Never Alone’s technical flaws undermine its beautifully told story (review)

Never Alone is telling two stories.

On the surface, it’s a 2D puzzle-solving adventure about Nuna and her Arctic fox, and they’re trying to find the source of an endless blizzard. But that’s only an allegory meant to emphasize the values of the Alaska Native Iñupiaq community, the people who’ve been telling that story for generations. Out now for $14.99 on PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, and PC, Never Alone is an interpretation of that beloved legend created by developer Upper One games and publisher E-Line Media. They worked closely with Iñupiat elders and storytellers to make it (you can read more about why they did that here).