Bang your head

Valfaris is the kind of game you just want to bang your head to. In fact the main protagonist does just that every time he gets a new weapon. This metal-infused action title borrows a lot from its predecessor Slain in that it focuses on being metal above anything else. The latest game from Steel Mantis confirms they are into making difficult action platformers that live and die by their metal aesthetic. Valfaris is yet another one of those games where the style overpowers the substance. This is a straightforward action game with massive difficulty spikes and plenty of heavy metal music, all set to the background of a twisted world.

The story in Valfaris reminds me of some science fiction tropes mixed with a macabre version of Bill and Ted. Our hero is on a mission to kill his father, who ravaged their homeworld. He brings along an AI companion to quip sarcasm on the regular. Every time he gains a new weapon he stops to lash out some wicked headbanging in celebration. It is weird and somehow mechanically interesting. There is dialogue and the main character is chock full of bravado. It is novel out of the gate, but wears thin after only a few levels.

$24.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $19.99

The game play is much of what you would expect taking one look at a screenshot. This is a challenging action game that relies on pushing through difficult worlds, gaining some upgrades, and trying not to die. Each checkpoint gives players some room to breathe, and there are plenty of hidden areas and new weapons to collect and upgrade over the course of the game. My biggest gripe is that the minute-to-minute combat just feels stale. I liked what I was doing, but it never evolved past inching my way forward. The formula is just so tired at this point.

The array of weapons is at least plentiful. There are ranged and melee weapons as well as a shield. There are a lot of meters to manage and the upgrade system is pretty standard, but it fills out extremely slowly. The skill ceiling is very high and players will certainly have their wits tested. The game works to punish you as often as it can, so those checkpoints feel oh so comforting when I hit them. It is worth noting that in order to activate the checkpoints you need an item, which seems weird since the item is usually right near the checkpoint. It just feels like another arbitrary way to screw players if they do end up missing it.

Valfaris is the kind of game that relies solely on its aesthetic to be appealing. Yes I adore the music, and the worlds are intricately detailed and interesting, I just wish the moment-to-moment game play complimented its style as well. Instead I just found myself going through the motions as I played it. I never felt accomplished in what I was doing, instead I was just inching forward to see the next area or collect the next weapon. It never felt overly satisfying.

This is an issue I think a lot of games like this really suffer from these days. Developers spend so much time trying to recapture that magic of classic pixel-style games and instead forget about what made them special. It wasn’t the look, it was the loop. There are plenty of 8 and 16-bit titles with mundane game play and nowadays it shows why some games stood the test of time. Be challenging, but be interesting. Don’t just punish players and throw lush visuals at them. Make the game play interesting as well. This is something Valfaris lacks, and I wish more indie developers understood when making these games that I very much want to play, I just lose interest in far too soon.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Great art style
  • Music
Bad
  • Game play loop is tired
  • Checkpoint system
6.5
Decent
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.