Puzzles, paws, and peaceful exploration
By Paul Hunter
Spirit of the North 2 doesn’t shout for your attention—it calls softly, through wind and snowfall. Developed by Infuse Studio and published by Silver Lining Interactive, this follow-up brings back the calm spirit of the original, with sharper mechanics and a much larger world.
You control a magical fox travelling across a broken landscape, joined by a raven and guided by runes, ruins, and remnants of the past. The story avoids lengthy cutscenes and dialogue, instead leaning into visual storytelling and quiet discovery. It all works together to create a slower pace—one built around wandering and wonder.
Compared to the first game, there’s more to do here. The open world expands in every direction. Abilities grow with your journey. Exploration is still the focus, but new tools and mechanics give it more weight. You’ll climb, glide, puzzle-solve, and yes—yarp. The dedicated yarp button is real.
It’s not a game packed with action or urgency, but that’s the point. Spirit of the North 2 trades fast for thoughtful. Is that enough to keep you interested in this fox’s journey? Let’s find out!
So, you’re a fox—not your average hero, right? And you’re wandering through a landscape that looks like it’s been through the worst kind of history lesson. No chatter or long speeches here; you figure out the story by checking out the ruins, runes, and other cool ancient stuff scattered around.
Your sidekick? A raven who’s basically your mystical GPS. Together, you’re on a mission to find some big-shot Guardians who got themselves stuck by a dark shaman named Grimnir. Yeah, Grimnir sounds like trouble—and he is, poisoning the land with his dark energy.
The story’s told with puzzles and environmental clues, which is a bit like a scavenger hunt for history nerds. No one’s handing you a script; you have to put the pieces together yourself. It’s a slow reveal, but it works, especially when you’re in the mood to chill and soak things in.
The fox doesn’t say much, but that silence says a lot. Watching this little guy navigate a broken world somehow makes the whole journey feel pretty epic without being loud about it.
It’s a story that’s more about quiet moments and less about dramatic explosions. Perfect if you like your tales like your tea—slow and soothing.
Spirit of the North 2 moves away from the first game’s tight, linear structure and instead drops you into a wider, interconnected world. Forest trails branch into frozen peaks and forgotten ruins, with each zone flowing naturally into the next. This open design encourages curiosity without overwhelming you. There’s a sense of quiet reward in poking around the edges of a snowbank to find a hidden spirit wisp.
Instead of telling you what to do, the game invites you to experiment. As the fox, you rely on agility and mystical powers to navigate puzzles and overcome corrupted spirits. Spirit whisps you collect unlock new abilities, and magical runes enhance how you interact with the environment. I once spent ten minutes circling a crypt before realizing a spirit trail was hiding beneath a toppled stone slab. The moment clicked, and it was satisfying—not frustrating.
Combat plays a stronger role this time, but it stays rooted in puzzle logic. You don’t slash or claw your way through enemies. Instead, you’ll need to time your moves, observe patterns, and use spirit energy creatively. Boss battles work on a similar principle—you won’t win by brute force, but by figuring out each one’s weakness. It’s not high-octane action, but it fits the pace of the world.
The raven companion is more than window dressing. It plays an active role, helping you solve puzzles, distract threats, or reach areas the fox can’t. That relationship feels like a natural evolution from the original game’s solitude—still quiet, but with just enough support to keep things flowing.
There are a few bugs that may cause hiccups, like collision glitches or puzzle triggers acting up. Most are minor, though, and they didn’t drag me out of the experience.
Customization options for the fox (changing eye colour, fur colour, etc.) let you shape your experience visually, though this is more cosmetic than mechanical. Still, it’s a nice touch in a world that already invites you to explore at your own pace.
You know those games that practically beg you to stop and take screenshots every five minutes? Spirit of the North 2 is one of those. The environments just quietly do their thing while you wander through, tail swishing in the breeze.
Running on Unreal Engine 5, everything looks just right. The snow crunches, the trees sway, and the light does that moody “dusk through the branches” thing that makes you pause. There’s a calmness to it all that makes you want to slow down, which works since the game clearly wants you to breathe in the world before racing to the next goal.
The fox and raven aren’t just nice to look at—they move like they belong. Every leap, glide, and sprint fits the world around them. They don’t just feel like characters dropped in—they are the environment.
Sound design doesn’t hog the spotlight. The score by Pav Gekko is like a good travel buddy—quiet when it needs to be, dramatic when the moment calls for it. And the ambient noise? Wind, rustling leaves, far-off echoes—it all blends into the background seamlessly.
On the performance side, it holds up nicely. Load times are short, visuals stay crisp, and despite a few bugs popping up, nothing pulled me out of the moment. It’s the kind of presentation that keeps its cool without trying too hard.
In short, it looks great, it sounds great, and—most importantly—it knows when to let silence do the talking.
Final Score: 7.5/10 - Good
Developer: Infuse Studio
Publisher: Silver Lining Interactive
Genre: Adventure
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Spirit of the North 2 doesn’t shout for your attention—it calls softly, through wind and snowfall. Developed by Infuse Studio and published by Silver Lining Interactive, this follow-up brings back the calm spirit of the original, with sharper mechanics and a much larger world.
You control a magical fox travelling across a broken landscape, joined by a raven and guided by runes, ruins, and remnants of the past. The story avoids lengthy cutscenes and dialogue, instead leaning into visual storytelling and quiet discovery. It all works together to create a slower pace—one built around wandering and wonder.
Compared to the first game, there’s more to do here. The open world expands in every direction. Abilities grow with your journey. Exploration is still the focus, but new tools and mechanics give it more weight. You’ll climb, glide, puzzle-solve, and yes—yarp. The dedicated yarp button is real.
It’s not a game packed with action or urgency, but that’s the point. Spirit of the North 2 trades fast for thoughtful. Is that enough to keep you interested in this fox’s journey? Let’s find out!
So, you’re a fox—not your average hero, right? And you’re wandering through a landscape that looks like it’s been through the worst kind of history lesson. No chatter or long speeches here; you figure out the story by checking out the ruins, runes, and other cool ancient stuff scattered around.
Your sidekick? A raven who’s basically your mystical GPS. Together, you’re on a mission to find some big-shot Guardians who got themselves stuck by a dark shaman named Grimnir. Yeah, Grimnir sounds like trouble—and he is, poisoning the land with his dark energy.
The story’s told with puzzles and environmental clues, which is a bit like a scavenger hunt for history nerds. No one’s handing you a script; you have to put the pieces together yourself. It’s a slow reveal, but it works, especially when you’re in the mood to chill and soak things in.
The fox doesn’t say much, but that silence says a lot. Watching this little guy navigate a broken world somehow makes the whole journey feel pretty epic without being loud about it.
It’s a story that’s more about quiet moments and less about dramatic explosions. Perfect if you like your tales like your tea—slow and soothing.
Spirit of the North 2 moves away from the first game’s tight, linear structure and instead drops you into a wider, interconnected world. Forest trails branch into frozen peaks and forgotten ruins, with each zone flowing naturally into the next. This open design encourages curiosity without overwhelming you. There’s a sense of quiet reward in poking around the edges of a snowbank to find a hidden spirit wisp.
Instead of telling you what to do, the game invites you to experiment. As the fox, you rely on agility and mystical powers to navigate puzzles and overcome corrupted spirits. Spirit whisps you collect unlock new abilities, and magical runes enhance how you interact with the environment. I once spent ten minutes circling a crypt before realizing a spirit trail was hiding beneath a toppled stone slab. The moment clicked, and it was satisfying—not frustrating.
Combat plays a stronger role this time, but it stays rooted in puzzle logic. You don’t slash or claw your way through enemies. Instead, you’ll need to time your moves, observe patterns, and use spirit energy creatively. Boss battles work on a similar principle—you won’t win by brute force, but by figuring out each one’s weakness. It’s not high-octane action, but it fits the pace of the world.
The raven companion is more than window dressing. It plays an active role, helping you solve puzzles, distract threats, or reach areas the fox can’t. That relationship feels like a natural evolution from the original game’s solitude—still quiet, but with just enough support to keep things flowing.
There are a few bugs that may cause hiccups, like collision glitches or puzzle triggers acting up. Most are minor, though, and they didn’t drag me out of the experience.
Customization options for the fox (changing eye colour, fur colour, etc.) let you shape your experience visually, though this is more cosmetic than mechanical. Still, it’s a nice touch in a world that already invites you to explore at your own pace.
You know those games that practically beg you to stop and take screenshots every five minutes? Spirit of the North 2 is one of those. The environments just quietly do their thing while you wander through, tail swishing in the breeze.
Running on Unreal Engine 5, everything looks just right. The snow crunches, the trees sway, and the light does that moody “dusk through the branches” thing that makes you pause. There’s a calmness to it all that makes you want to slow down, which works since the game clearly wants you to breathe in the world before racing to the next goal.
The fox and raven aren’t just nice to look at—they move like they belong. Every leap, glide, and sprint fits the world around them. They don’t just feel like characters dropped in—they are the environment.
Sound design doesn’t hog the spotlight. The score by Pav Gekko is like a good travel buddy—quiet when it needs to be, dramatic when the moment calls for it. And the ambient noise? Wind, rustling leaves, far-off echoes—it all blends into the background seamlessly.
On the performance side, it holds up nicely. Load times are short, visuals stay crisp, and despite a few bugs popping up, nothing pulled me out of the moment. It’s the kind of presentation that keeps its cool without trying too hard.
In short, it looks great, it sounds great, and—most importantly—it knows when to let silence do the talking.
The Verdict
Spirit of the North 2 doesn’t need to shout to get your attention—it just quietly hands you a fox, a raven, and a ruined world to explore. The puzzles are smart, the action’s light but purposeful, and the whole thing just flows. A few bugs pop up, but nothing major. Strong pacing, smooth performance, and a clear vision make this a sequel that delivers where it counts.Final Score: 7.5/10 - Good
Spirit of the North 2 details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Infuse Studio
Publisher: Silver Lining Interactive
Genre: Adventure
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.