Info about Northern Journey:

Official game description:
A norwegian happysad game set in a northern land! Adventure through a beautiful and very varied wilderness. Dive, fly, use ziplines and find different weapons to aid your journey to reach the cold mountains and below. Encounter over 50 unique bosses and enemy types!  
Very varied. Atmospheric and melancholic. Other times fast-paced fighting. Dark humor and dread!  
A linear game meant to be finished, without bloat, grind or sidequests.  
Music is custom made for each level.  
Each level has its own theme and style, and often unique mechanics.  
Fast and nimble game. Even older systems can run this game, as it is highly optimized.  
Game currently only supports keyboard+mouse.

Release date: Aug 18, 2021

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Exploration, Action-Adventure, Linear Progression, Atmospheric Horror, Boss Fights, Story-driven Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding Atmosphere (weight 0.97): The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for being immersive, captivating, and unique. Players highlight the combination of visuals and sound as creating a phenomenal and top-notch atmosphere that stands out.
- Variety in Gameplay Elements (weight 0.69): Players appreciate the variety in enemies, environments, weapons, and mechanics. This diversity keeps the combat fresh and engaging, contributing to a fun and varied gameplay experience.
- Beautiful Visuals and Landscapes (weight 0.66): The game is praised for its beautiful landscapes, graphics, and visuals. Players find the world visually appealing and the environments gorgeous and detailed.
- Unique and Charismatic Experience (weight 0.51): The game offers a unique and unforgettable experience that players find charismatic and engaging. This uniqueness is a standout feature that leaves a lasting impression.
- Scandinavian Folklore Inspiration (weight 0.45): The game is noted for its inspiration from Scandinavian and Norse folklore, capturing the beauty and themes of the region's nature and myths. This includes references to Nordic fairy tales and a vibrant Scandinavian setting.
- Impressive Soundtrack (weight 0.31): The game's soundtrack is highlighted for being interesting, excellent, and atmospheric. It varies from eerie and dreamlike to frenetic club beats, adding to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Top-Tier Level Design (weight 0.3): The level design is praised as top-tier, well-thought-out, and varied. Players find it intuitive and interesting, contributing to the game's overall quality.
- Sense of Adventure (weight 0.21): Players enjoy the strong sense of adventure and exploration. The game captures an adventurous spirit and provides an engaging sense of journey.
- Challenging Combat (weight 0.17): The combat is noted for being challenging and precise. Players appreciate the unique and challenging boss fights, adding to the game's difficulty and engagement.

Common complaints:
- Combat feels janky and frustrating (weight 0.63): Many players find the combat mechanics to be clunky, inconsistent, and frustrating. The combat system is often described as janky, difficult to enjoy, and unfair, especially in later areas and during boss fights.
- Poor encounter and enemy design (weight 0.28): The game is criticized for its poor encounter and enemy design, which includes terrible boss design and poorly designed AI. These design flaws contribute to a less enjoyable gaming experience.
- Gameplay and replay value issues (weight 0.21): The gameplay is often described as lackluster and mediocre, with low replay value. The game's charm is elusive and may not appeal to everyone, and the gunplay is criticized as being subpar.
- Repetitive and unenjoyable bosses (weight 0.21): Boss fights in the game are often described as repetitive, dry, and not fun. Some bosses are particularly criticized as being poorly designed and frustrating.
- Questionable hitboxes (weight 0.17): The hitboxes in the game are often described as unpredictable and frustrating. This issue can lead to unfair gameplay experiences and player frustration.
- Not suitable for arachnophobes (weight 0.16): The game contains elements that may trigger arachnophobia, making it unsuitable for players who are afraid of spiders. This is a significant consideration for potential players.
- Restrictive save system (weight 0.14): The game's save system is criticized for being restrictive and unclear. The lack of an autosave function is particularly noted as a negative aspect.
- Frustrating terrain mechanics (weight 0.12): The terrain in the game can be slippery and frustrating, leading to unintentional falls and getting lost. This issue adds to the overall frustration of the gameplay experience.
- Final act drags on (weight 0.09): The final act of the game is criticized for dragging on too long, making the ending feel prolonged and tedious. This can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Language limitations (weight 0.09): The game is only available in English, which can be a limitation for non-English speaking players. This lack of language options may restrict the game's accessibility.

Gameplay feedback:
- Exploration-focused gameplay (weight 0.42): The game emphasizes exploration and adventure, with large areas to discover and a focus on environmental interaction rather than combat mastery.
- Variety of enemies (weight 0.33): The game features a wide range of enemies with different behaviors and attack patterns, enhancing the combat experience.
- Semi-linear level design (weight 0.32): While the game has linear progression, it also features open areas with multiple exploration paths and metroidvania-like aspects.
- First-person adventure (weight 0.3): The game is a first-person adventure that combines exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving elements, set in detailed landscapes.
- Unique combat mechanics (weight 0.3): The combat system is innovative and unique among FPS games, with a variety of weapons and boss fights featuring distinct mechanics.
- Projectile-based combat (weight 0.22): Combat revolves around projectile and thrown weapons, requiring players to master weapon arcs and effective ranges.
- Retro FPS elements (weight 0.17): The game incorporates retro FPS gameplay elements, including fast-paced shooting and exploration.
- Unique level concepts (weight 0.15): The game offers unique and well-designed levels, contributing to a solid and engaging gameplay experience.
- Story-driven gameplay (weight 0.09): The game is driven by its story, with progression tied to narrative elements.

Performance notes:
- Movement and collision issues (weight 0.13): Players report unpolished movement mechanics and frustrating terrain collisions, including buggy collision detection.
- Graphical issues and low fidelity (weight 0.13): The game has various graphical glitches, such as floating rocks and textures disappearing at certain angles. The graphics are reported to look outdated, reminiscent of the 90s, with low graphical fidelity.
- Performance issues (weight 0.13): Some players experience performance hiccups and long load times, although others report the game is mostly bug-free and stable.
- Good performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.1): The game runs well and without problems on Steam Deck, including the OLED version.
- Game crashes and technical flaws (weight 0.07): Some players experience game crashes and describe the game as technically flawed.
- Camera and texture issues (weight 0.07): The camera feels too close to the character, and the detail of textures can strain the eyes.
- Combat system technical weaknesses (weight 0.04): There are reported technical weaknesses in the combat system.
- Far render distances (weight 0.04): The game features far render distances, which can impact performance and visual quality.

Recommendations:
- Unique and memorable experience (weight 0.34): The game is frequently praised for offering a unique and memorable experience, making it stand out from other games. Players recommend it for those seeking something different and authentic.
- Highly recommended by players (weight 0.18): Many players highly recommend the game, describing it as a hidden gem and a must-play. The game is praised for its overall quality and unique experience.
- Ideal for specific player tastes (weight 0.14): The game caters to specific tastes, such as fans of Scandinavian folklore, hiking, diving, and those who enjoy atmospheric games like Skyrim. It is also recommended for hardcore fans and veterans.
- Worth supporting the developer (weight 0.13): The game is seen as a passion project by a solo developer or small studio, and players encourage supporting the developer for their effort and creativity.
- Gameplay and exploration tips (weight 0.09): Players suggest exploring each area thoroughly and recommend playing the game blind for the best experience. Lowering the difficulty is also advised for a more enjoyable experience.
- Value for money (weight 0.07): The game is considered a good value for its price, especially when purchased during a sale. Players feel they get a good bang for their buck.
- Potential cult classic (weight 0.04): The game is seen as having the potential to become a cult classic, appreciated by a dedicated fanbase for its unique qualities.

Other player notes:
- Request for achievements (weight 0.04): Multiple reviews requested the addition of Steam Achievements. This suggests that players are looking for more engagement and rewards within the game.
- Gifted copy mention (weight 0.04): Some reviews mentioned receiving the game as a gift. This could indicate promotional activities or giveaways related to the game.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Players are frustrated by various aspects of combat, including its repetitiveness, inconsistencies, and technical flaws. Additionally, issues with mobility, platforming, and unclear mechanics, particularly in the final encounters, contribute to this frustration. The lack of autosave and pitfalls into water, along with difficult combat and movement mechanics, further exacerbate the problem.
- Joy (weight 0.14): Players experience joy from the game's beautiful and immersive environments, unique atmosphere, and enjoyable gameplay mechanics. The stunning landscapes, great music, and overall positive experience contribute to this sense of joy.
- Admiration (weight 0.13): Players admire the game's unique and creative design, beautiful environments, and the developer's dedication and attention to detail. The impressive talent, unique atmosphere, and wonderful soundtrack also contribute to this admiration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the game's beautiful atmosphere, unique world, and engaging exploration. The enjoyable combat, sound design, and overall game experience, along with the fantastic exploration and atmosphere, contribute to this enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.1): Players are excited by the game's unique atmosphere, engaging gameplay, and beautiful environments. The discovery of the game's unique mechanics, variety, and the sense of adventure it provides also contribute to this excitement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Players feel disappointed by the game's sharp dip in quality after the halfway point, repetitive gameplay, and excessive length. The lack of polish, janky gameplay, and technical weaknesses, particularly in the later stages, contribute to this disappointment.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.05): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's reminiscent of classic games like Half-Life and Unreal, and the emotional impact of the music. The game evokes memories of childhood and classic games, bringing back childhood memories and a sense of adventure felt on the PS2.
- Fascination (weight 0.04): Players are fascinated by the game's unique atmosphere, visual style, and creativity. The incredible sense of scale, varied environments, and the game's unique charm and varied gameplay contribute to this fascination.
- Fear (weight 0.04): Players experience fear due to the presence of terrifying enemies, particularly spiders, which trigger arachnophobia. The realistic spider behavior and dark, uncomfortable locations contribute to this fear.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Players are surprised by the game's unique level concepts, gameplay systems, and the competent design under a seemingly trashy facade. The surreal and satisfying gameplay, along with new weapons and mechanics, contribute to this surprise.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's uniqueness, originality, and the developer's passion. The unique gameplay experience, beautifully designed regions, and the game's atmosphere and soundtrack contribute to this appreciation.
- Awe (weight 0.03): Players are in awe of the game's beautiful and deep world, stunning landscapes, and the incredibly dense atmosphere. The beautiful and unsettling gaming experience, along with the game's unique atmosphere and attention to detail, contribute to this awe.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have a positive experience with the game's sound design, OST, environments, characters, and exploration aspects. The atmospheric shooter and diverse gameplay situations, along with the game's atmosphere and exploration, contribute to this positivity.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's atmosphere, story, and every moment spent in the game. The weird and creative ideas, along with the game's atmosphere, contribute to this love.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Players feel immersed in the game's atmosphere and exploration mechanics. The full-fledged immersion in the game's journey, along with the description of feeling immersed in an ancient and cold land, contribute to this immersion.
- Intrigue (weight 0.01): Players are intrigued by the game's unique mix of elements and strange atmosphere. The surreal journey and unique theme of the game, along with the comparison to Pathologic and mention of atmosphere, contribute to this intrigue.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.01): Players feel satisfied with the game's ambiance, story, and enjoyable atmosphere. The worthwhile experience and enjoyable vibe contribute to this satisfaction.
- Wonder (weight 0.01): Players experience wonder due to the game's mystical and introspective journey, along with its atmospheric and unsettling aspects. The variety and pace of the game contribute to this sense of wonder.}