Strayed Lights Reviews

Strayed Lights is ranked in the 51st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10.0
Jul 28, 2023

Your view of Strayed Lights is going to depend on what kind of player you are. If you love playing defensively, then you'll like what's on offer, as it mostly works with a few hiccups. If you're more of an attacker, then the slower-paced fights and lack of minion variety doesn't make for an appealing adventure. The game is short enough that it doesn't drag on for too long, making it worth experiencing for those who are intrigued.

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Jul 7, 2023

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.

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Liked
Jun 7, 2023

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.

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6 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2023

Strayed Lights is a beautiful game that tells an abstract yet meaningful story. However, its unique battle system grew repetitive, and some performance issues took some of the fun away.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 25, 2023

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.

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6 / 10.0
May 24, 2023

Action game fans will be left bored by the combat, but kids who are getting used to 3D action games will find Strayed Lights worth a play. The emotive ambiance and the low-stakes gameplay make the experience intriguing for younger gamers who would normally be confused by exposition or extended scenes of dialogue or text. The disappointingly short playtime is a bummer, but that means it will hold the attention of kids.

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3 / 5.0
May 23, 2023

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.

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9 / 10.0
May 15, 2023

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

Unscored
May 12, 2023

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

6.1 / 10.0
May 11, 2023

While undoubtedly ambitious and quite beautiful, the overall play experience doesn’t quite deliver on its promise

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60%
May 10, 2023

Strayed Lights had a lot of potential, but it will remain unfulfilled due to plenty of issues.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

GameSpace
Taoshi
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 9, 2023

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.

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6.5 / 10.0
May 5, 2023

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.

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8 / 10.0
May 3, 2023

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

7 / 10.0
May 2, 2023

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.

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C+
May 1, 2023

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.

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Recommended
May 1, 2023

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.

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Apr 28, 2023

Strayed Lights is both a cosy, relaxing experience and an extremely well-crafted Souls-lite adventure game – and honestly, it’s a combination we didn’t even know we wanted. With a lavish world, beautiful soundtrack and addictive combat loop, this is a unique title that's easy to recommend.

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GamingBolt
Usaid
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Apr 28, 2023

Strayed Lights has some interesting tricks up its sleeve. It puts a good first impression with its ominous atmosphere and unique brand of parry based combat, but those concepts falter in the face of mediocre game design in almost every aspect of the experience.

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7 / 10
Apr 28, 2023

Strayed Lights is something rare in the gaming industry; a game that genuinely surprises us. The combat is unique and accessible. The story is told in a subtle, heartfelt way. The music and visuals are stunning. However, a string of technical bugs, repetitive combat, and inconsistent platforming sections mar what would otherwise be a stellar offering from a new studio. If it ran better on the Switch, we would be giving it a much better score.

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