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Here is my first impression of Spiritfall, a fun roguelite game with a little bit of everything, and a small review of its gameplay and story.
I'll start off by first explaining what Spiritfall is.
Spiritfall is a fast-paced action roguelite game. Its gameplay takes inspiration from platform fighters, and it shows. Players can choose from a variety of weapons to go through various levels, defeating enemies and becoming more powerful. Of course, as it is a roguelite, death brings you back to the beginning, although you still maintain some progression. If you're interested in the game, you can head on over to their Steam page to wishlist the game. Sadly, the Final Beta ends today. If you missed it, you'll have to wait game comes out in Q1, 2023 before trying it out. I myself was only able to play the game during the beta. However, I'm confident that I can review what I've experienced in the game so far. With that said, let's take a dive into my first impression of Spiritfall, and a short review of its gameplay and story.
Spiritfall First Impression
I am a sucker for roguelite games, so it's always a blast trying to try out new games like this. When I saw that I could still make it before the Final Beta ended, I immediately signed up. After installing the game, I quickly dove into Spiritfall so I can try it out and maybe review it. I'll first take a look at its gameplay, as that's the part that got my interest.
Spiritfall Gameplay
I don't normally like making direct comparisons to other games I've played, but I feel like I need to make it here. My intention is not to call out Spiritfall for copying games. After all, it's nearly impossible to make a game nowadays without anyone drawing comparisons. The reason I want to bring up other games here is that it would be the easiest way to describe what I experienced. Not only that, but I would like to also talk about how these features meld together to make the game enjoyable. As for the games I will use as comparisons, they're actually pretty well-known. Hades, Dead Cells, and Slay The Spire, for example, are the three main games I will be using in this review.
Let's start with the weapons. At the moment, there are three available weapons. The hammer, the fists, and the bow, in my short time reviewing the game, I focused more on the hammer and fists, as I liked melee combat. Like with most gaming stereotypes, the hammer is slow but deals a lot of damage. The fist, on the other hand, deals less but attacks faster. Players start off with the hammer and can unlock the other weapons by using a resource they find during their runs. Each of these weapons has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to the player to decide which weapon fits their playstyle more.
Speaking of playstyle, let's talk about this game's combat. As mentioned above, this game takes inspiration from platform fighters. Basically, platform fighters are 2D games where players can go up and down platforms to fight enemies. This is where I draw my first comparison, as the game plays a lot like Dead Cells. This is something I noticed quickly, as I've been binge-playing Dead Cells since its Everyone is Here Vol. 2 update came out. I actually found myself adapting quickly to the game thanks to that. Having a fundamental understanding of how platform fighters and MetroidVania games really help with this game.
There are the usual normal attacks, special attacks, aerial attacks, and ranged shot attacks. You won't just be using one or the other exclusively. You will have to weave in each of those attacks to maximize your damage and interrupt your enemy's attacks. Interrupting enemy attacks is important in this game, as most of the enemies have low cooldowns for their attacks. Just avoiding the attacks won't do, as you can easily find yourself overwhelmed by the number of projectiles on the screen. You have to dash in, attack them, launch them in the air, and basically do everything you can to stop them from attacking. When the developers said the game was fast-paced, they were not kidding.
After beating enemies, the player gets a reward, which depends on which room they are in. This is where it becomes similar to the games I mentioned before. Other than the chests which contain talismans and gold, you get to pick a perk that upgrades any of your moves. You can empower your attacks with elemental damage, and the same goes for your jumps, dashes, and shots. It reminds me a lot of Hades' Boon system, which I guess is already a mainstay in roguelite games. Either way, the perks, and blessings you get from the deities in the game really add to the gameplay.
Basically, it felt like I had Dead Cells' gameplay, Hades' boon system, and Slay the Spire's map mechanic all bundled into a game. What I like about it is that even if that were the case, it still felt like its own game. Although I noticed these gameplay features, it still felt like I was playing a totally new game, with features and mechanics I had yet to discover. It didn't feel like I was playing someone's copied homework with a little bit changed. It felt like I was in a totally new game, with a nice new original feel.
My only qualm would be in the dashing mechanics. I usually use a controller when playing games like this. However, I had a hard time with the dashing mechanic on a controller. You can air dash in this game, and sometimes I find myself dashing diagonally upwards instead of to the side. This might just be a problem on my end, but I feel like the dashing mechanic feels a little too sensitive.
Spiritfall Story
The story is actually pretty simple. You are a vessel, chosen by the Perennial Flame to carry it on. However, the five Divine Spirits, chosen to guide and protect the realm, doubt your abilities. However, they decided to trust the Perennial Flame in its decision. The Spirits mention their weakening power, caused by the closing of the Great Gate. It is now up to you to help them regain their strength by venturing into the Brink and unsealing the Gate. This shows you the motivation the Spirits have behind giving you their blessings. The player is their champion, their last hope to regain their lost power.
Although the story is very simple, it doesn't have to be anything but. After all, games like this are usually more about the gameplay than it is about the story. However, that doesn't mean that the developers did not work on the story. During your travels and runs, you meet and encounter various characters, both friends and foes. Some of them join you in your quest, while others will stand in your way. The more you progress through the game, the more the world grows, and the more you learn about these characters and their motivations in the game.
Of course, if the story is not your thing, I feel like you can still enjoy this game a lot.
Spiritfall First Impression Review Summary
Overall, I feel like this game has very good potential. Spiritfall's gameplay is simple and intuitive enough that players can immediately dive deep into it without the need for long and convoluted tutorials. It feels smooth and fast-paced, not giving you time to rest as you wipe out your many enemies. Spiritfall's story is pretty simple, but good in its simplicity. The characters are interesting enough that it makes you want to learn more about them.
That's all for my first impressions of Spiritfall, and my review of its gameplay and story. If you are interested in the game, you can already wishlist it on PC. Other than that, you can get updates about the game on their official Twitter account. To stay updated on gaming news in general, you can check out our gaming news articles.
