NORTH

 Switch
NORTH Image
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Dealing with the issue of the contemporary refugee crisis while at the same time being deeply rooted in a classical cyberpunk atmosphere à la Blade Runner, NORTH features a dark synthpop soundtrack, a sprawling mega-city and weird monster-like inhabitants. The gameplay is veryDealing with the issue of the contemporary refugee crisis while at the same time being deeply rooted in a classical cyberpunk atmosphere à la Blade Runner, NORTH features a dark synthpop soundtrack, a sprawling mega-city and weird monster-like inhabitants. The gameplay is very straightforward and mostly consists of exploration and simple puzzles. The main difficulty is to understand what you have to do in order to get asylum. You've come from an foreign land in the south and find yourself lost and confused - a confusion you convey through letters to your sister back home. An important part of the gameplay, these letters help you understand your tasks while at the same time moving the narrative of the game forward. [Nintendo]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. NintendoWorldReport
    Mar 7, 2018
    90
    NORTH was a breath of fresh air for me. Too many games now require fast reflexes and have tons of gun play, but NORTH begs to be played slowly. Take your time, read the letters carefully, and follow the path that is outlined. Some actions can get trippy at times but it all concludes in an unexpected ending. I am happy that I took the journey to the NORTH, I just hope my character is, too.
  2. Switch Player
    Mar 22, 2018
    60
    North is a brave entry into the Walking Simulator pantheon. Though not for everyone, it can be quite interesting to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.
  3. Nintenderos
    Aug 17, 2018
    58
    Few games put the focus on today so directly. North pushes you into a dreamlike and terrifying landscape that drives you crazy and disgusts you. Without being brilliant, it serves as a model to promote new developments that risk your message and expand the concept of videogames.
  4. Nintendo Life
    Mar 5, 2018
    50
    NORTH is not a video game, per se, at least not in the traditional sense. It is an interactive piece of electronic art one can choose to indulge in order to better understand the plight of refuges. As such the messages might escape those who are too young to understand the real-life parallels or those who are too old and with prejudice too care. If you like cyberpunk science fiction and don't mind experiencing simulated oppression, give this a shot. There is certainly nothing quite like it on the eShop and for the asking price and a mere moment of your time will give you modern society conundrums that will haunt you for years.
  5. Nintendo Insider
    Mar 14, 2019
    50
    NORTH carries an important message that it wants to impart, but whether it manages to successfully convey it to the player is debatable. The cyberpunk atmosphere helps it to stand apart from other games on the Nintendo eShop. But, with the developer having exerted more effort to create unpredictable and trippy scenes, you soon come to the realization that it is reading the letters sent from brother to sister that beat at the heart of the experience. In comparison, everything else feels meaningless.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. 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.… Expand
  2. lightrush
    Aug 18, 2018
    10
    Something I feel that lacks in video games today, even the best ones is abstractness. While other art forms like music and video games haveSomething I feel that lacks in video games today, even the best ones is abstractness. While other art forms like music and video games have sub-genres that get weird, I've only come across a handful of games that are strange yet beautiful at the same time -- in comes North. At the risk of sounding pretentious, this isn't a video game, it's a work of art. At it's core this is a walking simulator with puzzles sprinkled in, but the story told here, and the imagery shown... is something I've never, ever experienced in a game. Plus the soundtrack honestly melted my ears, for the price this is a no brainer.… Expand
  4. GBG_Jason
    Mar 6, 2018
    7
    Whether you like them or hate them, walking simulators are pretty much here to stay. They’re a great way to tell a story in an interactiveWhether you like them or hate them, walking simulators are pretty much here to stay. They’re a great way to tell a story in an interactive manner, regardless of how savvy at game development you are. It’s a great entry point for anyone that has an opinion they’d like to get out to the public without simply writing a think piece. That is most definitely the case here, in this dark, demented world with the hope of passing immigration.

    Starting out, the game tells you that the whole experience should last about an hour, and there is no saving or checkpoints – if you don’t have the time, maybe put it off for later. It also tells you that it’s important to interact with the world which will bring up a letter icon in the corner, which is for your sister – these help with directing you and giving some meaning to what’s happening in the game. For the first few notifications, I pressed every button on the controller in the hopes of reading the letter, but to no avail. So I kept playing thinking I could just figure out what to do. I did manage to get past the mining area that I apparently worked at, but several areas following didn’t make much sense.

    I’d like to mention that while this game isn’t necessarily scary, it was creepy for me as I was alone in the house (a rarity) and I heard what sounded like someone attempting to open the front door. After a mild panic attack and grabbing a hammer, waiting to hear for another attempt at getting in from a different area, I went back to the game with the sound muted for the rest of it. As much as a good score can help a game, something like this is almost enhanced by silence, as the imagery is unnerving throughout, and I kept waiting for something to pop out at me.

    Shortly after regaining my composure, I found a mailbox by my house where I was able to see all the letters I had written. These letters not only provided some story insight, but also assisted in how to solve the puzzles (assuming I didn’t figure them out already) by highlighting the relevant portions in red. It’s important to note that you can’t read these again unless you start over, so make sure you pay attention the first time through. If you get stuck with one of the sections, I advise checking the area and then sending a letter to see what to do.

    The various puzzles thrown at you aren’t necessarily the most well put together, and annoyingly I couldn’t change my controls to an inverted y-axis, so I struggled near the beginning, but that’s not the point of this. It doesn’t matter that I clipped through the environment or other characters, or that the UI wasn’t as easily accessible as expected. Much like The Unfinished Swan, the focus of this experience isn’t supposed to be fun or precise – it’s about the story, and the confusion only aids that. Whether you’re attempting to do your job, join a cult, or be examined by doctors, it’s all a very alarming experience. You’re figuring it all out as much as the main character, and the setting and creatures that inhabit the spaces are equally unsettling.

    Admittedly, games that take this path are going to be polarizing for the audience. They’re far from the AAA FPS audience, and this alienates casual players due to the fact that they have to play it all at once, which can be a bit taxing depending on your current state of mind. But if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and has a message to tell, this one is worth checking out. The ending is a bit predictable, but no less powerful because of it.    … Expand
  5. Jtrapdoor1
    Mar 10, 2019
    6
    North is an hour long walking simulator that is easy enough to enjoy. I cannot say it is the best story I have experienced but it isNorth is an hour long walking simulator that is easy enough to enjoy. I cannot say it is the best story I have experienced but it is definitely engaging. Worth at least trying once… Expand
  6. emporio2866
    Mar 10, 2019
    2
    Психоделический симулятор ходьбы, просмотра страшных фоток и чтения сообщений.
    Играть только со знанием английского языка, чтобы читать    Психоделический симулятор ходьбы, просмотра страшных фоток и чтения сообщений.
    Играть только со знанием английского языка, чтобы читать письма. Я знаю язык плохо, поэтому не вижу смысла в хождении туда-сюда, тем более что не понятно ничего в целом. Просто тыкаешься во все дырки в надежде, что что-то изменится.
    Визуальная часть игры неудовлетворительная, так как всё угловатое и анимации дёрганые, то есть смотреть неприятно.
    Геймплея нет в принципе - ходить и нажимать на подсказки ради того, чтобы дальше заниматься тем же.
    Попробую ещё раз с переводчиком и возможно поменяю решение, но пока мнение об игре негативное:(    … Expand
  7. Frank232
    Sep 30, 2018
    1
    Nope! just nope! Total waste of my time, I'm not even mad that I paid for this "hour long game" (more like 20 minutes), it's my time I'm madNope! just nope! Total waste of my time, I'm not even mad that I paid for this "hour long game" (more like 20 minutes), it's my time I'm mad that I wasted. Like one of those garbage Amazon movies that you thought hmm that might be ok and you shamefully forced yourself to sit through because you paid and it's actually the worst film you have ever sullied your eyes with.
    It only gets a 1 because it functioned without incident.
    But god.... It gets so obscure and purposefully "arty" it borders on one of those art performances like the lady that shoves paint eggs up her lady garden to make a point.
    Just avoid, don't bother giving it a chance. Just throw your money in the bin and sit in a darkened room, trust me it would be a better use of your time.    … Expand

Current Switch Games

Full List »
95 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
94 Metroid Prime Remastered
92 Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Expansion Pass Wave 4 - Future Redeemed
90 Chained Echoes
90 Persona 4 Golden
87 Melatonin
87 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
86 Rakuen: Deluxe Edition
86 The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
86 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass - Wave 4
85 Octopath Traveler II
85 A Space For The Unbound
85 Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
84 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster: FF35th Anniversary Edition
84 DREDGE
84 DRAINUS
84 Lil Gator Game
84 PowerWash Simulator
83 Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
83 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass - Wave 3
All Current Games »