With the graphical limitations that often plague mobile games, unique and creatives solutions have emerged. Graphical tricks, alternate art styles and condensed playtime aid developers in creating mobile games without the player losing immersion.
I have never seen a mobile game look this good, and I have seldom seen games on any platform pull off a stylized, hand drawn art style so well. This is Never Gone, a Gothic, anime style fighting game for android, iOS and PC.
Pros of Never Gone
The art style is incredible. It’s clear the artists spent a lot of time and effort perfecting the sprites and environment. Not a single asset seems out of place and the art coincides aptly with the type of game Never Gone is. Its low frame animation speed, a downside in most games, makes the fighting and transit between fights all the more satisfying. The graphics are quick, clean, and smooth, taking nothing away from the experience of the game.
The music is slightly above average. Like most people I tend to mute mobile games and listen to my own music, but I found myself listening to the soundtrack and sound effects for Never Gone.
Like the art, all of the sound effects or music fitted nicely with the atmosphere of the game. While there’s nothing special with the sound effects or soundtrack, both aspects add flavor to the game’s overall feel.
The gameplay is incredible. The combat felt like a mix of Dark Souls and Dark Rising, slashing through a horde of skeletons while dodging and remaining untouched. I felt myself craving the hordes and the satisfying fights to follow (and there were a lot of hordes, almost too many) and every fight left me feeling progressive and strong.
The mechanics are pretty basic, but in this case less is more. Any fancier combos and controls would come at the price of performance issues and reduced graphics, a trade I wouldn’t make after having played Never Gone for a few days. The sparse combos you pull off in the game felt fun and effortless, but still requiring skill and timing to defeat these massive groups of enemies. The game play satisfied both my casual, carefree play style and my competitive edge.
Cons of Never Gone
Never Gone was originally made in Japanese. As such, due to time or budget restraints it has suffered poor translation into English. The developers have reached out to fans promising a better, more polished translation in the future, but no official report has been made by the team behind the game.
However, if you can get over the cheesy dialogue and weird translation, I strongly suggest you purchase Never Gone. Never Gone is the perfect blend of story, addicting game play and beautiful art.
Try Never Gone out and let us know in the comments what you think!
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