Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Developer: Steel Mantis
Publisher: Big Sugar
Genre: Action
Price: $24.99
Also Available On: Switch, Steam, XB1
Touted as a spiritual successor to the underrated Slain: Back from Hell also developed by the two-man Steel Mantis Games, Valfaris packs the heavy in heavy metal and thrives as a two-dimensional action platformer. It's a classic side scroller packed with contemporary goodness; the soundtrack successfully serves to pump up the adrenaline and helps gamers prep for swath after swath of enemies. Appropriately diverse, the latter keep coming, and their onslaught is interrupted only by the appearances of mid- and end-level bosses; they're fodder for mayhem, and provide benefits for even more mayhem by way of their loot drops.
Valfaris sets up the proceedings with a paper-thin narrative about the titular planet, whose disappearance from galactic charts and reappearance to orbit a decaying star sends lead character Therion on an adventure to find and defeat Vroll, the ruler with evil machinations who also happens to be his father. Steel Mantis Games deserves props for continually feeding the story via bits and pieces of interactions between the principal protagonist and his enemies, inhabitants of the planet, and, for the most part, Hekate, his trusty artificial-intelligence assistant.
Make no mistake, though. Valfaris' biggest come-on is its gameplay. Certainly, it makes no pretensions on its primary — okay, singular — intent. Which, creditably, it manages to deliver well. It gives gamers the standard three weapon types to use in encounters: one with infinite ammunition, but whose refresh rate leaves much to be desired; one for melee, which, for every sword swing, likewise serves to replenish an energy meter; and one that cuts through the hordes the best, but requiring, and quickly depleting, said meter to use. A shield at hand can turn defense into offense; activation shortly before an enemy projectile's impact allows for deflection and redirection.
In Valfaris, all the tools of combat are upgradable through Blood Metal, in-game currency found around the planet and gifted by downed enemies. Meanwhile, Resurrection Idols enable gamers to make use of — or, to be more precise, pay for — checkpoints or, when collected and kept, increase health and energy levels. Implicitly, the alternatives encourage rational thought and strategy to get through platforms with efficiency and purpose. Any deliberate assessment is a challenge at best in light of the sheer number of enemies to down, and made even more challenging by the absence of evasive commands.
Valfaris makes no pretensions. In fact, it proudly wears its intense difficulty in its sleeve. That said, it's no Dark Souls, and it does strive to stay fair throughout its 15-hour-or-so runtime. For good measure, Steel Mantis Games has released a patch that adds Full Metal Mode, essentially a "new game plus" option that gives gamers the pleasure of carrying over all weapons and items collected throughout a completed campaign. In other words, they're fully equipped from the get-go should they decide to relive their experience.
Admittedly, Valfaris isn't perfect, and frustration can set in. For instance, its eight-direction aiming occasionally feels inadequate, leading to crucial misses. And while constant respawns aren't new to the genre, they can make for sudden unexpected battles that render immaterial even the best-laid plans. Even boss fights aren't immune to the odds being stacked too high for comfort; a few have final, at-the-point-of-death attacks that prove the folly of close combat, not to mention minions that take attention away from the most important task at hand.
That said, Valfaris is well worth its $29.99 sticker price. Featuring retro pixel-art visuals and booming sounds that add a sense of urgency to Therion's exploits, it comes off as a polished blend of aesthetics and action designed to kee gamers coming back for more. Highly recommended.
THE GOOD:
THE BAD:
- Complementary audio-visual elements
- High on variety
- Tons of options on offer
- Extremely challenging but fair
- Full Metal Mode
THE BAD:
- Occasionally inadequate aiming
- Random respawns can lead to unexpected battles
- Cheap deaths courtesy of a few bosses with sneaky parting gifts
RATING: 8.5/10
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