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Rate five things you know, from any shelf. Your archetype shows up in about a minute, and gets sharper with every log.
Rate five things you know, from any shelf. Your archetype shows up in about a minute, and gets sharper with every log.
Adventure, Indie, Science fiction, Survival
A first-person narrative adventure set in the unforgiving Arctic. Your plane crashed in a storm, leaving only your court-mandated therapy bot for company as you journey to find your co-pilot and uncover the mysteries buried beneath the ice.
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A few lines from each review; the whole review is on the critic's site. Not part of Taste Buds's numbers.
Gamer Social ClubAndrew CooperSep 20258.5/10In the end, Arctic Awakening feels worthy of standing alongside the titans of the narrative-driven genre. It doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it refines it with sincerity and focus. With its emotional storytelling, immersive world, and memorable companion, it’s an experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll. For players who loved Firewatch or The Long Dark, this is a must-play. For everyone else, it’s still a story worth braving the cold for.
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ZTGDTerrence JohnsonOct 20257/10If you admire The Long Dark but bounced off its punishing survival mechanics, Arctic Awakening might hit the sweet spot. It’s a game that feels like spending a weekend in the cold; you won’t stay forever, but while you’re there, it’s an experience worth having.
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PlayStation UniverseGarri BagdasarovSep 20257/10There is plenty to enjoy about Arctic Awakening. Its writing and voice work bring the characters to life, and the mysteries of the abandoned facilities and plane crash are worth exploring. It's a shame that so much time is spent walking long distances to reach the next major story point.
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Thumb CultureSep 20252/5 starsTo put it simply, Arctic Awakening was really boring. The story does little to improve as the player completes each episode. Never do I feel that Kai is actually bothered by anything going on, but instead he comes off bored himself. With each episode feeling like it gets worse and even when uncovering information, it left me feeling like nothing actually happens. Big government facilities, why are they here? Who cares? What happened here? Ah don’t worry this doesn’t need explaining. The ending plays off like it was added in last minute with even less explanation, especially with the random reveal. This might be due to me not selecting the decoder that translates drones for Alfie, but nothing really gets expanded on, and that annoys me. On the gameplay side, it’s what you’d expect of a walking sim, but only thanks to a good few moments such as the cliff climbing or elevators. Even then I would be forced to replay a scene as Kai wouldn’t be able to move. Another large bug I came across was me finding a massive area you could fall through. In fact you saw it in the gif in the previous section of this review. This wasn’t just a small layer issue. This bug causes the player to fall to a later segment of the game and then become stuck. Which doesn’t exactly make you want to continue playing. In the end Arctic Awakening suffers with a dull story, one-dimensional characters, and dragged out scenes. So it’s the Thumb Culture Bronze Award from me.
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GameGrinAlyssa Rochelle PayneSep 20254.5/10Arctic Awakening starts with a captivating mystery, but fails to stick the landing. The poorly developed story, lacklustre voice acting, and technical issues let down its potential.
Read the reviewSnippets via OpenCritic, where 35% of critics recommend it.
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Taste Buds. Other media included when they land close.
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