This review will include both the main-game and the Foxtales--rather one story--DLC. Considering at the moment there is a bundle deal for both items and the soundtrack, I would recommend getting that offer if the game does interest you.


There are plenty of outlets that have gone into great detail on the shortcomings of this game. Namely, the gameplay. I don't really think I can say anything else than this game is a platformer: You jump, you solve simple puzzles with either the environment (mostly spirit guides) or some sort of tool (the projectile or a box or something).

I have heard from people like Total Biscuit that the KB&M controls are a pain to deal with, but I play these games with a controller all the time. Even on the controller, the gameplay can be stiff, especially when you are in a chase-sequence and you need to wind-up your projectile to knock an obstacle in-front of you under stress. You have to hold the aim-stick back, wait a second to charge it up, then fling the stick in the other direction to launch while running as fast as you can.

Also, I played this game solo, and yes, the AI will get stuck or get itself killed regularly, though I have found the AI fares better in the main-game now (but the DLC has the same problem). So the local cooperative play is perhaps your best way of experiencing this game.


WIth those issues put forward, now let me try to entince you to want to play this game. The main thing this game does excell in is its aesthetic. Not only do the models of the protagonists, the tundra landscape and other animals look beautiful but the mythical spirits and other supernatural elements fit so perfectly that even the natural landscapes almost seem dreamlike. And throughout the game the environments keep you to want to move forward.

Despite how simple the puzzles are, the game does feel well-made for a simple coop platformer. Of course, not everything mechanical is flawless; bugs, glitches or the delay on the projectile are minor problems. But if you appreciate both the pace of a good 50 hour RPGs and the no-extra-fluff of a 2 to 4 hour title, then I think you'll enjoy the game regardless of its brief length.

Lastly, there is obviously a lot of devotion put into honoring the creators' heritage, and it shows through the story and the art-style. The best way I can recommend this game is to ask you to not think of this as another simple artsy platformer like Limbo or A Story of My Uncle; it's a game-adaptation of an ancient epic tale from another culture. Like something you'd read out of The Odyssey. You have a heroine relying on her own skills and her compainion, the Fox, to overcome the challenges of nature and to save her family and friends over the seflish interests in some people. That is at least how I see the game, an interactive epic tale--you might think otherwise.

The story isn't going to be groundbreaking to modern tastes, obviously, but the story they do have touches on timeless human nature themes: Altrustistic communities, the error in selfish pursuits, the afterlife within our natural world, supernatural forces, etc. I think the way the game handles telling these stories with only the narrator explaining what the protagonists are pursuing and thinking makes for a wonderful tale for adults. There are some dark tones in the story that makes it feel very mature, yet nothing is too graphic for kids if you want to play this game with a younger sibling or child, unless death is too morbid of a topic to handle.


As much as I appreciate being given cultural context in the game, such as the projectile weapon or the beliefs of the creators, I rather wished the commentary didn't feel so shoehorned. You are not forced to watch them, but every menu screen will remind you of any unseen cultural insights. And the cultural insights are the only collectables to be found. Some of these clips do a good job in explaining what some characters, like the Owl Man, mean/represent and what purpose do they serve. Others I thought were too preachy or trying too hard to make the culture sound more original when they were using the same themes found in other cultures.

Also, some of the subtly is lost through these sometimes blunt explainations, and sometimes these explainations are reaching beyond what was shown to the player. For example, the introduction of the Foxtales is of the fox chasing a mouse and the girl following along--this apparently is the devs showing that the two are disrespecting nature by playing with animals and not hunting them. Is this clear to the player? Not really, not until the very last cultural insight are you told that was the moral of the story. It doesn't ruin the experience, but it does stand out compared to other cutscenes that tell the lessons of the story through actions and gameplay.


Total playtime of the DLC with several deaths and all the cultural insight videos, 70 mins. I find it hard to recommend current players to buy this DLC at the current discounted price as the name of the DLC should have been "A Foxtale", unless the devs plan on making more side-stories with the two protagonists. A season-pass or some sort of bundle of these extra levels would be the best idea to purchase, if more are on the way. What you get with this DLC are three levels with new puzzle mechanics added in: there is a small boat, some spirit rocks and a new boss-fight. The puzzles are more complex, yet they're still very simple. It's a rather bittersweet bonus story.


No matter how much I have nitpicked at this game, and how there are legitimate issues with the gameplay, I still think I got my money's worth out of this game. Perhaps you might think the same if you give it a try.

This review will include both the main-game and the Foxtales--rather one story--DLC. Considering at the moment there is a bundle deal for both items and the soundtrack, I would recommend getting that offer if the game does interest you. [h1]Gameplay Bug Bears[/h1] There are plenty of outlets that have gone into great detail on the shortcomings of this game. Namely, the gameplay. I don't really think I can say anything else than this game is a platformer: You jump, you solve simple puzzles with either the environment (mostly spirit guides) or some sort of tool (the projectile or a box or something). I have heard from people like Total Biscuit that the KB&M controls are a pain to deal with, but I play these games with a controller all the time. Even on the controller, the gameplay can be stiff, especially when you are in a chase-sequence and you need to wind-up your projectile to knock an obstacle in-front of you under stress. You have to hold the aim-stick back, wait a second to charge it up, then fling the stick in the other direction to launch while running as fast as you can. Also, I played this game solo, and yes, the AI will get stuck or get itself killed regularly, though I have found the AI fares better in the main-game now (but the DLC has the same problem). So the local cooperative play is perhaps your best way of experiencing this game. [h1]What might interest you about this game?[/h1] WIth those issues put forward, now let me try to entince you to want to play this game. The main thing this game does excell in is its aesthetic. Not only do the models of the protagonists, the tundra landscape and other animals look beautiful but the mythical spirits and other supernatural elements fit so perfectly that even the natural landscapes almost seem dreamlike. And throughout the game the environments keep you to want to move forward. Despite how simple the puzzles are, the game does feel well-made for a simple coop platformer. Of course, not everything mechanical is flawless; bugs, glitches or the delay on the projectile are minor problems. But if you appreciate both the pace of a good 50 hour RPGs and the no-extra-fluff of a 2 to 4 hour title, then I think you'll enjoy the game regardless of its brief length. Lastly, there is obviously a lot of devotion put into honoring the creators' heritage, and it shows through the story and the art-style. The best way I can recommend this game is to ask you to not think of this as another simple artsy platformer like Limbo or A Story of My Uncle; it's a game-adaptation of an ancient epic tale from another culture. Like something you'd read out of The Odyssey. You have a heroine relying on her own skills and her compainion, the Fox, to overcome the challenges of nature and to save her family and friends over the seflish interests in some people. That is at least how I see the game, an interactive epic tale--you might think otherwise. The story isn't going to be groundbreaking to modern tastes, obviously, but the story they do have touches on timeless human nature themes: Altrustistic communities, the error in selfish pursuits, the afterlife within our natural world, supernatural forces, etc. I think the way the game handles telling these stories with only the narrator explaining what the protagonists are pursuing and thinking makes for a wonderful tale for adults. There are some dark tones in the story that makes it feel very mature, yet nothing is too graphic for kids if you want to play this game with a younger sibling or child, unless death is too morbid of a topic to handle. [h1]Intrusive Commentary[/h1] As much as I appreciate being given cultural context in the game, such as the projectile weapon or the beliefs of the creators, I rather wished the commentary didn't feel so shoehorned. You are not forced to watch them, but every menu screen will remind you of any unseen cultural insights. And the cultural insights are the only collectables to be found. Some of these clips do a good job in explaining what some characters, like the Owl Man, mean/represent and what purpose do they serve. Others I thought were too preachy or trying too hard to make the culture sound more original when they were using the same themes found in other cultures. Also, some of the subtly is lost through these sometimes blunt explainations, and sometimes these explainations are reaching beyond what was shown to the player. For example, the introduction of the Foxtales is of the fox chasing a mouse and the girl following along--this apparently is the devs showing that the two are disrespecting nature by playing with animals and not hunting them. Is this clear to the player? Not really, not until the very last cultural insight are you told that was the moral of the story. It doesn't ruin the experience, but it does stand out compared to other cutscenes that tell the lessons of the story through actions and gameplay. [h1]The DLC: Foxtales [/h1] Total playtime of the DLC with several deaths and all the cultural insight videos, 70 mins. I find it hard to recommend current players to buy this DLC at the current discounted price as the name of the DLC should have been "A Foxtale", unless the devs plan on making more side-stories with the two protagonists. A season-pass or some sort of bundle of these extra levels would be the best idea to purchase, if more are on the way. What you get with this DLC are three levels with new puzzle mechanics added in: there is a small boat, some spirit rocks and a new boss-fight. The puzzles are more complex, yet they're still very simple. It's a rather bittersweet bonus story. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] No matter how much I have nitpicked at this game, and how there are legitimate issues with the gameplay, I still think I got my money's worth out of this game. Perhaps you might think the same if you give it a try.