Farewell North Review – An Emotional Journey Through the Scottish Highlands

OVERVIEW

Farwell North invites players to return color to desolate islands while exploring an open world as a Border Collie. Players will uncover hidden paths, evade monsters, and help the local wildlife while uncovering an emotional story about saying farewell.

Developer: Kyle Banks
Release Date: August 16, 2024
Price: $23.99
Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Gameplay in Farewell North

Screenshot from the Farewell North video game with the characters sitting on a bench near a purple campfire.

In Farewell North players take on the role of a Border Collie that must help restore color to its person’s world. The game begins in greyscale, with the border collie and their owner appearing as silhouettes. Players gain the ability to restore the world’s color while chasing willow wisps, and this ability also allows players to reveal hidden paths around the world.

The controls in Farewell North are easy to get accustomed to. While players spend most of their time traversing platforms in the world on four legs, they will also have to steer a canoe around the chain of islands. Exploring the world of Farewell North can be done at each player’s own pace. This makes solving puzzles relatively stress-free and gives players time to seek out solutions they may not have immediately noticed.

Screenshot of dog hearding sheep in the rain in Farewell North

In Farewell North players will also experience herding various animals around the islands. This can range from getting sheep to shelter or even reuniting a family of ducks. All of these interactions, no matter how small help bring more color back to the game’s world.

Having the ability to explore at a slower pace, also means players can perform other tasks without worrying too much about in-game penalties. While Farewell North is accessible enough to receive our “ChromaGlitch Gaming While Parenting” seal of approval, the story can be very emotional and may lead to having to explain why you’re crying.

A Cinematic & Emotional Experience

Screenshot from Farewell North video game showing character walking through gate.

The soundtrack in Farewell North is exceptionally well done. From the very beginning, the score sets the emotional tone of the game. You know you are in for an emotional rollercoaster, within the first few seconds. Farwell North feels like a cinematic experience, which is hard to achieve in games at times.

When paddling the canoe, the characters and the world around them are in that greyscale, however, once you find your rhythm while steering color begins to return to the world around the characters. During these moments the human character will often reminisce on fond memories. I felt like this was such a beautiful representation of how you can find moments of clarity through the mental fog through simple actions when dealing with grief.

Final Thoughts on Farewell North

Image of the dog and girl from Farewell North video game.

Overall Farewell North was a beautifully crafted gaming experience that pulls on the heartstrings. The music and visuals make traversing through the world a cinematic experience. While grief is one of those emotions that differs from person to person, the story in Farewell North progresses in a way that is relatable. If you enjoy cozy games that tug on your heart such as Behind the Frame and Existensis, you should give Farewell North a try. Farewell North is available on Steam for $23.99.