Strayed Lights Reviews
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 challenge with enemies and with controls. Depending on what type of gamer you might be, this could be a positive or a negative. For me, it was small doses of progression and motivation to see the story progress that kept me playing.
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.
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.
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.
Strayed Lights admirably tries its best to serve two masters, attempting to be a loving interpretive dance of a narrative held together with ruthless, tricky, defensive combat. The yin and yang of the game may not fit together perfectly, unbalanced as they are, but both sides are executed with enough forethought, joy, and panache to make the experience worthwhile.
Strayed Lights is a solid debut title from Embers that delivers atmosphere in droves.
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 truly beautiful game. While its visuals and audio design are incredibly vibrant and breathtaking, the true beauty of it shines through with how the game uses both. As for the combat, despite it being far more forgiving than other games in the genre, it still provides you with enough of a challenge to keep you engaged and keep coming back for more.
Strayed Lights is a fantastic game that deserves a whole lot of love, and the positives of the experience massively outweigh the negatives. It isn’t all that long at about 5-6 hours, but it’s exactly as long as it needs to be. So, check out Strayed Lights if you want a not-too-tough soulslike game that also happens to do a few new things along the way.
Strayed Lights tells a great story without any words and brings a wonderful world to your screen. Its potential though isn't fully used as sooner or later, it's just your gateway to the next bossfight. The bossfights can become frustrating, especially due to the shaky performance of the game on Xbox Series S.
Review in German | Read full review
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.
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.
It’s not out to shake up the indie video game space, but thanks to a uniquely engaging combat system and a consistent stream of wonderous sights and sounds, Strayed Lights is a worthwhile little journey that makes for a great lazy afternoon play. It’s unfortunate that the user experience has suffered an oversight or two, especially in areas of accessibility, but mainly because it’s a quiet gem of a game that absolutely deserves to be played.
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.
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.
For a game designed by a relatively small indie studio, Strayed Lights is more than competent in terms of gameplay and combat.