Valfaris Xbox One review: A brutally tough platformer that's good, but could be better

Valfaris. Source: Big Sugar

The platformer genre of video game is home to titles that tend to exist more difficult than most other types of games. Ever since the likes of classic games like Ninja Gaiden or Contra, challenging gameplay that'due south brutally tough but still fair has become the common denominator between many platforming games. Finding the sweetness spot betwixt "This game is as well easy" and "This game is then difficult that information technology'due south unfair" is thus a challenge that platformer developers are often tasked with overcoming. Valfaris, a new title set on a hostile alien globe that features a DOOM-similar atmosphere, is the latest championship that tries to discover that sweet spot — and while it succeeds in many ways, it fails in others.

Destroy the horde

Valfaris.

Valfaris

$25

Bottom line: While Valfaris is in many means an splendid game, it'due south held back past some significant pattern flaws and technical issues.

Pros:

Strong gameplay focus
Some clever mechanics
Challenging, but (mostly) fair
Awesome presentation

Cons:

Sometimes feels unfair in varying ways
Occasional framerate bug

What y'all'll love well-nigh Valfaris

A boss fight in the game. Source: Big Sugar

Overall, Valfaris' gameplay experience is very challenging, but also very satisfying.

The all-time thing nigh Valfaris is the gameplay experience, which blends archetype platforming difficulty with some unique mechanics that volition make you think about how you play. Armed with firearms, a sword, a shield, and some jumping abilities, it'south up to you lot to battle your way through the hellish alien-infested globe that the game takes place on. Each enemy in the game has a behavioral pattern to learn, and with patience, practise, and some artistic thinking, you'll learn how to apply your ain abilities to counter foes. In add-on to this, the levels themselves often take exciting traits that brand moving through each area a different experience, shaking up the gameplay and forcing you to rethink your approach to enemies you thought y'all knew how to tackle without whatever hassle. There'southward an upgrade organisation for your weapons, too, but it feels a bit tacked on. Information technology doesn't add much, but it doesn't really harm the experience either, so I feel neutral nearly it overall.

On top of the cadre gameplay focus, there are besides some clever mechanics that I recollect add a lot to Valfaris. For example, your heavier firearms and your shield are both tied to the aforementioned energy puddle. Therefore, you lot have to put idea into how yous choose to use that energy. Do you use it to shield yourself from attacks? Or do you employ information technology to generate some actress firepower? Another great mechanic is the fact that the green crystals yous use to unlock checkpoints can be held onto instead, which volition boost your maximum health. This idea forces y'all to choose betwixt making yourself more resilient in combat and giving yourself respawn points that are relatively shut to where y'all dice. Things like this are awesome considering they encourage the histrion to brand calculated decisions about how they play.

Lastly, Valfaris has some kickass visuals and audio. The sickly greens, bright purples, and deep reds of the world wonderfully convey the creepy, intense nature of the hostile alien world you're fighting on, and the heavy metal soundtrack keeps your blood pumping from the start of the game correct up until the end of it.

What you lot'll love less almost Valfaris

A fight in Valfaris where you have to hang down on vines while shooting. Source: Big Sugar

At times, Valfaris tin feel very unfair and obnoxious.

While Valfaris is largely a adept feel, some glaring flaws with it concur information technology back. The biggest upshot with the gameplay is the fact that enemies constantly respawn at a ridiculous pace. In scenarios where you tin can quickly kill a foe and and so traverse the level before a replacement appears, this isn't a problem. However, in larger rooms that require precise motion and timing to get through, having to constantly worry almost the never-ending waves of foes can make the pace feel hyper-rushed and just difficult to enjoy overall. Toning back the charge per unit at which enemies spawn in to replace the ones you kill would be amazing.

Some other result with Valfaris is the fact that the move is pretty floaty and delayed compared to nigh other platformer titles that have snappier jumps. Dodging attacks certainly shouldn't be like shooting fish in a barrel, but once again, information technology'due south soul-crushingly tough to try and make your way through a particularly dangerous surface area when your jumps don't feel as responsive as they should be.

Finally, Valfaris falls victim to some pretty jarring framerate problems, even on the Xbox Ane X that I used to review information technology. Most of the time, it runs smoothly, but in some areas with lots of enemies and/or particularly complex-looking backgrounds, it drops significantly. This makes playing the game harder, and as a result, adds an entirely new layer of brutal difficulty to an experience that was already very challenging as-is.

Should you buy Valfaris?

A player dodging the attacks from turrets. Source: Large Sugar

While Valfaris gets a lot right, at that place are specific ways that it could be a lot improve, and even though it'due south still a good game, it's far from a must-play title. The core gameplay experience is, for the nigh office, excellent, and the game has an incredible presentation. Unfortunately, some odd design choices and technical issues hold it back from truthful greatness.

If you lot're big into challenging platformers and don't mind having to deal with floaty jumps and occasional framerate bug, so overall, I think you'll bask Valfaris, although yous won't love it. However, if you're on the fence, I think it might be better to wait to run across if the developers patch the game a bit.

Destroy the horde

Valfaris.

Valfaris

Become a one-person army

While Valfaris is in many ways, an excellent game, it's held back by some significant blueprint flaws and technical problems.

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