BY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong
If you own one of the big-name video game consoles – an Xbox or a PlayStation – or even if you just play games on your computer, you’ve probably heard of the game Never Alone (Kisima Innitchuna). You will also have heard of it if you attended one of the recent events at UAS, “The Making of ‘Never Alone’: Native Voices and New Media Display.” Released in 2014, Never Alone uses the technology of gaming systems to share Native Alaskan culture and storytelling with the world. The main website for the game (http://neveralonegame.com/) explains this better than I can: “We paired world class game makers with Alaska Native storytellers and elders to create a game which delves deeply into the traditional lore of the Iñupiat people to present an experience like no other. Never Alone is our first title in an exciting new genre of ‘World Games’ that draw fully upon the richness of unique cultures to create complex and fascinating game worlds for a global audience.”
I attended the aforementioned event about Never Alone and its creation, but in preparation for doing so, I thought I would go ahead and try to actually finish playing the game. I got it for free through PlayStation Plus about a year ago, and after it downloaded I let it sit on my console for a while without actually ever playing it. Then, one night, I was tooling around on my PS4 while my friend sat on the couch trying to do homework, and found it in my menu of downloaded games. Recalling that I’d heard it was good and also short, I decided that my friend’s homework was less important than us having a Cultural Experience and kicked the game into gear. Continue reading ““Never Alone:” Until You Are”
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