Platform: PC, Xbox Series S|X, PS5
Developer: GoldFire Studios
Genre: Narrative Adventure
Release Format: 5 episodic chapters (all available at launch)
I spent the last few days playing Arctic Awakening on PC. It's a narrative-driven adventure set in the harsh Alaskan wilderness that offers a blend of emotional storytelling and breathtaking environments.
You play as Kai, a pilot who is making a supply run alongside your friend Donovan and your robotic companion Alfie. Not all is well, as you subsequently crash land after suffering from technical issues. As you awaken in the wreckage, you only have Alfie by your side; and this is where your journey begins...
In its simplest form, Arctic Awakening is a walking sim. In reality, it's a well written, beautifully crafted story about isolation, companionship and humanity. It's a visually stunning game, even I took some time to just sit back and enjoy the views it had to offer.
With this genre of game, I am always worried about how interactions played out with the characters, but those concerns were quickly remedied. The conversations between Kai, Donovon and Alfie were fantastic to listen to. Every once in a while, you can decide on what to say, so conversations aren't totally linear. The voice acting was great as well. Since you are doing a large amount of walking, this was such an important aspect to get right, and GoldFire Studios absolutely nails it. You can sense the changes in the characters' rhetoric as time passes.There are some survival elements to speak of, which can affect your character. Over the course of the game, you'll have to replenish yourself by eating food you discover and resting at marked cairn stones. There is a tracker for each thing so you will know when you need to do each thing respectively. Not doing so causes your character to become disoriented. So, it is important to take care of these little things. Don't worry, food is plentiful in this game.
My experience wasn't totally flawless, however. I did experience a lot of clipping into objects and getting stuck in them, though I only had to restart a scene once due to this. Interacting with objects is easy enough, but I felt like this game could use some more...difficulty. I wish it leaned into more puzzle elements, instead of just searching for specific items in a small area.
Arctic Awakening is split into five episodes, which take well over an hour to complete each one. All episodes are available at launch, so no worries there. If you are a trophy or achievement hunter, the game itself isn't too difficult, however, there are some things you can miss, such as collectibles.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Arctic Awakening. If you are a fan of games like Firewatch or What Remains of Edith Finch, give this title a shot.
Arctic Awakening was developed by GoldFire Studios, and is out today on PC, Xbox Series S|X, and PS5. (Sept 18, 2025)
Check it out on YouTube
(Thank you to Mooncat Games for the early PC game key)