It has been a long time since I left a preview immediately wanting more, but here we are.
Aphelion from developer and publisher DON’T NOD is an interesting survival adventure game that takes the best of what has been done with Horizon Zero Dawn and Tomb Raider, and wraps it in a gorgeous winter, science fiction backdrop. In addition, the narrative seems rich with promising details and well-defined characters.
This demo is a great way to introduce the game to the gaming world.
Story startup
The experience begins with the player taking control of Ariane, a pilot who has survived a crash landing on a barren and cold wasteland. Her journey starts with getting out of a destroyed ship, and then quickly shifts to survival and finding her other crewmate, Thomas. Along the way, she discovers that the planet she has landed on has more danger than previously thought, which makes looking for Thomas and getting the hell off the planet all the more important.
In the short amount of time with this game’s two-chapter demo, DON’T NOD seemed focused on building more than just a stealth action-adventure with a side of sci-fi. The developers appeared to be locked in building a competent and meaningful narrative that will resonate throughout the experience. They brought together a great script, found a wonderful actress to take up the role of Ariane, with Vanessa Dolmen, who brings passion and terror to her role, and made every moment in the chapters given in the demo meaningful.
The two chapters
In the first chapter, Ariane struggles to get her bearings after her crash. The story pushes sudden moments of survival and her desperation to find her crewmate Thomas alive. The demo sells Ariane’s isolation and possibly loneliness with dialogue and huge moments. The first chapter is narratively well-crafted and sets the right tone for what to expect from the rest of the game’s story.
The second chapter focuses on a greater danger to Ariane’s survival by introducing the first enemy obstacle. The story in this chapter builds like a horror film, where impending danger is present but not seen. The micro builds of unsettledness turn into outright terror as the chapter progresses. Claustrophobic caverns and constant reminders of the enemy’s presence create such an uncomfortable intensity in this chapter. When the enemy finally reveals itself, the situation for Ariane changes, as her need to escape is prioritized, and the mood of the story changes gears to something far more horrifying.
These two-chapter demos showed the type of love and care DON’T NOD seemed to take with the story, and how important getting this aspect of the game was in the design. Again, these are only two chapters, and they made quite an impression on me, and it set my expectations for the game when it’s released. I am hoping the narrative delivers as a whole.
No real gameplay reveal
On the gameplay side of this preview, the demos only showed off some familiar aspects seen in other games. It had a bit of Horizon Zero Dawn with its scope, gorgeous environments, and literally hanging around ledges. For the most part, the player will experience jumping around fragile ledges in the demo and trying to figure out how to leave areas, as well as the occasional jump scare that requires a quick and precise exit.
The game also sprinkled in some hope that stealth and action were on the menu with a Tomb Raider-like rawness and stealthy gameplay. This was especially present in the second chapter of the demo, when a deadly enemy was introduced in the game, and Ariane was forced to stealth around without making noises in fear of setting off an enemy attack. As I said with the story, this chapter of the demo switched the tone and feel of the gameplay, as it became less about methodical survival and more about being a horror show on a frozen planet. It certainly contrasted with the first chapter, but in a good way.
Beyond the above, there wasn’t much else to the game. Both chapters provided a glimpse of what is to come with Aphelion. They showed flashes of gorgeous environments and stunning visuals with unbelievable wide shots. While the gameplay in these demos seemed to be lacking, it felt like the devs were holding back more gameplay elements to come, which I can only assume make the experience far more interactive and less stealthy and jumpy.
Regardless, Aphelion looks to be an interesting game that could be one of the best titles coming out of the DON’T NOD developer library. The demo definitely gives some positive vibes that it is heading in that direction to become the dev’s crown achievement. Of course, only time will tell.
We will keep you updated as the game progresses and give a more comprehensive opinion once the full release gets here. Until then, definitely give the demo a hard look.
