I’m a sucker for any game that stars a dog, wolf, or in the case of Endling – Extinction is Forever, foxes. Endling comes from publisher HandyGames and developer Herobeat Studios and explores what happens when man tramples on the environment where a mother fox and her cubs live. Here’s my review of the PlayStation 4 version.
Endling is a side-scrolling 3D adventure game where you control a mother fox who has to look after her cubs. At the start of the game you’ll be running from a forest fire and eventually find a safe spot. The fox then gives birth to four cubs and from there you’ll have to look after them. Sadly, one of them ends up being taken early on and part of the game will involve trying to find it. The story in the game revolves around how humans are taking over the environment which has put your home in danger and so you’ll play through the game trying to help the mom and her cubs survive. That means venturing out of your den and trying to hunt down food to bring back to the cubs while also trying to avoid humans. Your hunting trips are performed at night as it is the best time to remain undetected.
The game has a very easy to learn control scheme with the left stick on the DualSense controlling your movement while the right stick controls the camera. You can interact with things using X, pick up things with square, and bark with circle. Finally holding the R1 button is what you’ll be doing when you want to sneak while L1 allows you to sniff and pick up on scents. Exploring is kind of exhilarating in this game as there are branching paths and you want to make sure to remember how to get back to your den before the sun comes up. Food that you can find can range from creatures like mice, food out of the trash, or things like berries. You always need to watch out for danger though as humans will chase you, shoot at you, and lay down traps while other animals can pose a threat to you and your cubs. While I enjoyed the different threats in the game there isn’t enough variety so you’ll be dealing with these same dangers over the course of the story.
As I hunted for food for my cubs back at the den or searched for clues to help track down the missing cub, I was constantly invested emotionally seeing the environment and how humans had an effect on the lives of these foxes. Loss of habitat is a very real thing in our world and Endling hopes to bring more awareness of the situation to more people. I couldn’t help but get attached to these animals as the baby cubs are so darn cute and I’m an animal lover as it is. You get to gradually see them grow and teach them new things too which furthered the bond that I felt with them. If you’re an animal lover too this game will surely pull on your heart strings as it did mine.
The art direction for Endling is simply beautiful as well with a very animated look to it. Searching for food to the backdrop of a star lit sky never got old and seeing the sun gradually rise each day was also beautiful even if it meant I was running out of time to return to the den. The animation work on the foxes is also great helping to make them feel more real. The soundtrack also helps those emotional moments hit harder with tracks that perfectly fit the mood. Trophy hunters will find 28 trophies to collect including a Platinum. There are some possible missables but the overall list shouldn’t be too hard to earn all of them.
Endling – Extinction is Forever is a beautiful, heartfelt journey but one that is also tragic and cruel. It really goes into how man’s actions on the environment have far reaching consequences and I applaud Herobeat Studios for building a game around this message. The only downside of it to me is that I wish it had a bit more variety in some parts. If you love animals and are looking for a game that will hit you right in the feels then Endling is a must-play.
*Endling – Extinction is Forever is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. PlayStation 4 version reviewed. Review copy provided by the publisher for this review.
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