Nocturnal

Bright but short lived

Why

Why Not

Impressions

As with most people I got this while it was free to promote the sequel, and it was pretty effective at that. There's defnitely enough here to pique my interest in what the team can do with a longer, more ambitious game.

The focus of the game's world is fire and its role in combating the Mist, a black miasma which seems to corrupt and resurrect people as mindless wraiths. Our protagonist returns home in search of his sister, only to find it a Mist-ridden ruin. Luckily he's part of some warrior order trained to combat the mist be lighting their swords on fire, and as such is uniquely equipped to deal with the situation.

Combat is solid if occasionally frustrating since so much of it takes place in darkness, forcing you to rely on flashes of light to telegraph enemy attacks or sometimes even their position. As you progress you can unlock the standard suite of special abilities like a parry, throwing knife and mid-range wall of fire. Where the game really stands out is its visuals; especially the interplay between Mist and fire. The inky blackness billowing around you, kept at bay by your flaming sword is gonna elicit a reaction the first time you see it, and it continues to look good in motion. It's all very visually striking and there are some nice vistas to appreciate in between the endless samey corridors.

One thing I hope the sequel improves is exploration, especially since they're apparently going for more of a Metroidvania. So many times i was hunting around for secrets only to enter a room and have the door slam shut behind me, forcing me to progress the story with unexplored paths at my back. I know it's a short game and completing it unlocks level select, but I prefer to do my exploring as part of the game's flow rather than from a menu after finishing it.

Apart from that minor gripe there's a lot here to like; as the devs themselves have admitted it's overpriced for the length but I think it's well worth the usual sale price. Looking forward to the sequel, and I hope making this one (briefly) free got the eyes on it that it deserves as a quality experience.