Strayed Lights is an immersive title that balances exploration and slick combat perfectly. What’s more, a lack of dialogue adds to a sinister and surreal atmosphere. However, its strange ways and lack of direction may be off-putting for some gamers. Yet, I loved its captivating world, weird creatures, and alluring imagery.
Developed and published by Embers, this is an immersive adventure title. Moreover, it has some incredible cinematic, a beautiful soundtrack, and some amazingly slick combat. Additionally, you’ll need the reflexes and dexterity of a cat as you parry, dodge, and weave your way to victory.
Strayed Lights explores inner turmoil.
No matter how confident you are, there is always doubt and inner turmoil. We all experience that little voice in our head that tells us not to do something. This is perfectly normal, but Strayed Lights takes this idea and creates a massive semi-open world out of it.
You control a nascent light that is on a journey to free itself from the darkness. This newborn entity battles itself and an array of creatures as it comes to terms with its existence. En route, it discovers the power to change colour. This new ability is essential, as it forms the backbone of every fight it faces. On top of this, the hero must explore vast spaces and soothe an array of siblings.
A wonderfully simple concept.
On paper, Strayed Lights doesn’t sound that interesting. However, the unusual mechanics and wonderful aesthetics make it a magical title. Furthermore, its core concept is basic but fascinating. The hero evolves across the course of the game. Yet, the fundamental ideas remain the same. No matter how skilful it becomes, it boils down to the simple dodge and parry mechanics.
Alongside this, each of your foes emits 3 coloured lights. Like the hero, they can illuminate orange or blue. On top of this, they have a unique purple hue. The latter option is deadly as it indicates an attack that cannot be parried. Consequently, you must run or dodge their advances if you wish to survive.
The colour system was easy to understand and simple to control. However, mastering the timing and chaining together blocks was no mean feat. If you select the correct colour and successfully parry an attack, you’ll injure your opponent while adding energy to your attack bar. Once your opponent is floored, you must use a special attack to defeat them once and for all.
Skill trees.
The combat was a test of agility, reflexes, and dexterity. Yet, it also rewards you with skill points to improve the hero. Accordingly, once you’ve finished dancing and hitting your enemies, you can collect shards to add health, improve attacks, and so forth. Alongside this, you may upgrade your abilities to make each fight much easier.
How you choose to evolve is entirely your choice. Though it doesn’t alter the main route of the game, it does change your approach. Moreover, it gives you a tactical advantage depending on which creature you are facing. Some of your opponents are agile and fast. Whereas others are slow, powerful, and large. Things are then made worse when you tackle more than one creature at once. When this happens, you must think fast and dodge and parry as quickly as possible.
Strayed Lights looks fantastic.
The slick combat was incredible. However, the visuals were equally impressive. The action takes place across several realms. These areas are connected by a central hub and an array of portals. As you step into each world, you experience a unique and dreamlike environment. Furthermore, you are free to explore as you wish. Yet, the game follows a semi-linear approach, so you are eventually funnelled towards the correct path.
Thanks to the interesting level design and the incredibly varied monsters, you won’t get bored. Additionally, the slick combat and excellent animation are fascinating. The developers have done an amazing job of creating a weird and surreal environment without leaving you feeling too confused.
A combination of airy and aggressive songs will impress you. Strayed Lights has no dialogue, so the emotion and the story are driven by body language alone. Consequently, the music was key to creating an interesting and captivating atmosphere. On top of this, the extraordinary sound effects add to the drama. I adored the crash of each blow and the execution of every epic finishing move.
Intuitive controls.
Strayed Lights works so well because its control system is phenomenal. The intuitive controls and excellent layout make high-pressure situations a little more bearable. Moreover, whenever you are facing multiple opponents, you’ll need to flit between colours in an instant. Therefore, the responsive inputs were essential to make this game a success.
As you explore each world, you’ll encounter rings of power. Each of these items can be collected to improve your abilities. However, you must find a considerable amount if you wish to upgrade your hero. Subsequently, this ensures that you explore each level thoroughly. What’s more, there are several worlds to explore and plenty of siblings to soothe. As such, there is replay value and longevity to enjoy.
Strayed Lights wasn’t on my radar.
Before this review, Strayed Lights wasn’t on my radar. Furthermore, I hadn’t heard of it and I fear it could be missed by many gamers. As such, they’ll miss out on a wonderful, albeit strange, experience. Thanks to its incredible combat, amazing audio, and excellent stage design, this stands out from its peers. However, a lack of guidance may frustrate some, especially when you are desperate to progress the story. Yet, despite these minor shortcomings, I recommend that you buy it here! Can you overcome your inner turmoil and fulfil your potential? Dodge, parry, and soothe your way to victory.
