Absence of Light

About

Solve, 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 …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

music12 positive mentions

gameplay2 negative mentions

A wonderful bullet hell experience with great controls, awesome music, and challenging bosses.
The game features a fun weapon upgrading system that adds variety to encounters and enhances gameplay.
It's engaging and fast-paced, making it perfect for both quick sessions and extended play, with a solid skill curve for improvement.

The reflect ability is poorly implemented, not functioning well with aiming.
The game can feel tedious due to the need to farm for XP after boss fights to maximize weapon levels.
The zoomed-in perspective can be frustrating, limiting the player's view despite having ample space to operate.

music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting an excellent and diverse soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The combination of moody ambient tracks and energetic themes complements the gameplay, making it memorable and engaging. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “A fun and challenging bullet hell with awesome music and graphics.”
- “The killer soundtrack really adds to the vibe too!”
- “This game's got a lot going for it with an excellent and diverse soundtrack and characters that stand out in the memory easily.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay features a blend of twin-shooter mechanics and non-linear metroidvania elements, allowing players to explore areas in any order after the initial stage. The highlight is the intense bullet hell challenge presented by the game's bosses, adding a thrilling layer to the overall experience.
- “The main gameplay is very similar to twin-shooters.”
- “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.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The graphics received mixed feedback, with some players finding them basic and lacking immersion, while others praised the visuals as impressive and well-suited to the game's fun and challenging bullet hell mechanics. Overall, the graphical style seems to be a point of contention among users.
- “A fun and challenging bullet hell with awesome music and graphics.”
- “I was not really immersed in the game's world, in part due to the basic graphics style.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
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 when hurt and re-upgrade them by defeating enemies for experience.
- “Its story is serviceable but nothing to write home about.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some only enjoying it during the exploration phase. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a drawback rather than a compelling feature.
- “This system only worked for me during the exploration portion of the game because it is otherwise tedious.”