Endling: Extinction is Forever

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 35

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While the gameplay is repetitive, Endling: Extinction tells an environmentally conscious story worth hearing, delivering a brutally honest view of how humanity is harming the natural world and the creatures that inhabit it.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 35

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 35

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Critic Reviews for Endling: Extinction is Forever

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

35

Reviews

Average Score - 80/100

80%

Ranges

Recommended

Rachel Watts (Rock, Paper, Shotgun)

Play as a mother fox looking for her missing cub in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is slowly dying. A scrappy survival tale with moments of tension and tenderness.

July 19, 2022 |

Full Review

Endling: Extinction is Forever is more than a game; it’s a statement. The commitment from Herobeat Studios’ to portray an honest view of how humans affect the environment is commendable. While there are heart-wrenching moments in the game that some may find too difficult to consume, it’s an incredible experience that will leave a lasting mark.

July 13, 2022 |

Full Review

86/100

Jaz Sagoo (COGconnected)

9/10

Keenan McCall (TechRaptor)

Endling: Extinction Is Forever may not be perfect, but the story and experience it provides is a cut above.

July 19, 2022 |

Full Review

Rachel Watts (Rock, Paper, Shotgun)

Recommended - (Read Review)

Play as a mother fox looking for her missing cub in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is slowly dying. A scrappy survival tale with moments of tension and tenderness.

Jaz Sagoo (COGconnected)

86/100 - (Read Review)

Keenan McCall (TechRaptor)

9/10 - (Read Review)

Endling: Extinction Is Forever may not be perfect, but the story and experience it provides is a cut above.

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Read the Reviews (35 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
33bits	Fernando Sánchez	90 / 100	08-29-2022	Endling	Read review
Bazimag	Sina Golabzade	8.5 / 10	07-17-2022	Endling: Extinction is Forever may not be very challenging gameplay-wise but emotionally it is quite devastating. The developers have managed to deliver a good survival game with a very important message that deserves a lot of attention.	Read review
COGconnected	Jaz Sagoo	86 / 100	07-13-2022	Endling: Extinction is Forever is more than a game; it’s a statement. The commitment from Herobeat Studios’ to portray an honest view of how humans affect the environment is commendable. While there are heart-wrenching moments in the game that some may find too difficult to consume, it’s an incredible experience that will leave a lasting mark.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Cristina Bona	8 / 10	07-26-2022	In Endling: Extinction Is Forever the urgency of survival and the pangs of hunger alternate wisely with more relaxed moments and touching discoveries, for an engaging and emotionally charged adventure. The story told by Herobeat Studio is silent, accompanied only by the images evoked by the nose of mother fox and the excellent soundtrack. Perhaps also for this reason, the power of the message conveyed by the game is remarkable, able to reach its peak in an epilogue that you will hardly forget.	Read review
Explosion Network	Wil James	8.5 / 10	07-26-2022	Overall, my time with Endling	Read review
Gamer Escape	Justin Mercer	7 / 10	07-19-2022	Had more steps been taken to engage the player in the minute-by-minute gameplay or encourage replayability, the number below might have been a notch or two higher. As it stands, however, Endling is a game where the gameplay and mechanics are readily outclassed by its theming and presentation. It’s certainly an experience worth having, but not one that lives up to its full potential.	Read review
GameSpace	Brau3er	7 / 10	08-02-2022	Endling: Extinction is Forever is a tech-savvy game built around well-built gameplay. The repetitive process of hunting for survival and exploring whenever possible seems intentional and draws the player into this world. There are no ordinary moments in this wild nature, and any moments of routine or boredom quickly end with a bear trap or an encounter with a Scavenger. Endling knows what he wants to achieve and doesn’t try to overdo it or over complicate it. Every choice matters to the designers, as well as to you when you’re trying to survive and feed your puppies.	Read review
GameSpew	Richard Seagrave	8 / 10	07-25-2022	Short but poignant; that’s ultimately what Endling: Extinction is Forever is. It perfectly conveys the horrors that mankind is capable of, and how it affects the land and animals around us. And it doesn’t pull any punches. There’s no happy ending here, no matter how good you are at looking after your cubs. It’s a game that should be played though, as its message is important. Just be ready to have your soul destroyed by the time the credits roll.	Read review
GamingBolt	Shubhankar Parijat	8 / 10	07-28-2022	Endling	Read review
GamingTrend	Anthony Shelton	60 / 100	07-19-2022	The events in Endling create sad emotions but they do not connect with how mankind is destroying the Earth. Events happen and we’re supposed to feel something because they happened, but the emotions are diminished because there is no connection to the message or the characters. It held up in the short five hours of play thanks to intriguing survival mechanics, but even those were messed up by an unfortunate, frustrating tug of war between survival and story progression.	Read review
Geek Culture	Jake Su	7.4 / 10	07-19-2022	An experience that is a departure from the norm, Endling – Extinction is Forever is a game that pushes a real-world agenda that could definitely use your attention if you care enough.	Read review
GRYOnline.pl	Karol Laska	8 / 10	07-18-2022	Brace for a brutally realistic graphical marvel with post-apocalyptic undertones and elements of ecopunk. Endling is a gripping, poignant adventure without much room for positive emotions. It sends a message that’s supposed to hurt.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Kyle LeClair	4 / 5 stars	07-24-2022	Endling may be lacking on the difficulty side, but it more than makes up for it when it comes to delivering a breathtaking story about loss, survival and the environment, topped with a gorgeous art style and an impressive evolving world to explore. It may be a brief journey (clocking in at around four hours), but it’s one that’s worth playing through, an emotional roller coaster that’s still fun to play and gets you invested in the struggles of our furry friends, so don’t sleep on it.	Read review
Hey Poor Player	Daymon Trapold	4.5 / 5 stars	08-03-2022	Endling – Extinction is Forever is a powerful game. It deftly highlights human greed, corruption, and our unique knack for environmental devastation. At the same time, it offers glimmers of hope and redemption, tiny bright spots that manage to shine through the encroaching darkness. The trials and tribulations of the traumatized fox at the heart of the game will leave your heart aching and bruised, and you’ll be left somehow simultaneously saddened and enraged. Such sorrowful fury is meant to be a powerful motivator: use it.	Read review
IGN Italy	Alessandra Borgonovo	9 / 10	07-25-2022	An exciting, tragic and narratively impactful journey that deals with its themes in a bold and never sloppy way.	Read review
New Game Network	Ben Thomas	58 / 100	09-09-2022	Endling may look nice, but it is a monotonous animal adventure with simple fox-feeding gameplay, bland skills, and restrictive exploration.	Read review
NintendoWorldReport	Ted Hazell	8 / 10	07-19-2022	Endling	Read review
NoobFeed	Justin Van Huyssteen	90 / 100	07-19-2022	Endling	Read review
Paste Magazine	Emily Price	7.9 / 10	07-20-2022	It avoids feeling like a simple educational game while also hitting emotional highs that underscore humanity’s impact on animal populations. A story that becomes overly simplistic in its back half and some frustrating stealth sections aren’t enough to stop the game from being an engaging survival experience, or to dilute its brutally honest message about the challenges that await us as we hurtle towards warming without adequate regulations. Endling’s greatest skill is in making us empathize with the animals we live among, and in making it clear that though they bear the effects of climate change before we do, our fates are ultimately entwined.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	Tommy Holloway	8.5 / 10	07-19-2022	Herobeat Studios set out to create a game that raises environmental awareness, and in doing so they have created a heartfelt message in the form of a very charming video game. Endling: Extinction is Forever lacks some variety, but tugs on the heartstrings, with an emotional story and genuinely asks the player to reflect on current environmental issues.	Read review
PSX Brasil	Bruno Ribeiro	80 / 100	07-21-2022	Endling: Extinction is Forever is narrative focused and has a good story. Its repetitive mechanics, however, can make the game tiring and difficult to play for many hours in a row. Even so, it’s worth it; although quite sad, it has a proportionate characteristic beauty.	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Rachel Watts	Recommended	07-19-2022	Play as a mother fox looking for her missing cub in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is slowly dying. A scrappy survival tale with moments of tension and tenderness.	Read review
Screen Rant	Laura Gray	3.5 / 5 stars	07-19-2022	The title may not be a good pick for casual gamers or those who enjoy survival narratives that are fantasy-driven, as it specifically focuses on displaying the real-world effects of habitat destruction and pollution. Despite this, Endling, Extinction is Forever is a deeply emotional and thought-evoking journey that will leave an impression on anyone who chooses to play it.	Read review
SECTOR.sk	Branislav Kohút	8 / 10	07-27-2022	Endling is about survival and a deep maternal feeling, thanks to which even in a depressed catastrophic world there is still hope for salvation and at least some kind of future. And that’s why it makes sense to fight until the last breath. And that’s why it’s worth playing this game with its message of sacrifice and love.	Read review
Shacknews	Morgan Shaver	8 / 10	07-19-2022	The visuals are stunning, and the soundtrack excels at aiding in conveying the gravity of the bad, as well as the moments of light and joy included in the game. Overall, if you enjoy games with deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface, you’ll love Endling. If you enjoy games that make you cry, you’ll certainly find that with Endling. Bugs and minor issues aside, Endling is one of the more moving games I’ve played this year, and I highly recommend it. Just be sure to have some tissues on hand, just in case.	Read review
Softpedia	Cosmin Vasile	8 / 10	07-31-2022	Endling	Read review
SpazioGames	Stefania Sperandio	7 / 10	07-18-2022	Endling: Extinction is forever has many improvable aspects, from its level design to its core gameplay loop. And yet, its repetitive structure is exactly what it’s needed to fully make you feel like you are the fox with her little cubs, to experience how hard it is to keep on living in a world that is trying in every way to get rid of you. A touching, sincere and heartfelt experience which can be told only through video games.	Read review
TechRaptor	Keenan McCall	9 / 10	07-19-2022	Endling: Extinction Is Forever may not be perfect, but the story and experience it provides is a cut above.	Read review
The Escapist	Will Cruz	Recommended	07-19-2022	Video Review	Read review
The Games Machine	Emanuele Feronato	8.2 / 10	08-19-2022	Endling	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Dominic Leighton	8 / 10	08-01-2022	Endling: Extinction is Forever is a poignant piece of emotive short-form storytelling, telling a tale of survival that isn’t just a conversation starter, but one that asks for immediate change.	Read review
ThisGenGaming	Justin Oneil	9 / 10	08-18-2022	Endling – Extinction is Forever is a beautiful, heartfelt journey but one that is also tragic and cruel. It really goes into how man’s actions on the environment have far reaching consequences and I applaud Herobeat Studios for building a game around this message. The only downside of it to me is that I wish it had a bit more variety in some parts. If you love animals and are looking for a game that will hit you right in the feels then Endling is a must-play.	Read review
Twinfinite	Khayl Adam	4 / 5 stars	07-19-2022	Fraught, lonely, and emotionally devastating, Enderling: Extinction is Forever is a powerful example of the kinds of experiences that are only possible through the medium of video games.	Read review
Washington Post	Chan Khee Hoon	Recommended	07-20-2022	“Endling” isn’t the sort of game you might settle down to play after a long day of doomscrolling through social media; it’s the sort that forces you to confront the monstrous scale and toll of human activity on the ecosystem and the planet. And yet, even as a deeply apocalyptic look at what feels like the imminent end of our world, the game’s profound pessimism doesn’t stray too far from the truth. Scientists have already warned that we are in danger of losing 20 to 50 percent of all species by the end of this century; the bulk of this is due to human activity.	Read review
Windows Central	Rebecca Spear	3.5 / 5 stars	07-19-2022	Endling	Read review

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Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

As the last mother fox on Earth, your cubs need all your care to survive in a merciless world that slowly destroys itself. You have to help them, teach them and save them. And you should never forget that extinction is forever.

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