Starting off with a basic moveset of running, jumping, and picking up objects, the Fox gradually unlocks new spiritual powers, which require spirit energy to activate. That\u2019s obtained from blue flowers and you can transfer this energy to power up stone tethers. When powered up, the Fox can release bursts of energy to destroy any rooted corruption, channel your spiritual body to another location for a short amount of time, and spirit dash to land those extra-long jumps. Staffs are also lying about, alongside the skeletal remains of some long-deceased shaman spirits. Reuniting them with staffs opens new pathways to begin with, though it becomes more of an optional extra later on.<\/p>\n

The story is split into chapters but all you need is an afternoon to complete it, taking several hours without getting lost. For the most part, Spirit of the North comes together well, presenting us a refined artistic experience that\u2019ll have you hooked, effectively using environmental storytelling to draw you into this world. Gameplay can be slow paced at times, which will be admittedly off-putting for some, and there are times where it isn\u2019t clear what\u2019s needed to advance, but the game rewards those with patience. All of this is backed up by a fully orchestrated soundtrack which truly brings this world to life, though song changes aren\u2019t especially subtle.<\/p>\n

That said, it holds several flaws which are hard to ignore and a lot of this regards the controls. This isn\u2019t such a problem during basic exploration, letting you run across large open fields, but it can feel a bit stiff when it comes to jumping. Considering some platforming segments require greater precision, it becomes easy to make mistakes and those can be time consuming. Disappointingly, this was also an issue within the PS4 edition, so it is a shame that Infuse Studios didn\u2019t spend more time fixing this.<\/p>\n

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That said, where Spirit of the North really benefits from the Enhanced Edition\u2019s next-gen upgrade lies within the visuals, featuring remastered textures\/objects and improved lighting for an already beautiful game. Boosting resolution to 4K, it really brings out the finer details of these Icelandic landscapes, running smoothly at a solid 60 frames-per-second. Better yet, it also includes a photo mode to take full advantage of this and there\u2019s also unlockable fox skins to swap between, including two new ones for this remaster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Infuse Studio has done a fantastic job in remastering Spirit of the North\u2019s visuals for PS5, but while it looks gorgeous, this edition neglects the elements that needed an update most. Though the controls remain stiff and your objectives aren\u2019t always clear, anyone willing to look past this will find a wonderful experience at the core. If you\u2019ve been searching for a new adventure game, Spirit of the North is short but sweet and despite these flaws, comes recommended.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n