Farewell North Review (PC) – Marley & Grief
2024 has been a mini-renaissance for Scottish inspired video games. First came Still Wakes the Deep, a walking simulator horror title from The Chinese Room, filled to the brim with Caz’s swears and gruff accent. Now comes Farewell North, an altogether polar experience, about a trusty dog and his owner, with a softer, gentler story about loss and grief that hits about as hard as you’d expect.
Set in the scenic collection of Scottish islands known as the Archipelago, Farewell North inspires a moving tale, not just a wagging one. Throw in one of the most serene musical scores of the year, and you’ll find little else that’ll compel your heart strings quite like this indie gem. All from the mind of one person.
There’s sticks to be fetched, emotional loss to process and highland greenery to restore. Won’t you bring the dog treats and deliver your best pets to one of the goodest boys of 2024?
When Life Goes South, Head North
The Archipelago islands provide the setting of a return journey for our human protagonist (whose Gaelic name I’m not even going to try and spell). Returning to the home of their mum who’s since passed, we accompany our favourite human companion as tail wagging, bushy Border Collie Chesley. So begins a tale of introspection, reflection, nostalgia and loss.
For a game primarily about being a fun-loving canine, Farewell North wields the weight of several tons of bricks. From reminiscing on the ruminative yet fond memories of those who’ve come and gone, to exploring the nature of giving up your roots in the modern age, the game isn’t shy with tackling emotive subjects. Somehow, it never feels dark nor depressing, instead it’s an uplifting and optimistic demonstration of how time heals wounds.
When I first started playing, I expected a jolly jaunt through the idyllic Scottish isles, complete with snow and sticks. I certainly got that, but I came away with a whole lot more emotional resonance than I expected. Farewell North is well-written, superbly voiced and wonderfully crafted. This very well may be an empathetic and cathartic experience for those who’ve experienced similar losses in life.
Then there’s the ending, which never mind the several tons of bricks, smacks you with the heart-wrenching power of a freight train. It’s clear to me that Farewell North is written with real passion, and the way this story is brought to life feels uniquely human, ironic for a game about being a dog. In all, I came for the dog wandering, and I’ve left the game moved.
Who’s A Good Boy?
Thankfully, Farewell North isn’t just about breaking your heart and making you feel things you’ve buried deep for years. Juxtaposing the emotional turmoil is a fluffy black-and-white Border Collie who needs to stretch his legs and explore. You travel between the five main islands and multiple skerries – smaller isles with mini-games or self-contained side stories to uncover – via a canoe.
Controlling the canoe is initially a little awkward, using each trigger button in rhythm. Which, in fairness, is very similar to actual canoeing (first-hand experience of that…). However, once you’ve made land, you’re set loose on all four legs to venture out across the rolling greens and snow-capped hills. That is, once you’ve restored them from their black-and-white malaise.
You can think of Farewell North as a mix of colour restoration ala Concrete Genie, the movement of Stray and the interactivity of Journey. Chesley can emit an orb of colour to interact with specific objects like flowers, birds and cattle, and he can of course pick up sticks, lamps and other trinkets. Much of the gameplay is bounding across the islands, solving simple yet interesting puzzles and finding collectibles.
While none of these mechanics particularly challenged me, they were fitting for the atmosphere and kind of game Farewell North is. It’s an experiential type of game, one where you slow down, take in the sights and lap up the sounds. Though, this old dog does have a couple new tricks up its sleeve to keep things engaging.
Farewell From The Other Side
Firstly, each island and skerry is initially greyed and dulled. Completing puzzles means finding the shiny interactable and solving the relevant puzzle. Doing so returns the colour and magic to the islands, where you’ll run into all manner of wildlife like seals and foxes. You can even scare the seals and reunite the ducks, as any good dog would do.
Each island has its own theme of puzzle, whether that be finding connecting branches of flowers, or staying out of sight of mysterious strangers. Skerries too, have their own unique mini-encounters to appreciate. You’ll heard sheep or coos (cows for us English), play fetch and even play a game-within-a-game of a dog getting its blanket and finding its chair to chill out on.
The gameplay loop of Farewell North therefore keeps things pretty engaging for its roughly 5 hour runtime. Traipsing back over some islands can be a slog to mop up some of the collectibles, and there’s the odd geometry quirk which will cause Chesley to become rooted or respawn altogether, but they’re minor complaints. Some may wish for a bit more complexity in the puzzles, but I think they strike the right balance.
In truth, though, I wasn’t overly bothered about collecting every Will-o’-the-Wisp or finding every song section (though I did find everything bar 3 wisps…). Instead, I played on through Farewell North to gleefully absorb its story and see what stunning vista I’d stumble and sprint my way through next.
A Gaelic Masterpiece
If there’s one thing Kyle Banks deserves the utmost credit for, it’s the attention to detail and respectful homage Farewell North pays to Scottish culture and landscapes. Boasting a watercolour-esque art style, witnessing the islands become adorned with the golden glow of the sun is spectacular. Battling through the suffocating snow to reach the peak of the Munros is superb.
Whether I was in the canoe, sailing above the waterline, or charging through a forest as my human companion raced me on a bicycle past a majestic forest, everything looks amazing. While the lack of budget shows in some poorer texture work in places or the odd strange looking colour gradient, for the most part Farewell North does its Scottish inspiration proud.
Then there’s the score. I don’t know who told this musician to go this hard, but they most definitely got the memo, and delivered. From serene ambient tracks to beautiful soaring numbers, this game may have one of the most moving soundtracks this year. Much akin to Journey, Gris or any other experiential-like title, the music and atmosphere of Farewell North carries so much of its quality.
It’s so good I’d buy the soundtrack alone and more than happily listen to it on repeat. That the visuals are so beautifully rendered is a bonus. Who knew you could get a free dog simulator with your stunning musical score?
If This Is Farewell, It’s Been A Pleasure
If you’re asking yourself whether you should buy Farewell North, my simplest response would be an unbridled yes. Provided you’re into more straightforward gameplay mechanics and experience-over-thrills pacing, there’s just so much to love about the game, much like our favourite canine friends. They may only fetch sticks and occasionally lose their way, but they’re the most lovable creatures on this Earth. Farewell North is oh so similar.
If you’ve played games like Flower or Journey and appreciated their artistic merits, you’ll simply adore this too. It has the odd rough edge, whether it be a visual quirk or a clipping issue in the environment, but these don’t even smudge what is an otherwise beautiful watercolour painting. If I can come out of playing it moved and emotionally drained, it’s hitting some kind of Gaelic peak.
While it’s gameplay is relatively basic, it’s accessible and on-point for the experience its aiming to provide. My lasting feeling of Farewell North is one of being impressed. Kyle Banks set out to produce an evocative, moving and thought-provoking piece of video game art, and by all the good boys did they deliver. With the tale told I’m sure it’s farewell, but it’s a bittersweet, pleasantly melancholic goodbye.
Running free as Chesley in Farewell North is a liberating and visually beautiful time. With a heartfelt, emotionally investing story about grief and loss, stunning visuals and a soaring score, Farewell North overcomes its more straightforward mechanics and helps us appreciate the little things. Like playing fetch with your canine best friend, you’ll be wanting to come back for more, no matter the weather or occasionally rough edges.
Farewell North is available August 16th on PC via Steam (review platform), Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S|X.
Developer: Kyle Banks
Publisher: Mooneye Studios
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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