Developer 2 Ton Studios' Unto the End is an experience that doesn't quite fit inside a specific genre and isn't really like anything else in the industry. It is at times frustrating and nerve-wracking and at others intense and exciting, but from beginning to end Unto the End is immensely rewarding and captivating. Even if all of the work hadn't been completed by a two person team, Unto the End would still be an impressive product, but given that context, it's an astonishing achievement.
While there is no narration or spoken dialogue between the characters of Unto the End, there is a simple story at play. The player takes control of a man who gets himself lost while out on a hunting trip, and must make his way through a dangerous, enemy-laden mountain with nothing but a sword, a dagger, and a torch at his disposal. The man isn't a strong legendary hero who is out to save the world, but rather just a desperate and lost person who wants to reunite with his wife and child.
On the man's journey home in Unto the End he is forced to face off against many deadly creatures. Combat is brutal and most fights will end with just a few hits, so players have to stay on their toes at all times. Fighting is also complicated as players can do a light and heavy attack, feint at an enemy, charge at them with their shoulder, dodge roll, and even throw their dagger or spear. With so many options players can become overwhelmed pretty quickly, which makes for a challenging experience.
Combat difficulty is further exacerbated by some realistic mechanics seldom seen in other action games. If the player dodge rolls into a wall or takes a particularly powerful hit they will fall to the ground and drop their sword and torch. This makes them unable to attack until their weapon is picked up, and, depending on how aggressive their opponent is, not being fast enough can spell the end for the player. If an enemy manages to score a hit and cause the player to bleed, they can actually bleed out over time as well. The longer that the player goes without resting and healing their injury then the more likely that injury will become worse and cause them to bleed out. Because of these more realistic combat mechanics it is unwise to take risks against enemies, and instead playing carefully is a necessity.
This isn't to say that combat is the only important aspect of Unto the End. All of the NPCs that populate the world are realistic with intelligent AI, and most of them won't attack right away. Those who put their weapons away and offer resources like healing leaves or leather to NPCs can actually avoid combat altogether a lot of the time. Doing this can actually influence the world in interesting ways as well. For example, during one encounter early on the player is approached by an enemy that does not initially attack. If they put their weapon away and gift the creature something then its larger friends later in the game won't attack.
Unto the End is a brutally difficult experience, but those who pay attention to their surroundings can drastically improve their chances of survival. Resources like sticks and bones can be used to improve or repair armor, which in turn will allow the player to take more damage before dying. On top of this there are spears that can be picked up and thrown at enemies or situations where two opposing enemies can be pitted against each other, wisely sidestepping a fight altogether. Every single encounter requires thoughtfulness and planning, which makes it all the more exhilarating when an enemy is defeated.
Unto the End is a fascinating look at the lengths that someone will go to in order to survive and make their way home. Combat encounters are harsh and challenging, but each failure teaches the player more about the mechanics and how the world operates, and the result is an immensely satisfying experience. The only flaw that Unto the End suffers from is that there isn't more of it.
Unto the End releases on December 9th, 2020 for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Screen Rant was provided with a PlayStation 4 code for the purposes of this review.