Our beloved red fox returns in the sequel to Spirit of the North, joined by a new and charming companion, in an exciting new adventure filled with new features ready to captivate players.
When we first played Spirit of the North in 2019, we were, in a way, literally swept away by its beauty, its atmosphere, without dwelling too much on the significant shortcomings and limitations in gameplay, appreciating the game for what it was. A beautiful, atmospheric, and thrilling adventure immersed in the breathtaking landscapes of Iceland, inspired by Nordic folklore.
The project crafted by Infuse Studio and published by Merge Games had truly managed to give us magical hours in the shoes of this small and endearing fox with a tapered tail in this beautiful world fallen into ruin, amidst the remnants of an ancient lost civilization, alone but guided by the guardian of the Northern Lights.
And so, Infuse Studio and Merge Games join forces once again for Spirit of the North 2,a new adventure following in the footsteps of its predecessor but with many new strings to its bow. Starting with a new cute companion, who will accompany our fox on its new perilous journey.
The game is coming soon to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Let’s take a brief look at all the new features and innovations introduced by the developers in the sequel.
About Infuse Studio
Infuse Studio is a little indie game development team comprising eight members, founded in 2015 in Raleigh, the capital of the state of North Carolina. The studio was initially created and co-founded by Tayler Christensen, specializing particularly in 3D environment art and UE4 blueprints, and Jacob Sutton, who is also specialized in 3D environment design.
Since its foundation, the studio has supplied high-quality 3D assets to the masses through the Unreal Marketplace and CubeRush, until the idea for Spirit of the North took shape. The studio’s inaugural video game was released in 2019, first on November 1, 2019, for PlayStation 4, on May 7, 2020, for PC and Nintendo Switch, and later for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Amazon Luna.
On October 25, 2023, after three years of intensive development, during the Xbox Partner Preview event, Infuse Studio unveiled Spirit of the North 2, the ambitious sequel to the original work from 2019. This project marks the studio’s second video game, building upon the solid foundation laid by the prequel but with more innovation. It introduces new features and a more complex structure for gameplay and character evolution.
From Past to Present: The collaboration between Merge Games and Infuse Studio returns
Merge Games is not a publisher that needs introductions. It is a team that has been quite prolific in the indie gaming industry in past years, and in recent times, it has solidified its position and portfolio with the release of some important video games.
How can we describe Merge Games? As a team of publishers, developers, and, of course, gamers, working in harmony to contribute to the diversity of the indie gaming scene. They invest in an inclusive, creative working culture where everyone has a voice and feels valued.
In addition to their role as a publisher for the release of Spirit of the North in 2019, the team has collaborated with and supported various intriguing game development studios. Notable collaborations include Alchemist Interactive for Spells and Secrets, Motion Twin for Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, and Dimfrost Studio for the acclaimed Bramble: The Mountain King.
As mentioned earlier, Spirit of the North 2 will see a renewed collaboration between Infuse Studio and Merge Games. It stands as another testament to the commendable work accomplished by both teams in the prequel, showcasing the trust the publisher has in this new project and development team.
The Main Innovations of the Sequel
With Spirit of the North 2, the team at Infuse Studio set out to achieve much more, striving to elevate both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the production. The game will significantly raise the bar compared to its predecessor, starting with the use of a considerably larger budget and harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5 and its features to prepare the game for the next-gen. This includes the engine’s fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system, implemented through the integration of Lumen.
If you’ve played Spirit of the North, you’ll remember that the prequel excelled inits artistic and technical aspects. The use of Unreal Engine 5 will enable Infuse Studio to stay even more up-to-date, employing a cutting-edge engine that utilizes features to elevate the graphical rendering, creating an even more impressive and realistic experience.
Unlike the first installment, Spirit of the North 2 will feature a wide variety of biomes, leading players into a significantly more diverse and enduring experience. Without forgetting the numerous additions that the developers have integrated into the gameplay, including an expanded and varied selection of environmental puzzles and a complex system of new abilities, which players can enhance with over 30 runes to discover and unlock. These abilities will be immensely helpful in overcoming titanic challenges and purifying corrupted guardians in thrilling puzzle-based encounters.
In the game, there will also be extensive character customization options, enabling players to personalize the protagonist according to their preferences.
Spirit of the North 2 will also introduce an exceptional guest—a brand-new wise raven companion that will inject even more dynamism into the gameplay. This companion accompanies us in the discovery of the lost civilization. Henceforth, our adorable, isolated fox won’t be alone anymore.
Are you ready to free the legendary ancient guardians? Ready to bring the fox back to its native land? Well, you’ll first have to face Grimnir, the dark shaman who rules these lands.
The release date for Spirit of the North 2 has not been announced yet, but based on what we’ve seen at the end of the trailer and in the update posted by the developers on the game’s Steam page, we know that the title is set to launch in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
While awaiting further details and updates on the game, stay tuned with us to catch all the latest information about Spirit of the North 2. Don’t forget to visit the websites of Infuse Studio and Merge Games for the latest updates on the title.
That’s all for today. Talk to you soon.
