I still remember my time with the first Spirit of the North. It was quiet, simple, and surprisingly moving. The peaceful world, slow pacing, and ambient music created something I rarely experience anymore—a game that encouraged me to slow down. Even with some rough edges, I appreciated how it let me explore without pressure. It didn’t try to be anything more than it was, and that worked.
Now, Spirit of the North 2 arrives with a much broader scope. Infuse Studio has traded the original’s linear design for an open-world structure, added a rune-based ability system, and introduced larger dungeons, Guardian encounters, and upgrade mechanics. It’s a major leap in scale, but that shift also brings new challenges.
This sequel keeps the focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and quiet storytelling. But it also asks more from you—more time, more backtracking, and more patience. Whether that trade-off works depends on how much you value freedom over structure.
Let’s take a closer look.
A Quiet World with Heavy Burdens
Spirit of the North 2 picks up in a ruined land where nature and magic have both started to fade. You play as a fox, accompanied by a raven, trying to free fallen Guardians and undo the corruption caused by Grimnir, a dark shaman. There’s no dialogue or cutscenes—just visual cues, scrolls, and quiet moments that hint at what happened.
The approach worked for me. I liked how the game trusts you to figure things out instead of spelling everything out. That freedom made some discoveries feel earned, especially when I found a scroll tucked behind an altar or unlocked a door by solving a small environmental puzzle. It reminded me of why I enjoyed the first game.
Scrolls explain what happened to the tribes who lived here. Most are long gone, but their history shapes the world. You’ll find ruins scattered across different biomes, each telling its own story through layout and decay. Obelisks act as subtle guides, pointing out nearby points of interest without pulling you out of the experience.
Guardian encounters break from the usual format. Instead of traditional boss fights, you solve puzzles to help each Guardian, learning their role in the world. These moments offer some of the most thoughtful pacing in the game. Some Guardians resist help. Others seem tired. It fits the tone of a land that’s already been through too much.
The lack of waypoints or tutorials may frustrate some. But if you like to figure things out on your own, this world rewards your attention.
Slow Steps and Small Victories
Gameplay in Spirit of the North 2 revolves around exploration, puzzle-solving, and gradually unlocking new areas using Spirit Wisps and runes. You’re given no map markers or tutorials. Instead, you move at your own pace—finding secrets, solving puzzles, and slowly expanding your path through the world.
Wisps are essential. You need them to open dungeon doors, but collecting them can take time. There were times when I wandered for almost an hour, unsure where to go. One time, I circled the same ridge three times before spotting a narrow gap between rocks I hadn’t noticed before. Frustrating at first, but when I figured it out, the sense of progress felt earned.
Runes add new abilities, like gliding with help from the raven. They’re also used in puzzles, letting you activate platforms or clear corrupted barriers. Some puzzles are simple. Others take more time, especially when you need an item from another area.
The open world gives you room to explore, but it starts to feel repetitive over time. Many areas reuse similar structures, and backtracking can drag. There’s no fast travel, so unlocking a new ability often means hiking back through several zones just to use it.
You’ll also find fox figurines in chests that unlock skill points. These let you reduce fall damage, increase health, or improve resource detection. It’s not a deep system, but it adds a light progression layer.
Dungeons play a key role in progression. They’re puzzle-focused and often more compact than the wide open biomes. Some bosses appear during major story points, but most rely on puzzle mechanics rather than direct combat.
A Beautiful Game with Noticeable Flaws
Spirit of the North 2 looks great in motion. Biomes shift between forests, snowy peaks, and underground caves, each with a distinct atmosphere. The weather system and time-of-day changes add some variety, though not always enough to mask reused assets. Lighting and animations are strong, especially during Guardian encounters. Watching a massive spirit rise from the snow or fade into mist left an impression. The fox and raven both move fluidly, though jump prompts don’t always respond.
I ran into a few visual issues. Once, I loaded into an area and half the environment didn’t render until I restarted. Another time, a dungeon was so dark I couldn’t see more than a few steps ahead. Adjusting brightness didn’t help. Performance could be better. Frame rate drops are rare but noticeable during wide-area transitions or when multiple effects stack onscreen.
The soundtrack fits the pace of the game. It stays in the background but shifts when needed. Calm themes support exploration, while boss encounters bring in heavier drums and sharper tones. It never feels too loud or distracting. The ambient sounds, wind, footsteps, distant echoes, do enough to keep things grounded.
A Bigger Journey That Doesn’t Always Stay on Track
Spirit of the North 2 expands nearly every part of the original game. The world is larger, the systems go deeper, and there’s more to uncover. That ambition is clear, but it doesn’t always come together. The freedom to explore at your own pace is still the best part. It’s quiet, slow, and gives you time to take in the surroundings. The absence of handholding works when the world pulls you in—but not when you’re stuck wandering with nothing new to see.
I appreciated the rune system and the small upgrades. I also liked that Guardian encounters focus on puzzles rather than combat. Those moments feel more in line with the game’s tone. I just wish the rest of the structure supported them better.
Bugs are a problem. Some are minor, like disappearing jump prompts or lighting glitches. Others are harder to ignore—boss fights that soft lock, environments that don’t load, and audio that drops out after dying. These didn’t ruin the experience for me, but they added frustration where there didn’t need to be any.
There’s something peaceful here if you’re willing to meet the game halfway. Spirit of the North 2 is a bigger, slower, and sometimes more frustrating sequel—but when it works, it delivers the same quiet satisfaction that made the first game stand out to me.
Spirit of the North 2
Summary
Spirit of the North 2 is a quiet, exploration-focused sequel that trades structure for freedom. Its open world is peaceful but repetitive, with puzzles that range from satisfying to shallow. Technical issues hold it back, though the soundtrack and atmosphere suit the slower pacing. It’s not as refined as it could be, but there’s still value in its quieter moments.
As always, remember to follow us on our social media (e.g., Threads, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube and Facebook) to keep up with the latest news.
