Strayed Lights Reviews
Strayed Lights offers up some solid combat encounters, a beautiful world, and an excellent score that makes it worth playing even if some other parts like the story and exploration aren’t as great. The game is very cinematic and nailing the parrying against basic enemies and bosses is satisfying. If you’re OK with getting through it in just a few hours then I’d give this one a solid recommendation.
Strayed Lights is fun for what it is and a beauty to look at. However, hiding in the shadows are issues that left me wanting.
Strayed Lights is a simple game that had one novel idea and the will to turn it into a sensorial experience. Despite the fact that the combat feels like it’s been inspired by From Software’s games, Strayed Lights lack that challenge of a soulslike title.
Strayed Lights is a prime example that budget doesn’t make the game. The love of their craft and the feelings invested into the project by the developers is what sets the game aside from many other titles. Awesome stylization, unique soundtrack and a majestic mixture of colors immediately highlight its true beauty that was somewhat dampened by the game's technical side.
Strayed Lights is one of those small but curious games. The game leans into the parrying mechanic you might find in a soulslike and centers around it creating a great gameplay loop that might be a little bit short for some people, but is worth the experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There's so much to love about "Strayed Lights," but unfortunately the game as a whole feels like it's only 50% complete.
Strayed Lights is a difficult game to love. It looks and sounds nice, and if you're really into dodging weaving rather than charging into battle I could see how it might be interesting in small doses, but as it stands, it doesn't feel like there's enough here to really make for a satisfying game.
I found Strayed Lights too quick to finish and with little content. The lack of dialogue or notes ruins what could’ve been an interesting story. The combat and bosses were fun, apart from the final boss since its attack let up.
Strayed Lights had a lot of potential, but it will remain unfulfilled due to plenty of issues.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Strayed Lights is short, sweet and especially a highlight in the experience it offers to players. Its unique block/parry combat system brings something new to the table, and I loved almost every instance of it, especially in the big boss battles spread throughout the journey.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Strayed Lights looks beautiful and has a deep combat system that is rewarding for those able to click with it. It just didn’t click for me. Much like the NPCs in this game, I felt lonely and desperately needed a hug. Though I honestly like what this game is going for. The presentation feels cinematic, with large open areas to explore and epic boss battles. So it’s another of those examples of a game I like but just could not connect with its parry system. I have enough real-life stresses currently, which is not helping. With that in mind, I still recommend it, but a demo would have been really helpful for players to test the waters before they commit to purchasing. If you have fast reflexes and don’t mind long battles, then go into the light and have fun. But if you’re looking for a calmer experience, then seek light elsewhere.
With its unique twist on combat and a great sense of style, I went into Strayed Lights with high hopes. However, while its presentation and challenging parry-centric boss battles certainly shine brightly, its largely nonexistent story, a lack of enemy variety, and frequent crashes caused that light to fade well before the conclusion of its four-hour runtime. If you’re simply looking for a novel take on the action-adventure genre, maybe pick this one up once it goes on sale. For anyone else, Strayed Lights is tough to recommend.
A short but sweet experiential title, Strayed Lights shines bright above its station to deliver an atmospheric tale of self-discovery, rewarding combat and a fantastic graphical and audio treat. This light may not burn long, but it’ll leave quite the impression despite the odd minor issue.
Though we're still in May, I can already say Strayed Lights is one of the great surprises of 2023. The beautiful and enchanting visuals contrast perfectly to the intense, addicting combat, turning the exploration and action experience memorable. It ends up lacking in a few areas but it's more about wanting more of it. Maybe a future update, expansion and/or continuation could take this good concept to the level it deserves.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While undoubtedly ambitious and quite beautiful, the overall play experience doesn’t quite deliver on its promise
Strayed Lights is a visually stunning experience that is also polished and has a ton of fun. While it may not be a long game, it is packed with excitement thanks to its brilliant parrying system and combat. Some of the bosses will stick with you after the credits roll and Embers has delivered a solid video game that is built on a solid foundation.
Strayed Lights definitely tends to stray from what makes its central mechanic great, but manages to wander its way back to the light, and offer a truly charming time.
Strayed Lights definitely ended up surprising me, with an entertaining gameplay loop that finds the perfect sweet spot between "too easy" and "nail-bitingly hard". Surely a Souls-like veteran might find it a little basic, but if you find yourself struggling with other games in the genre, Strayed Lights could be a great entry point. The art is also gorgeous with vibrant colours and lively animations, so there is plenty to look forward to with each new area and even though the story isn't super deep, it's still easy to get invested and want to meet more characters and help them on their journeys. If you are looking for an action-adventure game that provides a light, yet satisfying challenge, Strayed Lights might be perfect for you.
Still, for Embers' first game, this is an especially impressive showing. Strayed Lights is a visually pleasing game with epic bosses and intense combat that any fan of action-adventure platforming games should check out, even if it's over before it really manages to create something unmissable.