Developer Don't Nod
Release Window Spring 2025
Genre Third-person Cinematic Adventure
Setting Persephone (Edge of Solar System)

Don’t Nod’s Orbit: From Life is Strange to Icy Existential Dread

We’ve seen Don’t Nod master the art of the "small-town mystery," but Aphelion represents a massive leap into the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space. Based on the latest gameplay deep dive and early hands-on time with chapters one and four, the studio is attempting a high-wire act: blending the methodical climbing of Jusant with the cinematic, heart-pounding tension of Uncharted and Alien: Isolation. The premise is a classic sci-fi catastrophe. You control a pair of European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts, Ariane and Thomas, whose mission to the planet Persephone goes sideways in the worst way possible. After a ship explosion separates the duo, you're tasked with reuniting them across a hostile, frozen wilderness using high-tech gear and their specific scientific expertise.

The "Jusant" DNA: Parkour and the Perils of Gravity

Our biggest takeaway from the preview build is that Aphelion isn’t just a walking simulator. It’s a climbing simulator—for better or worse. Don’t Nod is clearly lifting mechanics from their previous title, Jusant, though they’ve streamlined the tools to be less about resource management and more about forward momentum. However, we found the current platforming state to be a bit of a double-edged sword. While the parkour looks great in trailers, the actual experience involves a lot of "fatal plunges." The game-over screens—short, blunt "eulogies" like "A fatal plunge killed Ariane"—can get grating. We believe the final build needs more distinct ledges and clearer "no-go zones." If Don’t Nod doesn't tighten up the environmental signposting, the frustration of falling might overshadow the thrill of the climb.

Survival Horror in the Silence of Space

One of the most effective pivots in the demo happens when the game shifts from open-air platforming to claustrophobic tension. In one sequence, Ariane enters a dark cave armed only with a flashlight, facing off against a "snake-like extraterrestrial leviathan." This is where the Alien: Isolation influence kicks in. This behemoth is blind but has incredible hearing, turning the game into a high-stakes stealth encounter. While the alien isn't quite as terrifying as a Xenomorph yet, the "thunk-thunk-thunk" of it stalking you beneath the ice is a genuine spike in blood pressure.

The Don’t Nod Charm: Why the Writing Might Save the Day

The action might feel a bit clunky right now, but the storytelling is where Aphelion shows its real teeth. We were particularly struck by Ariane’s characterization. After narrowly escaping a multicellular organism that tried to disembowel her, she doesn't just cower—she starts rattling off scientific notes. That "scientist dweeb" energy is exactly the kind of earnest, quirky writing we’ve come to expect from this studio. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the typical "action hero" archetype. If Don’t Nod can lean into this personal, emotional core while smoothing out the experimental turbulence of the platforming, Aphelion could be a standout sci-fi journey when it lands this spring.