Aphelion Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

I want to love Aphelion, but I just can’t see beyond its spacial limitations and lack of characterization. Oh, I know deep down that Don’t Nod has a way with words—a special kind of love language that waxes both great storytelling and thought-provoking emotions over well-ribboned episodic tales. Yet, there’s something missing from Aphelion’s sci-fi marathon, and sadly, it doesn’t take all that long to unravel its flaws and lack of technical polish. Don’t get me wrong, it boasts an intriguing concept, as well as a dual timeline, to boot. But it’s the execution that dampens the spirit. Or, better yet, the lack of a special sauce that makes an otherwise dull and monotonous game a brilliant interactive experience.

Aphelion isn’t one for laying it on thick with details or drawn-out character development. Instead, it opts for a lack of transparency in its storytelling department, with little context, dual protagonists with little to no outstanding personality traits or major backstories, and a planet that’s penned as earth’s “new hope.” An abrupt crash and an extraterrestrial intervention later, the two fledgling astronauts in this story—Ariana and Thomas—find themselves trapped on a frozen surface, with one of them being jaunted by an injury on one side of the planet, and the other being physically capable of climbing and exploring the other side of it. And this is where you begin your journey: from behind the lens of both Ariana and Thomas, on two different paths and in search of a true north that can bring them closer to the root of the seemingly abandoned planet. Earth may be doomed to collapse, but there is still just a slither of hope in the barren boroughs of this peculiar world.

The game itself is torn between two distinct gameplay styles, with Thomas’ portions being more reliant on stealth and investigatory work, and Ariana’s being more about platforming and “action.” And when I say action, I mean frequent QTEs and the usual wall-to-wall climbing and strolling segments that you would typically find in a Don’t Nod episodic adventure. For hours at a time, might I add. You hold the stick down, and you walk, all whilst soaking up the atmosphere and holding out for something special to take place. Unfortunately, that’s about as deep as these waters run, as outside of the snail-like movements, there isn’t a lot else for you to do.

If you’re playing as Ariana, you are either climbing in a Tomb Raider-like fashion, or sliding down various treacherous paths whilst actively avoiding dangerous obstacles. If you’re playing as Thomas, however, you are either stumbling around, scanning areas for clues, or keeping a lid on an ever-declining oxygen supply. But that’s about it. The chapters merge, and before long you just sort of, I don’t know, switch off and glide through the motions without thinking twice about the mission.

In the eleven chapters that Aphelion uses to bridge what can only be described as a linear arc with little to no major twists or turns, both Thomas and Ariana find themselves in similar predicaments, with both timelines swiveling on a familiar axis of predictable continuity. For the most part, you either find yourself walking between anchor points, following brightly painted trails, and waltzing through the motions in search of that ever-elusive story beat. And while this usually comes after several steps across the lunar surface, Aphelion, sadly, never really finds a stable spot to support the hike. The trek continues, but it never really establishes a destination. Or at least, not one that you care, or even want to find. Sadly, things just sort of continue, but at no point does the fork in the road lead to anything particularly exciting. You just, well, walk and climb.

While Aphelion does leave a concerning amount to be desired in its general gameplay department, the world and its space setting are both rather beautiful. And, given that you spend most of your time tiptoeing along these dotted lines of lunar checkpoints, this is actually a strong suit. Sure, the characters lack depth, and the storyline is about as forgettable as they come. But, to give credit where credit is due, Aphelion does manage to breathe life into a great setting. It’s just a crying shame that it doesn’t do much else to support it. The location is on point, true, but is that enough to justify its lack of material? Eh, not really, no. Thank goodness it’s on Xbox Game Pass, then.

Suffice it to say, if you’re a Don’t Nod fan who enjoys the frequent QTE-based gimmick and the slow but seemingly meaningful investigation aspects of a game, then you’re probably going to enjoy jolting through the barren corridors of Aphelion’s space. That being said, I wouldn’t expect any exciting surprises here, as the game has more walking, more climbing, and more tiresome triggers (a stumble after every climb, for example) than I’ve ever seen in a Don’t Nod game before. At first, it’s something that you can turn a blind eye to. But after several chapters, the gimmick begins to fade, and before long it all becomes a monotonous affair with very little reward. You want more, but you never really find anything to satisfy that craving.

While the game itself plays well and has some slick animations, the voice acting and frequent frame drops do often sully an otherwise thorough sci-fi drama. It isn’t terrible by any means, but to call it the Belle of the Don’t Nod ball would be an exaggeration, truly.

Verdict

Aphelion doesn’t quite represent Don’t Nod at its best, given that it misses out on that all-important “special” ingredient that it frequently incorporates in its earlier story-driven works. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea behind it, but it’s the lack of characterization and world-building (and not to mention the excruciatingly dull gameplay) that dampen the experience here and spoil an otherwise fantastic interactive tale. I want it to be great, but sadly, it falls short in more ways than one, to the point where I simply can’t afford to recommend it to anyone looking for a brilliant sci-fi adventure. For die-hard Don’t Nod fans, maybe.