I wasn't sure what to expect with this game, but once I started playing it I soon realized, that's the whole point of the game. Great North Shelter 2 (I'm not sure there is a "1") is a short walking simulator. You wander around in a National Park, visiting various locations where you come across atypical items you wouldn't normally encounter in a forest. You come across nonsensical signs which are sometimes quite humorous, pick up strange notes, and occasionally experience hallucinations. Oh, and there are a few minor jumpscares, which I found to be more funny than frightening. As the promo says, "Explore the funny locations of this National Park and please don't take it seriously." They mean it.
GNS2 is a rather short game, it can probably be played in a couple of hours. I don't know, I never time myself, and I'm not a speed demon. I don't like to rush through any games, especially walking simulators. I prefer to take my time and take in all of the sights, especially with games that have nice graphics and lots of things to explore, as this one does. Steam shows my play time as 9 hours, however, that included pausing the game a few times to have lunch and do some errands. Pausing a game in Steam does not stop the clock. If you pause a game instead of fully quitting — as most of us have busy lives outside of gaming and have to stop once in a while to go do sh*t — then Steam counts your paused time as "game time." Also, after finishing the game, I revisited all the chapters (or locations) in "Free Mode" and probably spent more time playing around with this than actually playing the game. "Free Mode" is a really cool feature, but you have to complete the game to get this option (I believe). During the game, you experience day, then night, then day again, as well as season changes and different weather conditions at certain points in the game. In Free Mode, you can change these elements. You can choose day or night, Autumn or Winter, stormy (very windy) or rainy weather for any location you're in, and right on the spot you can switch to these various modes. It's kind of cool watching a view change under these different conditions.
All in all, GNS2 is a fun, quirky little game and a pretty good way to spend an afternoon (or morning, or evening). It's odd. It's atypical. It's strange. Did I mention it's kind of weird? Was it worth the $3 I paid on discount? Heck yeah. Three bucks won't even buy you a sandwich these days — vegan or meat, doesn't matter. But you might be able to buy a slice of pizza for $3 bucks. Pizza is a pretty popular food item in the game, even though nothing's open and there's no actual food in sight (you'll just have to play the game to see what I mean).
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⠆⠰⠶⠀⠘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣼⣿⣿⣿⠏⠀⢀⣠⣤⣤⣀⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠋⢈⣉⠉⣡⣤⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡈⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡴⢡⣾⣿⣿⣷⠋⠁⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠜⠁⠸⣿⣿⣿⠟⠀⠀⠘⠿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠰⠖⠱⣽⠟⠋⠉⡇
⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠉⠖⣀⠀⠀⢁⣀⠀⣴⣶⣦⠀⢴⡆⠀⠀⢀⣀⣀⣉⡽⠷⠶⠋⠀
⠀⠀⠀⡰⢡⣾⣿⣿⣿⡄⠛⠋⠘⣿⣿⡿⠀⠀⣐⣲⣤⣯⠞⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⢀⠔⠁⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⢀⣄⣀⡞⠉⠉⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⡜⠀⠀⠻⣿⣿⠿⣻⣥⣀⡀⢠⡟⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⢰⠁⠀⡤⠖⠺⢶⡾⠃⠀⠈⠙⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠈⠓⠾⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Would I recommend Great North Shelter 2? Well, that depends. If you like this sort of thing, then go for it. However, I can't quite describe what "this sort of thing" is because there's nothing to compare it to. Besides, what people "like" is subjective. But this I know, the game is cheap, even at regular price. So what do you have to lose? On a positive note, you might have fun for a few hours, cheap fun (cheaper than a movie rental). Anywaaay.... I'll just leave you with this.
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⠀⣾⣿⣿⣿⡟⠁⠈⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⢀⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠙⠛⠿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀
⢸⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠀⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⣦⠀⠀⠀
⠘⣿⣿⣿⠙⠇⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠀⠀⠀⢿⠉⢹⣿⡇⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠙⠛⠛⠂⠀⠀⠀⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠀⠀⠀⠸⠛⠁⠀⠀
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣤⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⢀⣤⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⣧⣤⣤⣀⣠⣤
⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠏
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠛⠿⠿⠛⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⣿⠿⠟⠛⠛⠉⠀
