A game of interesting components, but also of perhaps failed execution.
Graphically, this game has an interesting art style. I like its presentation but lack the knowledge to describe its look. It isn't anime-esque or cell-shading, but feels along those lines.
Musically the game is beautiful, but the soundtrack infrequently plays, which is a shame. Every time I heard the music start to pick up, I just wanted to remain in that moment. Whomever composed the pieces for this game did a fantastic job, I just wish we got to hear them more often.
Gameplay is a mixed bag. On the positive side, the survival gameplay loop is interesting. Having to prioritize food gathering (either hunting, scavenging fruit, or pillaging trash) while escaping humans and learning the story of the world feels fresh, intriguing, and at times tense. On the negative side, some survival mechanics in the game are not explained at all, specifically your cub skills. It's never mentioned how to teach your cubs new skills, and once learned, it isn't always clear how to have your cubs use them. This wouldn't be a problem if using cub skills was optional, but it appears to be mandatory for your continued survival in the game. Because of this I became hard-locked. A cub of mine fell through a bridge but couldn't climb back up, since that cub never learned that skill. I couldn't retrieve the cub with the mother fox nor could I abandon the cub to force the story to advance, so I was just stuck.
Overall, this game has some fine elements, but should (though probably won't) be patched to teach the player about cub skills or not require their use to beat the game. As-is, this game is an interesting experience, and I can sense a good story here, but the game needs work. Using a guide to learn all the mechanics, and putting the play time in to master its map, food locations, and danger zones are required, I feel, to get the most out of this game. Not entirely a bad thing, but beyond my dedication for this title.
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