#Snowfall review upgrade#

It’s an amusing chat, but it’s more than that: it’s a brilliant device for teaching the player more about the Sámi world. This leads to an amusing conversation where Áilu requests his family knock three times before chopping down a tree, in order to give any inhabiting spirits a moment to vacate. In one example, Áilu’s magic drum allows him to commune with a tree spirit who hasn’t talked to a human in years – which has left the spirit slightly disgruntled. Askovis is laid-back and witty, but he’s also completely steadfast in his belief, which pushes Áilu to explore the roots of his Sámi culture – much of which he has consigned to the realm of fairy tales and campfire stories.Īs Áilu reconnects with his heritage and the beliefs held by his ancestors, Skábma becomes a richer world.

On a hunt to find a mythical man-eating Stállu, Askovis’ quest means he often crosses paths with Áilu – who believes these Stállu are nothing more than a myth. It’s always a delight to check in with each character as you criss-cross the world, and the writers at Red Stage Entertainment have done a fantastic job at making every conversation memorable.ĭespite fierce competition, a roguish hunter called Askovis is arguably Skábma‘s greatest character. From Áilu’s charming young cousin Nana to Jean, a (mostly) well-meaning French researcher on a mission to observe the Sámi way of life, the game is bursting with warm personality.

#Snowfall review upgrade#

Each upgrade feels suitably powerful and rewarding for the work required to unlock them, and getting to go back and explore regions that were previously locked off always delivers a satisfying payoff.Īlong your journey, you’ll get to know Skábma‘s small but lovely cast of characters.

The first spirit’s gift – given by Skuolfi, The Owl – lets Áilu cross gaps he couldn’t previously jump across, and is needed to unlock The Bear’s power – which breaks and moulds the Earth. These upgrades will be familiar to Metroidvania fans – beyond their use in navigating the world, they’re also used to unlock new areas to explore. Your drum is also blessed with magical powers that can guide you to treasure and draw corruption from the Earth, which comes in handy when you reach the shrines of the Familiar Spirits – four powerful entities that will grant Áilu the powers necessary to save his family. As a platformer, reaching your destination in Skábma often means tackling a variety of jumping puzzles. Instead, the game’s real enemy – ironically – is the environment itself. There’s few conventional enemies in Skábma, which means you’re never torn from that sense of tranquillity. Likewise, it’s a visual spectacle: verdant green forests are drizzled in gentle, moted lighting, and it feels like every beaten path leads to a breath-taking vista. Stepping into Skábma‘s lush environment feels like easing into a warm bath – the game’s atmosphere is intimately relaxing, something that’s helped by developer Red Stage Entertainment‘s choice to not besiege players with constant enemies. It’s more responsibility than most kids have on their plate, but somehow it’s never overwhelming. In the game’s opening moments, Áilu is dropped into the role of unwitting protagonist when tragedy strikes the reindeer he’s meant to be vigilantly herding, and he’s faced with banishment by his adopted family.Īrmed with a magical drum and a broken antler, Áilu sets off into Skábma‘s gorgeous world to save his home, prove his worth to his grumpy adopted father, and become a powerful Noaidis healer. Playing as Áilu, an equally small Sámi child in Northern Europe, you’re tasked with putting an end to an oozing Disorder that’s spreading across the land, inflicting a terrible disease upon man, beast and nature. In Skábma – Snowfall, your dying world is very small.

READ MORE: How Skábma: Snowfall is trying to save a culture.Beyond being a very real issue outside of our screens, it’s a conflict that rears its head in countless games – but adventure platformer Skábma – Snowfall paints it in colours you’ve likely never seen before.