Strayed Lights
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Strayed Lights Trailers
Critic Reviews for Strayed Lights
At its core, Strayed Lights revolves around a simple, intuitive, and unique combat system, and with this strong base in place, it’s no wonder the game shines as bright as it does.
Strayed Lights is ultimately frustrating because there’s a brilliant game lurking somewhere here. Upon finishing the game, I understood the story to be about conquering corruptive behavior and going on a spiritual journey inward, but it’s let down by subpar platforming and gameplay. I would even argue that the game might not have needed combat at all and could have worked better as an explorative adventure instead. Perhaps Embers might consider this for its next project.
For a game designed by a relatively small indie studio, Strayed Lights is more than competent in terms of gameplay and combat.
Strayed Lights is a short and sweet game exploring a unique, defensive combat experience. It can feel shallow and falls short in aspects like the music, but it remains engaging throughout its runtime.
Strayed Lights is a special game. Learning attack patterns and taking on fierce foes is an absolute joy. Bosses are intimidating and offer memorable battles with cinematic flair. The world is mesmerizing and its mystery is amplified through the epic score. Even with the vague narrative, the game manages to deliver an unforgettable experience that will keep you engaged throughout.
Strayed Lights surprised me into liking it, though the action/combat genre isn't regularly my jam. The interesting mechanics kept me coming back - sometimes against my better judgement - and the beautiful visuals went a long way towards keeping me engaged. The combat in the game is deceptively straightforward, but the ways you are forced to use it continuously ramp up the difficulty in an enjoyable way. This game might feel simple for some, but it was difficult enough for me that I felt pretty proud when I would down one of the bigger baddies. Recommended.
Embers' debut game is beautifully presented, with an interesting but flawed combat system. Lovely music (thanks to Journey composer Austin Wintory) and exciting boss battles make it worth your time.
There's a great deal of cool traits to Strayed Lights, including thoughtful enemy design, strong premise, and charming visuals. However, pacing suffers greatly, and combat forces its way into the forefront with memorization and inconsistent parry windows. It's short and can be sweet, but there's an overarching bitterness that's hard to ignore.
