Songbringer Reviews
A rewarding sense of exploration drives this tribute to the 16-bit era. Strong ability based progression mechanics underline the Zelda-like comparison and procedurally generated elements complement the structure well. While its combat lacks precision, Songbringer is a very positive overall experience.
Neo-retro games have had a great resurgence in recent years with the increased prevalence of Indie developers, and I believe what Songbringer accomplishes is nothing less than a fond wistfulness of those days of cartridges and arcades. While Songbringer plays heavily on the nostalgia of games long past, I believe new players with a little determination can still find a lot to like in this updated take on an old-fashioned game. For a game priced around the same as a movie and popcorn, this is an expeditious journey worth taking. Board the Songbringer sailor. Ekzera awaits.
Songbringer is a randomly generated top-down Zelda-like that has a surprisingly cohesive story and may be worth a play if you can snag it on sale.
In the end Songbringer is an exciting, if familiar, take on the old Zelda formula that for the most part plays as good as it looks.
While swinging around a humming nanosword never gets old, Songbringer's aimlessness prevents the party from really getting started.
For a game from a one-man studio on a very modest Kickstarter budget, Songbringer impresses in several ways. It's true that I don't find its visuals to be representative of good pixel art. But graphics are hardly the most important area. I do enjoy Songbringer's sci-fi settings, co-op gameplay, and non-linear nature. With achievements and leaderboards, Zelda fans should check this one out, but maybe wait for a sale if you find the visuals to be distracting.
Songbringer is one of those releases you're either going to love or hate.
While it does have cracks on its surface, underneath those cracks, Songbringer sings a beautiful tune.
In theory, Songbringer should be excellent. As a procedurally generated take on the original Legend of Zelda, there's plenty of room to innovate with old and new ideas alike. Unfortunately, the old ideas feel derivative of better games and the new ideas are hardly revolutionary. The overall aesthetic and sound design do a great job at creating atmosphere, which makes it all the more disappointing when the level design falls victim to the typical procedurally generated pitfalls. Without attention specifically given to enemy placement, how areas connect, and dungeon design, Songbringer never sustains a consistent level of difficulty or quality. Procedural generation is a handy tool, but not when it's used as a substitute for actual level design.
Sonbringer is an absolute joy to play with lots of secrets to discover. The option in the game for entering a code to have a set world to explore which you can share with the rest of the world is a very interesting idea for a procedurally generated game, and it definitely made my experience with it better. Being able to play on your own or have a friend take over Jib is a nice option, and something I liked. If you're looking for a fun action game on PlayStation 4 and are a fan of the old-school The Legend of Zelda games, then you should definitely give Songbringer a go.
Songbringer is a fun game that is not without its problems.
Songbringer is the game that fans of the original Zelda have longed for, spiced up with a slick Hyper Light Drifter aesthetic. It might not, however, strike a chord with anyone else.
Songbringer's core gameplay is enjoyable and the variety of weapons and items means that you're always unlocking something fresh and getting to experiment with new things.
Songbringer is a beautiful and vast procedurally generated wonderland created by developer Wizard Fu. If you crammed the original Zelda and Dark Souls into a jar and then poured a procedurally generated fluid over the top, you’d have Songbringer. This game will have you locked in for hours with adventure, action, and a little frustration for good measure.
Songbringer’s eccentricities are enticing and endearing to be certain, but last only for so long. At the end of the day, weird does not a good game make.
Songbringer is a super-tough, rewarding RPG that doesn't quite give enough
While its procedurally generated levels are one of the most beautiful i’ve ever seen, Songbringer fails on making its gameplay and, especially its combat, a compelling experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
true gem of a game and a future classic
Songbringer is an enjoyable game that nails the Zelda dungeon-crawling aspect while still managing to bring something new to the table with the procedural seed runs, permadeath mode and a cast of unique and amusing characters.
Songbringer is neatly designed, written with wit and humour and has some fun gameplay, but it struggled to keep my interest through its entirety and I found myself finding it hard to replay dungeons after many a death.