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In the beginning, there was darkness. Then there was a big bang and light. All sound familiar so far?
But what about the bit when two entities – one blue, one red – began a constant war? It’s this which is played out in Worldless, a game that comes with an epic story told without words, text or cutscenes.
I’m a big fan of tales that utilise these techniques, and Worldless is no different. It’s a stunningly unique experience in fact, but it will test your skills to the max.
Worldless can be described best through that overused genre title – metroidvania. It seems like this and ‘Soulslike’ affairs have become the go-to for developers to copy. It seems to work too, but I do sometimes approach these types of games with a sense of dread. Thankfully, Wordless is delightfully original. And while tricky, it is also able to provide a very rewarding experience.
The story of Worldless is beautiful and beguiling, but most of the time it’s up to you to put your own interpretation on how to decode it. At the start of the game you play as a blue figure; like a stick man, but with a scarf and a sword. Yet straight away that figure is slain and dies. They are then reborn by some mysterious forces, before going out again into the world.
It’s here where you travel to a variety of amazing biodomes, looking to correct the universe and bring harmony to everything. Even without any cutscenes or words, Worldless has an amazing sense of visual storytelling, as well as an extraordinary world to explore. Trying to work out what is going on is the fun and most thrilling part of the game.
Working as a mixture of exploration, platforming, and combat, Wordless will take you on a platforming adventure, brilliantly executed with the usual mix of jumping and dashing to explore the areas. You’ll be left to find different routes, working through visual clues as you move across the world. There isn’t a sense of direction or any guidelines on where to go, but it feels instinctive and works dazzlingly well.
The combat is uniquely turn-based, something which feels fresh in a platforming game like this. This is the lifeblood of Worldless, as you spend a lot of your time getting better, dying and then coming back again. It’s addictive but very difficult. That does mean that when you get it all right, you feel like a god.
You have an attack and defense to cope with, along with a range of attacks that get bigger and better as the game progresses, moving you through a skill tree. But, whilst offense is always good, you will have to defend, working out when best to block and where the attacks are coming from. It’s like a game of chess at times and you will fail a lot. However, it’s through this in which you’ll learn the precision needed, as Worldless takes you on a roll. This fighting mechanic is rock hard and there is no difficulty level to allow the more casual gamer to feel at ease. Worldless wants you to get better with every attempt, gaining skills to defeat enemies that had once seemed impossible. That’s the simple beauty of the game.
Visually, it’s a stunner. Running a mix of straight lines of colour with amazing landscapes and a world full of amazing dynamic lighting. The start of the game, where you see blue and red fighting for power of the universe, feels nothing short of epic. The soundscore echoes this sentiment with an amazing score throughout.
Brilliantly designed with a different slant on the metroidvania genre, Wordless has a unique style and some amazing visual storytelling. Fans of a challenge will relish the combat and the depth it has, whilst the exploration and platforming elements are very strong. On the whole, it is capable of providing a universe that you’ll enjoy spending time in. Maybe some will find it a tad too challenging, but persevere and you’ll find Worldless capable of delivering a stunning time.