Dontnod, the studio behind narrative classics like Life is Strange, is venturing into uncharted territory with their latest title, Aphelion. In an ambitious partnership with the European Space Agency, the team trades the quiet Pacific Northwest for the frozen, hostile planet of Persephone. The game’s success hinges on its foundational promise: to use that established storytelling DNA to weave a human, emotionally charged tale within a scientifically grounded space survival scenario. The end result is a beautiful, gripping, but technically flawed journey that will resonate deeply with some players while frustrating others.
A Tale of Two Astronauts on Persephone
Aphelion follows Ariane and Thomas, two astronauts on a mission to evaluate the viability of Persephone as a new home for humanity. A sudden accident leaves them stranded and separated, transforming their scientific survey into a desperate fight for survival and reunion. The narrative masterfully alternates between the two protagonists, exploring not only the physical dangers of the planet but the reservoirs of tense, unspoken feelings between them. Strong voice acting delivers tension, longing, and vulnerability, pulling players directly into the strained relationship at the story’s core.
The atmosphere evokes cinematic sci-fi like Interstellar, balancing a contemplative tone with a constant, humbling sense of cosmic insignificance. The game avoids romanticizing space travel, presenting it as a pursuit that is both awe-inspiring and terrifying when it goes wrong. While the emotional conclusion lands, it leaves a slight feeling of an unfinished thought, as if the final, definitive beat to close the characters’ arcs is missing. Nonetheless, for the vast majority of its 10-hour runtime, the story is a compelling anchor that drives the experience forward.
The Duality of Gameplay: Tomb Raider Meets Walking Simulator
True to its narrative split, Aphelion offers two distinct gameplay styles tied to each character. Controlling Ariane delivers a dynamic, adventurous feel reminiscent of titles like Tomb Raider. Players navigate treacherous ice caves, scale precarious cliffs, and solve environmental puzzles. Mechanics like a boost jump and carefully timed leaps create a constant, satisfying tension, where a single misstep can mean a fatal plunge. The introduction of a pulse tool to interact with the environment and distract a lurking alien threat adds a welcome layer of suspenseful stealth, even if the enemy’s AI behavior can sometimes be unreliable.
In stark contrast, sequences with Thomas adopt a slower, more introspective pace akin to a “walking simulator.” The focus shifts to methodical exploration of abandoned bases, resource management for essentials like oxygen, and contending with the character’s own physical limitations. This deliberate change of pace is initially effective in selling the loneliness and desperation of survival, but over time, the repetition of environments and interactions can become tedious. This rhythmic whiplash between high-octane exploration and plodding resource scavenging defines the gameplay loop, creating engagement that occasionally sags in its second half.
The Haunting Beauty and Bumpy Technical Reality of Persephone
Visually, Aphelion is often stunning. Persephone is realized as a breathtakingly hostile yet fascinating world of frozen wastes, deep caverns, and howling storms. The art direction powerfully reinforces themes of isolation and looming danger, creating a setting that feels authentically alien and intimidating. This strong visual immersion, however, is consistently undermined by a slew of technical issues. During the campaign, players encounter bugs ranging from odd animations to more disruptive problems like characters getting stuck in geometry or enemies failing to react appropriately.
Some death screens also feel conspicuously placeholder, reinforcing an overall sense of a game that needed more polish before launch. It’s worth noting that the reviewed version was a pre-release build, and the developers are aware of many of these issues, leaving room for hope that post-launch patches will smooth the experience. On a positive technical note, Dontnod has included robust accessibility options, such as an infinite oxygen tank for Thomas, allowing players to tailor the survival difficulty to focus on the story.
Verdict: A Flawed Gem Best Sampled Through Game Pass
Aphelion is a game that leans heavily on its strengths in atmospheric storytelling and character-driven emotion, trusting that foundation to carry players through its rougher edges. It successfully transplants Dontnod’s signature human touch to a desolate sci-fi setting, offering a narrative that will captivate fans of thoughtful, relationship-focused stories. However, its technical shortcomings and repetitive gameplay mechanics prevent it from reaching its full potential, creating a divide between its artistic ambitions and its polished execution.
For existing Xbox Game Pass subscribers with a passion for emotional sci-fi, Aphelion is an easy and highly recommended dive; its strengths shine brightly enough to overlook its flaws within the subscription’s risk-free framework. For players outside that ecosystem who demand a technically refined experience or have less patience for narrative-focused games with light gameplay loops, it may be wise to wait for a significant post-launch patch or a deep discount before embarking on this particular journey to the stars.
