A stylized 2D Metroidvania with turn-based combat, Worldless offers a unique mix of strategy and platforming. Designed around a moody atmospheric world, there are plenty of secrets to find, enemies to absorb, and upgrades to unlock while venturing through this striking environment.
While the story is a little obtuse (are play as a spark looking for purpose), it’s the journey that carries all the highlights as you can literally ignite the ground around you. Exploration is only half the experience as the turn-based battles are plenty and engaging. Almost like a game of rock-paper-scissors, players must manage attack strategies, defense, and reposts using a mix of melee and magical attacks with the absorb meter by reading the horizontal and vertical flashes of the enemy. There are many abilities to unlock but the more linear nature of the skill tree guides the player through the narrative like a waiter to your table. However, difficulty spikes are jarring and can cause moments of trial-and-error frustration for those without patience but at least the player can see when a battle is going to trigger.
The environment itself is a main character as the mysterious background easily creates a sense of wonder thanks to the deep color scheme. The Metroidness comes from using gained abilities, like the dash or double jump, to venture to new paths. There are environmental puzzles along the way that rewards players that pay attention to visual cues and those that learn the intricacies of combat.
Worldless deserves credit and recognition for trying something different. It is easy to be skeptical of mixing exploratory adventure gameplay with turn-based combat, but it gels better than expected thanks to an intriguing backdrop, set pieces, and overall visual design. While there is a learning curve to the combat and occasional pacing issues can create some hiccups, there is enough quality here to keep Noname Studios on your radar.
SCORE: 8/10
Also Play: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (3DS)
Not As Moody As: Blasphemous 2
Don’t Forget About: Child of Light
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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