Absence of Light
- January 22, 2024
- Koala Symphony Studios
Get on SteamSolve, shoot, and shine your way though the kingdom of Luminara! Light has scattered across the kingdom, leaving darkness and apathy in between. It's up to you to restore the four pillars of light and reawaken the Gate of Truth. Inspired by bullet-hell style arcade games, but with a more open ended level design, Absence of Light combines puzzling level design with high precision action for a …
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging bullet hell gameplay with great controls and a fantastic soundtrack.
- Challenging boss fights that offer a satisfying sense of progression and skill improvement.
- Incorporates light metroidvania elements, providing a mix of exploration and combat.
- Poorly implemented mechanics, such as the focus ability not functioning as intended.
- The map system and death penalty can feel tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- Graphics and zoomed-in perspective may detract from immersion and overall experience.
- music8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting its excellent and diverse soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Many describe the soundtrack as awesome and integral to the game's atmosphere, complementing the engaging gameplay and visuals. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature.
“A wonderful bullet hell with great controls, awesome music, and great bosses!”
“This game's got a lot going for it with an excellent and diverse soundtrack and characters that stand out in the memory easily.”
“Controls feel great, solid map, nice parallaxing environment, and some moody ambient music that is different in each biome.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a blend of twin-shooter mechanics and non-linear metroidvania elements, allowing players to explore areas in any order. The real highlight lies in the intense bullet hell challenges presented by the game's bosses, adding a thrilling layer to the experience.
“The game's real appeal is the combination of non-linear Metroidvania (aside from the first area and traversal mechanic, they can be accessed in any order) and the nail-biting bullet hell challenge of its bosses.”
“The main gameplay is very similar to twin-shooters.”
“The main gameplay is very similar to twin-stick shooters.”
“The game's real appeal is the combination of non-linear metroidvania elements and the nail-biting bullet hell challenge of its bosses.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed feedback, with some users feeling that the basic style detracted from immersion, while others praised the visuals as impressive and well-suited to the game's fun and challenging bullet hell gameplay.
“A fun and challenging bullet hell with awesome music and graphics.”
“I was not really immersed in the game's world, partly due to the basic graphics style.”
“The graphics look outdated and lack detail, making the game feel less engaging.”
“The visual effects are underwhelming and do not match the expectations set by modern games.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is considered serviceable but unremarkable, serving primarily as a backdrop to its engaging weapon experience and leveling system, which is reminiscent of Cave Story. Players can downgrade their weapons upon taking damage and can re-upgrade them by defeating enemies to gain experience.
“Its story is serviceable but nothing to write home about.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, with some only enjoying it during the exploration phase.
“This system only worked for me during the exploration portion of the game because it is otherwise tedious.”
“The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the experience feel monotonous.”
