeth into but I was fine with that because the length of the game is perfect in my opinion, and the best thing is that the price of the game fits the content that’s on offer very well. Whilst I enjoyed the content in the game you will unfortunately suffer with a few technical issues as you progress and these definitely shouldn’t be present in a game this small. Thankfully the issues don’t cause too many problems but the framerate issues can still be frustrating. In terms of the gameplay there isn’t much to delve into and I would have definitely liked to have been allowed more freedom when exploring, but unfortunately the areas in the game are a little linear and too small. I will say though that the game did have some interesting puzzles. Don’t get me wrong the puzzles aren’t amazing by any stretch of the imagination but they fit the story very well and I liked that they weren’t very taxing because that meant I could focus on the fantasic story without getting frustrated too much. What NORTH tries to do is have an eerie and scary feel to it and sometimes it works, but in the end the fear dwindles dramatically because you know nothing is going to hurt or kill you, which is a shame. The presentation side of the game is simple but very effective and it ticked a lot of boxes for me. Visually the game is nothing spectacular but it fits the game’s style really well and lends the game a really dark atmosphere. The same can also be said about the sound design which does a very good job of bringing the story to life. At the end of the day NORTH may not be for everyody, but if like me you like walking simulators with a very good story then you will definitely enjoy this game. It does have a few shortcomings here and there and it’s not the longest game in the world but it gets more right than it gets wrong and that’s enough for the game to get a small thumbs up from me.… Full Review »
  2. PetrovGamer
    Mar 6, 2018
    10
    If you want to get the game it's not here.It is a work of art that touches on life-giving themes.It's a mixture of cyberpunk and horror.ButIf you want to get the game it's not here.It is a work of art that touches on life-giving themes.It's a mixture of cyberpunk and horror.But horror is not in the typical sense."Game" shows the horrors of"people."The game is worth its meager price.… Full Review »
  3. GBG_Jason
    Mar 6, 2018
    7
    In a day and age where the CIA has admitted they have the technology in place to use consumer electronics to spy on the populace (yes, this isIn a day and age where the CIA has admitted they have the technology in place to use consumer electronics to spy on the populace (yes, this is a thing thanks to Wikileaks), society’s paranoia is at an all-time high. That said, the themes featured in North may terrify you. As Jason said in his review, this is not a horror title, but the themes and some of its imagery pushes it close to that territory.

    Your short journey, which I completed in under an hour, will visit a few areas in an unnamed dystopia. Each area is highly stylized and features unique visuals that make each one stand out. You are an immigrant who is seeking citizenship in the city after traveling through a desert. The city itself is eerily vacant, with a number of security cameras in place, with only a few of the places you visit having other beings present. You’ll regularly need to visit mailboxes to send letters to your sister, which provide insight into the narrative, as well as provide you with hints that will be needed to complete the different tasks for each area.

    Most of the tasks are fairly simple yet vague, one of which is skill based. This event requires you to run back and forth in a large maze, activating switches and collecting something from each. This worked much like one of the cleansing phases for those who are familiar with the Destiny raids and was almost as frustrating as doing so with a group of newer players. This puzzle arrives early into the game and if you can finish this, you’ll likely find the rest of the title a breeze. The other challenges are more along the lines of playing “one of these things is not like the others” or simply interacting with a few specific objects.

    The visuals are unique but extremely basic – nothing to write home about. I did find the doctors to be highly disturbing as well as the other NPCs which primarily look like they belong in an episode of The X-Files. While I did not find the overall presentation to be awe inspiring by any means, it fits the title well as it keeps the player focused on the narrative while trying to figure out exactly what is going on. I never noticed any of the sounds implying someone was at my door as Jason mentioned (so apparently someone was actually trying to break into his house), though I did find the music and effects to have a strange unsettling feeling at times, similar to what images full of holes do (trypophobia). Not necessarily a fear, but an anxious feeling.

    North is the definition of a bare-bones title; while this doesn’t impact it in a negative way, some gamers will likely be turned off from the lack of a pause menu, replayability, or even the option to change gameplay settings. These aren’t needed, nor did they affect my ability to complete the game, but some may dislike it. Those people will be missing out on a thought provoking game that makes us question the roles of religion, the police, and the government in our lives. With North being a work of fiction, it clearly takes examples from our current day to day lives. If the premise intrigues you, I would definitely recommend purchasing the title; even though it is short, it offers an entertaining diversion at about the same cost as a trip to the movie theater.    … Full Review »
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