There are some games that you really want to talk to people about, but at the same time are hard to explain. That is exactly what I am dealing with in regards to Noita which is a physics-based rougelite game where literally everything you do can result in death! Currently, the game is still in early access, but it is certainly showing some major promise already.
How to Download Noita
You can download the game from Steam or GOG. Follow the Download button at the end of this review. Check out also other roguelike titles such as Children of Morta and Sin Slayers.
The Game Review
This is a game that has a very fantasy setting. What the story is… I could not exactly tell you, but you are pretty much a wizard who is exploring these intense locations. To be honest, I am sure more story will be added, but I really do not think it is necessary to have a super deep story in a game like this to be fair.
The Graphics
The art style is “pixel-based” however, this is more than just an artistic choice. Noita has some of the most interesting physics I have ever seen in a game. Every single pixel has its own set of physics. It is kind of hard to get your head around, but just doing the smallest little thing can lead to a chain reaction that can decimate a level or maybe open up a path for you while taking out enemies.
Noita Spells
You learn many new spells as you play and these can be a lot of fun. I had a, for lack of a better term, an atomic bomb spell that sounded interesting, but caused a meltdown on the whole level. Yes, I died, but it was awesome and an example of the charm that this game has. You need spells to interact with the world around you. Be it trying to kill enemies or mess with the world around you.
Difficulty
This is a very, very punishingly hard game. You level up so slow and getting health upgrades is something that is very rare. The game is not linear in its levels so it is never the same two times in a row that you play it. This is great, but I have on occasion had some brutally unfair levels thrown my way.
The progression in the game is something I feel needs work. I made it to level three and the difficulty spiked up way too fast. I stood no chance with the enemies and what started out as fun, started to get a tad frustrating. To be fair, this game is still in early access so I would assume that there is some difficulty fine-tuning coming the games way.
As this is a rougelite style of game when you die that is it! This kind of gameplay is not for everyone that is for sure. However, when they iron out the difficulty, I do feel that this will be great. Getting a little better each time you play so that you can make it just a little further is a huge part of the appeal of a game like this.
The Bottom Line
Even in its early access state, I feel that Noita is a game that is worth looking into. The spells and how they can help or make things go horribly wrong are a lot of fun. The way that every pixel matters is very interesting and makes every playthrough that you will do rather interesting and unpredictable.
