Platforms:
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Released:
May 9, 2025
Publisher:
Silver Lining Interactive
Developer:
Infuse Studio
Spirit of the North 2 is the sequel to the 2019 release, Spirit of the North. Developed by original developers Infuse Studio and published by Silver Lining Interactive, Spirit of the North 2 is a visually stunning open-world adventure. You take on the role of a lone fox alongside a raven companion to learn the secrets of the world, what happened to the human race, and how we can return home.
Though Spirit of the North 2 is a sequel, the lack of dialogue, lore being told through letters, and the semi-open world environment help it to strongly stand on its own four paws. This is especially great because this sequel has more to offer a player than its predecessor, with more than 15 hours of gameplay, 6 world biomes as opposed to the single biome in Spirit of the North, and a full, upgradable skill tree system. Players also have the option to customise their fox, as well as the addition of a photo mode, for players captivated by the gorgeous scenery.
Spirit of the North 2 is visually stunning. It uses Unreal Engine 5, and it truly feels like no detail has been left out. From the landscape all the way down to the individual tufts of fur on our fox’s back, it was a blast playing through the changing scenery. You explore through several different biomes, each one visually different to the others. From vivid green foliage to icy blue caverns, and blood red caves to the northern lights high in the starry sky, each environment offers something new both visually and musically, with an equally memorable soundtrack.
The soundtrack, composed by Pav Gekko (whom you might recognise from his fantastic work on the Smalland OST), is arguably the most important element in this virtual world. Though the visuals are wonderful, they wouldn’t have the same impact without the outstanding orchestral accompaniment. Whether it’s a full sweeping orchestra in a boss battle, or a simple violin as you explore the world, composer Gekko does a fantastic job at tugging at your heartstrings and making our little fox’s journey all the more emotional.
“From the landscape all the way down to the individual tufts of fur on our fox’s back, it was a blast playing through the changing scenery”
The mechanics are simple, though there are a few of them. We have usual movement, both a regular jump and a precision jump. The precision jump lets you look at a spot a slight distance away, and if there’s a blue symbol, you can automatically jump to it. You can’t use this for all traversal, but it’s helpful for climbing. Sometimes it can be tricky to get regular jumps right, especially if you try and turn your camera at the same time, our fox doesn’t quite follow. I also fell through the map a few times, but those were my only issues. Our raven friend also unlocks the ability to carry us across gaps with a glide, though this takes stamina, and we’ll drop to our death if this runs out.
Though Spirit of the North 2 doesn’t have traditional combat, it does have interesting and fun boss battles, which are mechanically just one large puzzle. For example, fighting a giant white raven by closing doors down onto its head and talons as it tries to attack, to then pulling out giant harpoons lodged in its body that have been causing it pain. During this fight, you must also traverse upwards, using the gliding mechanic we learned shortly before, helping us to hone the new skill. While the puzzles aren’t too challenging, they feel very rewarding when you get them right and make progress through the story.
You’ll have access to a skill tree, allowing you to exchange skill points found through exploration for things like health upgrades, reduced fall damage, more stamina for gliding, as well as story and progression-based upgrades. There are also runes you can find which, when equipped, grant certain abilities, and also visually change your fox and raven by adding rune symbols along their back and tail.
Spirit of the North 2 features a ‘Fog of War’ style map full of landmarks and places to discover. The world is so much larger and more vast than I expected it to be, and it really opens things up from the linear style of the first game. While a lack of direction might make the expanse feel overwhelming, there’s an ominous red smoke in the air to give you a general sense of where to go next.
“…composer Gekko does a fantastic job at tugging at your heartstrings and making our little fox’s journey all the more emotional…”
While a game about a fox and raven sounds cute, there’s an eeriness to the landscape that is only solidified as you explore. Scattered around are the remains of the humans that once lived on the land, and if you bark while near them, our little fox friend simply whimpers as if personally saddened by the humans’ passing. Finding scrolls and wall paintings depicting past events and giving us snippets of lore makes the world feel more fleshed out, even if all the humans have perished. It gives a sense of scale to the things around us, and it helped me feel like I just wanted to know more, especially about the relationship breakdown of each of the animal-based tribes.
Every element in Spirit of the North 2 works together so well. The visuals from the animals all the way up to the stunning landscape are artistically very cohesive. The soundtrack composed by Pav Gekko adds the perfect layer of emotion to the world, setting the tone perfectly for each location you explore. The story, while told through notes as well as cutscenes without any dialogue, is still easy to comprehend and to get engrossed in. Spirit of the North 2 takes everything its predecessor did well and amplifies it, adding hours of extra content and an impressive semi-open world to explore.
8.5
Great
Positive:
- Visually stunning environments
- Emotionally moving orchestral soundtrack
- Adorable bond between the fox and the raven
- Interesting and engaging story discovered through exploration
Negative:
- Movement could sometimes be a bit janky
- Fell through the geometry a few times
Spirit of the North 2 is a visually stunning open-world adventure that confidently stands apart from its predecessor, featuring an emotionally moving orchestral soundtrack that wraps around the vivid scenery like a loving embrace. Making progress and completing puzzles feels rewarding, and even just exploring the vast environments feels like a reward all the same. The story is engaging and emotional, and it’s easy to grow personally attached to the little fox as they learn just how big their world truly is.
About the Author
Hayley Louise
she/they
Hayley spends most of her time gaming, but when she's not doing that you can find her doing all kinds of nerd-adjacent things like playing board games, building Lego, reading books and talking nerdy to everyone who will listen.
