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Gleamlight

Gleamlight is a simple 2D platformer with a pretty premise but not a lot of substance to back it up.
Gleamlight Game Cover
43%Game Brain Score
graphics, music
story, gameplay
37% User Score Based on 57 reviews
Critic Score 51%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
Gleamlight Game Cover

About

Gleamlight is a single player platformer game. It was developed by DICO and was released on August 20, 2020. It received neutral reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

"Gleamlight" is a 2D action game set in a stunning, transient world made entirely of glass, where players navigate without a traditional UI to uncover an unspoken story. The game's unique art style and immersive design aim to provide an organic experience as players traverse this beautiful yet dangerous world, fighting enemies and uncovering the mystery behind the world's history, all while avoiding the damaging effects of darkness on the fragile glass environment.

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37%
Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews
graphics11 positive mentions
story4 negative mentions

  • The game features a beautiful art style and atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience.
  • The combat system, while simple, includes a unique health mechanic where players regain health by damaging enemies, making encounters less frustrating.
  • Some players found the game enjoyable for its short playtime and unique aesthetic, appreciating the effort put into its design.
  • The gameplay is often criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many players finding the combat shallow and unengaging.
  • The game is very short, with some players completing it in under an hour, leading to complaints about its value for the price.
  • Many reviews highlight poor controls and a lack of clear instructions, making the game feel unintuitive and frustrating to navigate.
  • story
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Gleamlight" is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting that it feels minimal and often non-existent, relying on silent storytelling and vague environmental cues. While some appreciate the dark atmosphere and subtle plot twists, the overall narrative is described as bland and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more substance and character development. The game is seen as a linear experience with little replayability, making it difficult to recommend for its story alone.

    • “If you want a tl;dr review, this game is a perfectly good little linear action platformer with a subtly dark plot, some fun story twists, decent bosses, and a short but satisfying run time.”
    • “If you go into this game without the preconceived notion that it's a 'Hollow Knight' clone, what you will get is a tight, short, fun little platform hack-and-slash with power-ups that make combat progressively easier and faster, some fun (if not super complex) bosses, a few interesting twists, and a dark, foreboding atmosphere that helps to subtly tell the minimal story.”
    • “And I thought that the mysterious story worked well, too.”
    • “Really feels like a game trying to be artistic without any proper story to tell.”
    • “The so-called 'unspoken story' might feel like the narrative is non-existent.”
    • “With no story to latch onto, it all just feels shallow.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Gleamlight are widely praised for their unique stained glass art style, which creates an immersive and atmospheric experience. However, while the visuals are considered beautiful, they are often accompanied by criticisms of poor level design and uninteresting gameplay elements, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite these flaws, the art style remains the standout feature, captivating players who appreciate its aesthetic appeal.

    • “Mainly the obviously pretty art style that paired with the sound design which really sells the stained glass world design.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, and I love the stained glass theme that the developers used.”
    • “Gleamlight's art style is beautiful and immersive, but the combat here is slow and tedious.”
    • “The only ups may be the art style (that is still not justified lore-wise, has nothing interesting gameplay-wise and at times makes the navigation really confusing, since one can't tell what's in the background and in the foreground and what can be broken due to no consistency in the room level design) and the boss fight song (which is seriously the only thing I enjoyed, even if it doesn't fit with action scenes at all).”
    • “If they had gone for a different art style to help differentiate it from Hollow Knight, then maybe it wouldn't feel like such a mediocre game.”
    • “I really like the art style, but after the third boss and the poor level design, I gave up and refunded the game.”
  • gameplay
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players criticizing its basic mechanics, lack of engaging content, and poor level design that hampers exploration and enjoyment. Issues such as unclear mechanics, forced difficulty, and a lack of replayability have been highlighted, making it difficult for players to stay engaged. While some appreciate the art style and music, the overall consensus is that the gameplay experience is unsatisfactory and fails to justify its price.

    • “The life steal mechanic makes bosses a nice challenge and adds a nice way to remove item drops.”
    • “But learning the mechanics comes with ease after exploring a bit, and there is great forgiveness with the death system.”
    • “Despite being really short and gameplay-wise bland, Gleamlight has an interesting art style full of breaking the glass, easy progression, and nicely done eerie music.”
    • “Unfortunately, the inconsistent gameplay focusing on backtracking and re-runs of the game makes it really hard to get engaged.”
    • “The problems arise with various in-game mechanics being directly at odds with each other.”
    • “The mechanics are not very well explained anywhere; the only reason I know the enemies are supposed to be some kind of ghosts is because that's what they are called in the achievement. The enemies feel forced with the platforming, and the difficulty curve is forced, not something enjoyable.”
  • music
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as subdued and forgettable, with some standout moments during the title menu and boss fights. While it blends well with the overall atmosphere, many reviewers noted its repetitiveness and lack of variety, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the soundtrack contributes to the game's ambiance but fails to leave a lasting impression.

    • “The soundtrack, while generally subdued, creates a nice ambiance.”
    • “It has a beautiful soundtrack and art style.”
    • “I very much liked the art style, music, and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The credit music doesn't even last for the whole credit scene, my god.”
    • “The music is forgettable and somewhat repetitive, but it fits the game's atmosphere well enough.”
    • “And the music's discordant clanging is rubbish, too.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to repetitive boss encounters that prolong battles without significant progression. The slow-paced combat and the need to regain health while attacking contribute to a frustrating experience, especially for those pursuing trophies. Overall, while the art style is praised, the grinding elements detract from the enjoyment.

    • “The subsequent playthroughs also involve reused bosses, which are tedious (mostly the flying one).”
    • “You regain HP as you attack, and so do enemies, so the flying boss is a big tedious battle most of the time as you both chip away at each other while recovering.”
    • “But, fair warning… if you go for the trophies, this game becomes tedious fast.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a dark and foreboding tone, enhanced by its art style and environments that effectively convey the minimal story. While the music may be repetitive, it complements the overall ambiance, contributing to a cohesive experience that players find engaging. Despite some animation shortcomings, the visual presentation is generally well-received for its atmospheric quality.

    • “It's got a dark, foreboding atmosphere and environments that help to subtly tell the minimal story, and the whole thing just works.”
    • “The art style itself is quite nice and atmospheric.”
    • “It's got a dark, foreboding atmosphere and environments that help to subtly tell the minimal story.”
    • “The music is forgettable and somewhat repetitive but it fits the game's atmosphere well enough.”
    • “I very much liked the art style, music, and atmosphere of the game.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report significant stability issues, particularly noting buggy movements during boss fights that can disrupt gameplay.

    • “There are lots of buggy movements, especially during boss fights.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to progress.”
    • “I experienced numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted through unique and amusing enemy designs, though many enemies rely on a single quirky trait that, once understood, diminishes their challenge. Overall, while some aspects are entertaining, the novelty may wear off quickly.

    • “Some of the enemy designs are refreshingly unique and funny, adding a delightful twist to the gameplay.”
    • “The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the enemy designs, making encounters both entertaining and memorable.”
    • “The quirky characteristics of the enemies provide a humorous challenge, keeping the gameplay light-hearted and enjoyable.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game lacks significant replayability due to its uninteresting level design, repetitive enemy encounters, and absence of a compelling story or mechanics that encourage varied playstyles. While some players may find enjoyment in its simplicity, the limited content and short playtime make it difficult to justify multiple playthroughs.

    • “Avoiding focusing on the plain issues with the main menu (new commands that get overwritten by the default ones as one replays the game; some options that lack sound effects; simply uncomfortable to navigate in; video settings that just set the window size), there is no content whatsoever: uninteresting rooms (you cannot be serious to make the player walk a linear map just to have a bunch of more enemies there. This is not level design, let alone a metroidvania!), broken enemies, no story (let's be real: nothing transpires in the playthrough; there is no pathos in the bosses you defeat, they have no personality, many just have the same sprite), unclear and broken mechanics (it just praises tanking, it asks no wits from the players. Also, losing life for just moving and double jumping is such nonsense when you're just going for the other room, I'm serious), no replayability... there is nothing one would enjoy playing, let alone to justify the price (the first playthrough can take at most 2 hours. At most, for €17).”
    • “Not a major time investment, not a lot of replay value, but if you stop treating it like something it's not, you will find that it's actually really good at being what it's supposed to be.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is noted for its simplistic designs and artistic style reminiscent of earlier influences, featuring bold outlines and dynamic action elements. However, while these visual aspects are engaging, they do not contribute significantly to the depth or growth of the characters themselves.

  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a sense of unpredictability in the game's emotional impact, highlighting moments of intense frustration and surprise where seemingly random events can lead to sudden death or survival. This inconsistency contributes to a rollercoaster of emotions, enhancing the overall experience.

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3h Median play time
11h Average play time
1-30h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Gleamlight is a platformer game.

Gleamlight is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Gleamlight.

Gleamlight was released on August 20, 2020.

Gleamlight was developed by DICO.

Gleamlight has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Gleamlight is a single player game.

Similar games include The Last Case of Benedict Fox, ITORAH, Feudal Alloy, Blue Fire, Downward and others.