Void Sols Review (Tomboy Spats Collector)
The description and impression of "distilled souls formula" is accurate, but for a particular reason people may not touch upon; This game is a Find-'em-up as much as it is a stamina-managing combat game. The short version of this review is that this game is full of fun things to find as well as good, pure combat encounters that succinctly capture what we love about this genre.
My criticisms are thankfully mild, but you may mind them more:
-There aren't very many primary weapons, and only about half of the weapons on offer are viable. If you need alot of different R1s in your souls-like then this one will feel tepid.
-Secondary weapons are better thought-out but a couple of them are significantly stronger than the others. I won't spoil which builds can delete half a boss healthbar in short order, but I will say it depends on some secondaries.
-Some enemy hitboxes are wonky. Honestly, I expected this. Some active frames should be cut here and there, but nothing game-breaking.
-The story / lore would only be more sparse if there was none at all. It *sort of* makes up for this with changes to some areas as you progress, but if you aren't self-motivated to beat this game because you enjoy games like it then you shouldn't expect any kind of carrot on a stick.
-Most people will finish it between 10-15 hours, some as little as 5 their first playthrough. The devs have stated for years now that they instead to make a "core" game and add expansions should the finances permit, but it does break the >$1 / hour playtime rule if that matters to you.
-Despite how much I like the atmosphere, I think the boss music doesn't fit the game at all. It's a shame, because the quality is there and the layering intensity as the fight goes on is well done (more games should do it), but the music genre just feels out of touch. I don't think it should be gregorian ass-hymns or anything, but what we got ain't it chief.
My likes are intense, simple pleasures in abundance:
-There's *alot* of hidden stuff. If you like finding stuff, then this is the game for you.
-The "purity" of combat does not get old. If the footage looks like your kinda thing, then it's a whole lot of that with a good amount of encounter variety.
-Gear and Progression systems are clear, concise, and interesting.
-The atmosphere is excellent despite what the visuals may indicate. The splashes of level details and convincing ambient sounds while exploring make this game feel like much more than the sum of its parts.
-There are some neat level-prop interactions, such as lighting a fire and pushing ice blocks into it to melt them, smashing crystals to illuminate caves, or pushing explosive barrels up to cracks to blow them up and open the way.
I say it's not a guilty buy at full price if you don't mind short and sweet. $15 is probably the perfect price point to buy it without further reservation.