Shelter 2

It’s likely just as hard to make a calm game, as it is to build an action-packed feature. As such, Shelter 2 nails the former aspect nicely, letting its audience participate in the wonder of nature through a lynx family, mother and cubs. While this comes with its share of imperfections, it makes up for it in highly emotive value and an individual art style.

Expanses are built in rudimentary shapes, themselves colored with more angular shapes in lighted pastels. These blocky trees and bushes rustle along with the winds, giving them a more dynamic form. Once safe in a cozy nest, a mother lynx can nurture the young and give them names. From there, the open world is ripe for the taking, offspring in tow.

Didn't give them awfully inappropriate names for once. Where's my prize?

A good parent keeps their family within earshot and perhaps the best quality of Shelter 2 is the sound fidelity given to the little critters. Mewling has the exact pitch necessary to convey the emotions of the kittens, which pierces right through many a heart. Whether it’s a playful acknowledgement of a mother’s call or a sound of distress, both evoke an immediate and profound response. Seriously, these cries are cute and captivating on a whole different level, even without the desire to own children.

So, to make sure the four rascals are satisfied, the parent will need to hunt. Armed with a predatory sense, it’s possible to see red and spot prey from afar. Bunnies, frogs or even big game stand no chance, as long as the approach is silent and the detonation is fast and explosive. A mad dash can outrun most creatures and comes with a sweeping wind that zones in on the dangerous lunge. This move, however, is in limited supply and most animals won’t go down without a wily runaround, twisting and turning to keep the predator fooled. Controlling the beast is tense, as sharp turns are tricky to follow through on with both mouse and directional inputs. The weight associated with the speed and turning angle do have a real sense to them, so that’s not a problem; it only makes a capture more rewarding.

More so, the struggle to control the killer is troublesome due to some collision detection, which can be stickier than it ought to. In the worst of cases, the camera will start to get confused, completely ruining any chance to bag a meal. There are definitely a few rough patches in the technical design to take into account. Some rock formations can be jumped onto, but this will trap the lynx and, much more problematic, the young as well. While Shelter 2 might not limit freedom, it’s likely not the best idea to follow through on any more adventurous paths.

After eventually snagging a moving dinner, the spoils can be eaten or handed to the pack. Keeping everyone well fed is the key element in the game, virtually nothing else matters. There is an impression of repetition in running after prey, capturing it and absorbing it, but there is luckily enough hanging in the balance to provide the necessary excitement. For one, having a kitten die is a plain heart-crushing event no one wants to experience. So, each kill is one that’s vital; it’s rarely wasted.

More practically, seasons flow like the wind in Shelter 2, which also means that creatures aren’t always as present. As winter sets, it’s best to have a full stomach, because there won’t be as many rabbits hopping around as before. To limit scarcity, the family can freely move between regions, some more open and others populated with trees and hills. Each location has more specific fauna, which leads to a yearlong trek to ensure an optimal murdering field.

Sporadically, there may be an additional exciting ingredient. It would be strange to expect the lynx to be the only set of sharp teeth. Wolves may also appear, which leaves the young vulnerable. Especially in stormy weather, the howls in the horizon will make one thing clear: Protect the pack at all costs. Where the survival game invites a fight in almost all its aspects, it’s more prudent to take flight, rather than taking on several angry predators. There’s too much risk in that anyway. The mother could fight off an enemy, but what about the little ones? Run and live to fight another day.

That said, the open atmosphere Shelter 2 provides works for better or for worse. Except for the unwritten rule of keeping the offspring fed, there isn’t a lot of direction or even variety that can drive the game ahead. To offset that, a full cycle is set in a short run, only taking a few hours. Brevity, however, isn’t universally liked either. In order to improve the latter complaint, the design is pointed towards replay value. Any surviving kittens can start the breeding cycle anew. Distinctly colored fur patches carry over, yielding some incentive to strive for certain goals. There are also tons of collectibles that encourage exploring the full map. Neither options are highly convincing, but providing for the family is, which brings the other aspects with it. Hearing those little rascals peep one more time is worth any effort.

Short but oh so sweet, Shelter 2 is an experience that is meant to be felt more than it is an endurance test. It has some technical kinks and could be a bit deeper, but the tradeoff in emotional value is more than satisfactory; it’s downright beautiful and not just visually. That isn’t to say that there isn’t any motivation to be found in the survival game, not at all; it’s just that going at it from a merely stoic standpoint would be selling the adventure short. It’d be nearly impossible to stay apathetic at the sound of those adorable whimpers anyway.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)