PlayStation Plus subscriptions are not only valuable for online gaming; the bonus games that come with the subscriptions every month are also more than welcome. While they may not always be blockbusters, and there are occasionally months where I don’t pay attention to any of the games, sometimes there are also interesting games among them that I would never think of playing without the subscription. Not only because they might not seem like my usual cup of tea, but also because I would have never heard of them otherwise. Endling – Extinction is Forever is a prime example.
I’m a sucker for AAA games. I’m extremely drawn to captivating stories and stunning, photorealistic graphics. As a result, indie games often slip under my radar. But when I found out that Herobeat Studios‘ Endling – Extinction is Forever was available for free download on PS Plus in July, it piqued my interest.
After some research for this blog, I discovered that the game had a duration of about 4-5 hours. Can’t go wrong with that, I thought. And so I delved into the beautifully crafted, thought-provoking story that Endling – Extinction is Forever presents to us.
The Introduction
Endling – Extinction is Forever revolves around the world’s last mother fox, who has to keep her 4 cubs alive (no pressure).
We are introduced to a post-apocalyptic world. The forest is ablaze, and the world is crumbling before our eyes. Taking charge of the mother fox, we experience responsive controls as she moves gracefully and realistically through the 3D side-scrolling environment. The game’s unique and beautiful art style immediately captures the attention, accompanied by emotionally touching background music that further enriches the overall ambiance.
A brief stroll towards our den quickly teaches us how to navigate the fox. Upon arrival, we are greeted by our four adorable cubs.
Here, a touch of personalization awaits as we get to give each pup a distinct color.
Shortly after, tragedy strikes. One of our beloved cubs is lured outside and abducted by a hunter. Of course we cannot just let this happen, so we embark on a heartfelt quest to rescue the endearing little one.
The Gameplay
Our mother fox is naturally guided by her nose. By holding a button, a purple trail appears that players can follow. This trail leads to three different points, each point revealing an abstract memory of what happened to the little fox, and where the hunter took it next.
In addition to the goal of following the trail of your lost child (a trail that appears only every few days), you have an equally important objective: keeping the remaining cubs under your care alive. As a nurturing mother, you must scour the post-apocalyptic world in search of food for your offspring. This is accomplished through another trail, this time colored green.
You can climb trees to knock down an egg from a nest, hunt mice or birds, or, in times of absolute desperation, tear open a garbage bag. While doing so, you must also ensure you don’t fall into the hands of hunters or furriers.
Through a swiftly depleting bar, you can keep track of how hungry your cubs are. If you fail to score food quickly enough, the little creatures will starve and die. The choice not to trigger a ‘Game Over’, but instead letting you live with the knowledge that you’ve failed as a mother, is a strong decision that raises the stakes.
Moreover, you must return before the end of each night. You leave your den every night, and then you have about 10 minutes (in real-time) to complete your tasks.
In Endling – Extinction is Forever, players will have to multitask. Fortunately, you don’t have to do the laundry, but other than that, the life of a mother is realistically simulated.
The gameplay is simple and easy to pick up. You can sneak, jump, bark, and pick up your cubs. However, I rarely found the need to use the last two mechanics.
Developer Herobeat Studios doesn’t waste much time inventing and explaining complicated mechanics, given the game’s already short duration. This decision benefits the overall experience of the game.
Endling – Extinction is Forever relies on novelty. Everything is easy to grasp, and the story is not so deep that I would want to invest dozens of hours in it (then again, creating a profound story becomes challenging when your protagonist is a fox). As you progress, your cubs learn new tricks that make it easier to find food, adding some new options to the gameplay.
It’s evident that the developer examines the theme of climate change. Your struggle with the altered landscape is apparent from beginning to end, reflected in the scarcity of food and shelter.
The game presents touching stories about certain characters and other animals you encounter on your journey. In some cases, you can even influence the tale of another creature by choosing how to treat it. These choices ultimately lead to different endings.
Conclusion
Endling – Extinction is Forever is a beautiful, intimate adventure that is well worth the experience. Herobeat Studios employs a stunning style and atmosphere that effectively portrays the despair of a dying species.
A game with a duration of around four hours should be simple, and that is exactly what it is. The lack of complex gameplay, characters and story does make it susceptible to becoming tedious, but the game is just short enough to prevent that from happening too much.
