Devoid of Shadows
- July 12, 2017
- N-Game Studios
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Devoid of Shadows" is an indie 3D action-RPG set in a vampire fantasy world, where you navigate a randomly generated Blood Labyrinth as the heir of Galidon. Your quest is to find the source of ancient Power and uncover the Labyrinth's secrets. With a unique layout and features each playthrough, the game provides a fresh experience every time. The story and mechanics are inspired by classic roguelikes, offering a mix of exploration, combat, and crafting.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fun hack and slash gameplay style reminiscent of classic ARPGs like Diablo.
- The crafting system is in-depth and allows for strategic resource management and character progression.
- The character designs and aesthetics are visually appealing, adding charm to the overall experience.
- The game suffers from poor controls and a frustrating camera system that makes navigation and combat difficult.
- There is a lack of a save feature, forcing players to restart levels upon death or quitting, which can lead to significant frustration.
- The overall gameplay feels outdated and clunky, with many mechanics feeling unpolished and lacking depth.
- story30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as weak and shallow, with a typical plot involving vampire nobles and themes of betrayal. While some players find moments of intrigue and appreciate the initial setup, many criticize the lack of depth, poor animations, and minimal character development, leading to an overall experience that feels underwhelming. Despite its potential, the storytelling is hampered by gameplay flaws and repetitive quests, leaving players wanting more.
“Storywise, you are three vampire nobles part of a royal bloodline that has been egregiously wronged.”
“The plot attracts from the very first minutes.”
“Heir to the vampire kingdom, you must escape the castle as a plot to end your life unveils before your very own eyes during the banquet in your honor.”
“The creature animation is laughable and the story is pretty weak.”
“It's really just sort of a Diablo for 1 dollar/euro and that's the value you get: basic point and click fighting without much gameplay, minimum story just at the beginning, not voiced and just a few repeating soundtracks.”
“Poor animations that are out of sync with your actions, text-only character interactions, and no meaningful introduction to the game's mechanics or story.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun hack-and-slash mechanics and addictive elements, while others criticize it for poor design, inconvenient controls, and a lack of meaningful progression. Many users noted issues such as unresponsive controls, a confusing crafting system, and a lack of save functionality, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, significant flaws in gameplay mechanics and execution have left many players disappointed.
“Fun hack n slash gameplay.”
“There's just something about its base gameplay that's very addicting!”
“This game has interesting gameplay; there's a lot of different monsters and mythical creatures.”
“Either kiting one or two enemies at a time and then waiting for an all-important health-regen mechanic to allow me to return to combat, or throwing a craftable bomb to either 1-shot or 2-shot everything on screen.”
“It's really just sort of a Diablo for 1 dollar/euro and that's the value you get: basic point and click fighting without much gameplay, minimum story just at the beginning, not voiced and just a few repeating soundtracks.”
“The big one: the gameplay is awful.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as average and inconsistent, reminiscent of older titles from the early 2000s, with some detailed character designs that stand out. While some players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and cozy visuals, others note significant polish issues and outdated elements that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics seem to be a mixed bag, appealing to fans of retro styles but lacking the refinement expected in modern games.
“Admittedly, the character designs are very detailed, aesthetically attractive, and well done, to the point I wish other ARPGs would follow this formula.”
“Beautiful graphics with good loading screens.”
“Quite an interesting game, very similar to those games that are often played in the evenings, cozy graphics.”
“The graphics, interface, and lack of even WASD movement make this feel like it's a game from the Diablo 2 or Warcraft 3 era.”
“Graphics are average and inconsistent in aesthetic and quality.”
“1) Graphics look like this game was developed in 2004 at best.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it pleasant but often mismatched to the game's atmosphere, particularly in darker themes. While the soundtrack is described as nice, it can be repetitive and occasionally overlaps in a way that disrupts gameplay. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, lacking the depth and fitting ambiance expected in isometric games.
“The music was a strange journey for me.”
“It has an interesting plot and good music.”
“I will say the music is nice, and the dungeon is decent looking, but it has so much to go before I could call it a finished game, even at its price point.”
“But the levels and music, which are much more important for me in isometric games, are generic and boring. Enemies' attacks and design are very basic, the camera turning is too slow, and there is no way of customizing your keys, so you don't even know which one you can use.”
“I wouldn't call it 'bad,' but it seems as if many of the songs would be better suited for a game that's 'more whimsical' in themes and content.”
“The music doesn't fit the supposed dark atmosphere of a vampire game; the sound is choppy, and the intro is unbearable.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting a myriad of bugs including a faulty save system, missing character stats, and inconsistent mechanics. Additionally, players experience frequent glitches and framerate drops, detracting from the overall enjoyment and visual appeal of the game. Overall, the game is described as exceptionally buggy, leading to a frustrating experience.
“The save system is buggy; I often start at the beginning of the game but retain all the loot and gear from a previous autosave that has disappeared.”
“It's too bad since the game has a certain visual appeal, but it is plagued by bugs.”
“At this point, the game is exceptionally buggy and does little to inspire enjoyment.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is inconsistent, with repetitive sound design across biomes and music that often fails to match the intended mood, particularly in a dark vampire setting. While some players appreciate the improved atmosphere in the revamped version, others criticize the overall execution, including poor controls and choppy sound.
“The game has been redone and is quite good now, simple to handle and old-school, with nice character skins and a nice atmosphere.”
“The music, while nice to listen to, is very hit or miss, thus sometimes it doesn't fit the mood and atmosphere of the actual game.”
“The music doesn't fit the supposed dark atmosphere of a vampire game; the sound is choppy and the intro is unbearable.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally criticized, with reports of significant frame rate drops when accessing the inventory, even on low settings. While some users find the performance acceptable, others suggest that it requires better optimization to enhance the overall experience.
“The game brought me back to the time when I skipped classes with my friends and went to a computer club. The RPG is very well optimized, and I advise anyone who wants to set it up.”
“Good optimization.”
“- Poorly optimized: the game runs fine, then you open the inventory and the framerate drops to a crawl, even with quality set to 'low'.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players criticize the grinding aspect of the game, noting that acquiring "forge points" through resource farming—such as breaking barrels or mining stone—feels tedious and poorly designed. The crafting and resource gathering system is seen as unsatisfactory, detracting from the overall experience.
“The system for acquiring 'forge points' is tedious, as it requires farming craft resources on the map by breaking barrels or mining stone.”
“The crafting and resource farming system is poorly designed and frustrating.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character designs in BloodRayne for their detailed and aesthetically appealing qualities, suggesting that other action RPGs could benefit from adopting a similar approach to character development.
“The character designs are very detailed, aesthetically attractive, and well done, to the point I wish other action RPGs would follow this formula.”
“The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive, allowing players to form a strong emotional connection with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that players appreciate the emotional depth and character design in games, emphasizing that while realism is important, it should not detract from the appeal of fantastical and attractive character portrayals. The emotional connection to characters like a charming elf or a rugged orc is seen as essential to the gaming experience.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as funny, with players appreciating its humor throughout the experience.
“This game had me laughing out loud with its clever jokes and witty dialogue.”
“The humor is spot-on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
“I love how the game incorporates absurd situations that keep the gameplay light-hearted and fun.”
