base > Game Reviews
Empyreal is a singular roguelike RPG set in an original world , with a peculiar focus on dungeon delving . armed combat - heavy and boss - engagement - focus , Empyreal has you exploring the deepness of an ancient zikkurat and fighting through drove of machines in pursuit of a forget secret . Though built on strong foundations , Empyreal is not the most compelling game from a design point of view and suffers from obtrusive problem with its difficulty and learning curve , issues that are certain to put some players off .
The biz begins with a cutscene preluding an expedition into an ancient monolith on an unexplored planet . That expedition is not plump well , and its succeeder now rests on the shoulders of a skeleton crew lead by an alcoholic and the skill of a fresh arrived mercenary volunteer . With a lot of danger and very little wage , you dig into the anteroom of the ancient zikurat and battle the mechanical golem within , hop to uncover the secrets of a long - lost civilization . The flavor is grim , and the betting odds are stacked against you , which contribute to the air of tension that the game maintains throughout your journeying .
The biz is advertise as an RPG . I would guess to say that it ’s actually more of a roguelike . Empyreal sport a continuous story that unfolds as you over quests , but it lack traditional RPG elements like character leveling or a more integrated , analog progress through an grand earthly concern . Instead , you are chip in a central hub orbit staff by a few NPCs and a serial of miniature dungeon that you enter , clear , and rifle . These dungeons offer procedurally dropped gear and items . While the first few are provided to you in sequence , you discover next ones randomly by exploring other so - call “ Cartograms . ” If Empyreal is an RPG , it lean intemperately into its dungeon - crawling aspects , making them the principal gameplay loop .
As you might expect , this mean that Empyreal is very , very fighting - heavy . The fight system is fairly straightforward . You have several weapon types , each with discrete playstyles , a basic attack button , and a justificative move that functions as both a dodge and a counterpunch bet on your timing and input . You ’ll frequently line up yourself struggle off moving ridge of enemies , using your chief attacks along with a handful of gadgets to deal hurt while avoiding incoming blows .
New gear mechanism , pull together from completing donjon , is identified at basis to mother their stats and mostly furnish different improvement to your number during fight . ability can be purchased and used based on the form of artillery you have , and are the most impactful part of scrap , though be warn , you could often still take damage during the vitality of your ability casting .
It ’s bare . Certainly nothing revolutionary . But it generally works well . You ’ll grasp the basic of combat quickly , and the pace is fast enough that the simplicity does n’t wear slender too quickly . However , the literal issue lie in how the developers chose to balance the biz .
Empyreal places a heavy vehemence on two affair : boss fights and hordes of enemies . Frequently , these two elements combine , resulting in boss battles where smaller enemies flood the domain , making already difficult encounters even more overwhelming . The job is that enemies incline to have several frustrating thing in common . They hit hard than you . They have more wellness . They recuperate quicker . They are commonly quick than the player . This leave little elbow room for error , even in other meeting .
Many enemy attacks in Empyreal suffer from poor telegraphing , often only signaled by a modest loading legal community above their heads . This frequently lead to situations where you do n’t even see the attack coming . You might be forced to turn your back on an enemy only to get hit by an unbelievably degraded , gap - closing attack that wipes out half your health bar .
Getting stupid in this game always feels terrible . A stun usually leaves you unable to act for a full bit or two , peck of fourth dimension for an foeman to down you instantaneously . Since most every foe in the game can end you in just three or four hits , this mechanic becomes less of a challenge and more of a source of frustration . Fighting shielded enemies can be a slog , and share with both pasture and melee assaulter at once often feel unnecessarily penalise .
It ’s not what I ’d call Soulslike difficulty . In a Dark Souls game , deaths commonly feel merited . When I conk out in those games , it ’s typically due to my own mistakes . Mismanaging stamina . dodge at the wrong time . Being grasping with attacks . In Empyreal , however , most deaths feel like they were outside of your control . The secret plan is n’t unwinnable , but the difficulty spikes dramatically as ahead of time as the 2nd level , which you’re able to arrive at in under an hour , and it continue penalize from there on out .
Artistically , Empyreal is a bit of a miscellaneous bag . In condition of type purpose , I ground the clothing and armour to be fairly generic and uninspired . The more realistic part models and the sci - fi Ne esthetic on a lot of paraphernalia did n’t really capture my interest . On the other hand , I thought the environment were gorgeous , creative , detailed , and visually interesting . I also really wish the figure of many of the enemies . It almost feels like there was a disconnect between different panorama of the game ’s ocular focussing . I ca n’t say for indisputable why this is , but it does create an uneven imprint when it come to the plot ’s art .
The Final Word
Empyreal is an interesting take on its music genre with a unparalleled focus on everyone ’s favorite part of an RPG , dungeon . However , the simplistic armed combat is ill balance , with a trouble curve that becomes very difficult as early as the secret plan ’s second level .
Try Hard Guides was provided a PC code for Empyreal . encounter more detailed looks at pop and upcoming title on ourGame Reviewspage ! Empyreal is available onSteam .
