Review: Aphelion

There was a time when the name Don’t Nod carried a certain kind of emotional weight for me. Games like Remember Me showed a studio willing to take risks with storytelling, atmosphere, and world building, even if the gameplay itself was not always perfect. Then of course there was Life Is Strange, the breakout hit that turned the studio into one of the most recognizable narrative driven developers in gaming. Their titles usually have heart. Even when flawed, they tend to leave a lasting impression.

That is what makes Aphelion such a disappointment.

Set in the year 2060, humanity is on the verge of extinction as Earth becomes increasingly uninhabitable. The discovery of a distant ninth planet called Persephone offers one final chance for survival, leading to the launch of the Hope-01 mission by the European Space Agency. Two astronauts, Ariane and Thomas, are sent to investigate the frozen world, only for disaster to strike when their ship crashes on arrival. Separated across the icy planet, the pair must survive hostile terrain, uncover strange mysteries, and somehow reunite.

On paper, it sounds like classic Don’t Nod material. Emotional storytelling. Sci fi mystery. Isolation. Human relationships under pressure. It should have been a perfect setup for the studio’s strengths.

Instead, Aphelion feels like an exhausting march through snow with very little payoff.

The game presents itself as a cinematic third person adventure, but most of the experience boils down to slowly walking forward, climbing marked ledges, shimmying across icy walls, squeezing through tight gaps, and occasionally using a grappling hook to swing over obvious platforming sections. It becomes repetitive shockingly fast. The first hour still carries some intrigue thanks to the beautiful environments and mystery surrounding Persephone, but once you realize the gameplay loop never meaningfully evolves, the cracks start to show.

And unfortunately, the pacing only gets worse from there.

There were multiple moments where I caught myself checking the clock, hoping the game was building toward some major twist or gameplay expansion that never really arrived. For a studio called Don’t Nod, the entire experience had me trying not to nod off and fall asleep, which honestly feels almost cruelly ironic considering the pedigree behind the developer.

Traversal is serviceable but incredibly basic. Ariane’s climbing sections lack tension because every jump feels overly scripted and safe. You rarely feel like you are overcoming environmental challenges through skill. Instead, it feels more like following invisible instructions from checkpoint to checkpoint. Climb here. Swing there. Crawl through this opening. Repeat. Over and over again.

The grappling hook mechanics initially seem like they might add momentum or creativity to exploration, but they are heavily restricted to designated points and never evolve into anything satisfying. It often feels less like interacting with a world and more like activating the next animation sequence.

Thomas’ sections are arguably even slower. Injured and separated from Ariane, his gameplay revolves around investigating environments, scanning clues, and piecing together what happened after the crash. These moments are clearly intended to deepen the story and build suspense, but the pacing drags so heavily that they instead become a chore. The game constantly mistakes slow movement for emotional depth.

Visually, though, there is no denying that Aphelion looks fantastic. Persephone is stunning in an icy, haunting sort of way. Snowstorms sweep across massive frozen landscapes while distant alien structures emerge through blizzards with genuine cinematic flair. The environmental artists deserve serious praise because the atmosphere often carries scenes that the gameplay cannot.

There are moments where the sheer scale of the world captures that lonely science fiction feeling perfectly. Walking across frozen valleys beneath dim alien skies can be genuinely striking. Unfortunately, pretty scenery alone cannot sustain a ten plus hour experience.

The stealth sections involving the hostile alien creature are another missed opportunity. These sequences should have injected tension and unpredictability into the gameplay, but instead they feel frustratingly scripted. The creature appears at obvious intervals, forcing you through slow crouch walking sections where trial and error quickly replaces fear. There is very little actual intelligence or dynamic behavior involved. Once you understand the pattern, the illusion completely falls apart.

Even worse, these encounters interrupt the already sluggish pacing instead of enhancing it.

Narratively, the relationship between Ariane and Thomas tries hard to provide emotional grounding, but the writing never fully reaches the emotional heights that Don’t Nod is known for. Their complicated past and strained connection are introduced early, yet much of their dialogue feels strangely flat and predictable. The game wants players to become deeply invested in their reunion, but the chemistry never develops naturally enough to truly land.

That lack of emotional payoff hurts because story has always been this studio’s strongest weapon.

The reality bending mysteries surrounding Persephone also fail to deliver satisfying answers. The game spends hours teasing strange phenomena, hidden truths beneath the ice, and unsettling discoveries, but the eventual reveals feel underwhelming compared to the buildup. It is one of those narratives that constantly hints at something profound without ever fully committing to it.

What makes the disappointment sting more is knowing what this studio is capable of. Remember Me had ambition bursting from every corner despite its flaws. Life Is Strange created unforgettable emotional moments that stuck with players for years. Even some of Don’t Nod’s lesser known projects usually offer at least one standout mechanic or narrative hook.

Aphelion never finds that spark.

Everything about it feels safe, overly controlled, and strangely lifeless. The gameplay lacks excitement. The stealth lacks tension. The emotional moments lack impact. The mystery lacks payoff. What remains is a visually polished but painfully repetitive walking simulator dressed up as a cinematic survival adventure.

That is not to say the game is completely without merit. Players who enjoy extremely slow paced narrative exploration games may still appreciate the atmosphere and visual storytelling. There is also something admirable about the grounded sci fi presentation, especially in an era where many space games lean heavily into action spectacle. Aphelion clearly wants to be introspective and human.

It just forgets to make the journey engaging.

There is a version of this game that could have worked brilliantly. A tighter narrative. More meaningful survival systems. Less repetitive traversal. More dynamic alien encounters. Stronger character writing. The ingredients were there. The execution simply was not.

By the end credits, I was left feeling less emotionally devastated and more relieved that the climb was finally over.

For a studio with such a strong legacy in narrative gaming, Aphelion lands as one of Don’t Nod’s weakest projects in years. Beautiful visuals and a promising premise are ultimately buried beneath repetitive gameplay, sluggish pacing, and a story that never reaches the emotional heights it desperately chases.