Pinball Spire
- October 2, 2024
- Apparition Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Pinball Spire" is a pinballvania game, combining classic pinball mechanics with platforming, puzzles, and exploration. As a brave pinball named Pip, you'll explore the titular spire, conquering a strange pinball maze filled with secrets, enemies, and interactive contraptions. With mana-powered pinball abilities, overcome challenges and uncover the mystery at the spire's peak. Official game description count: 221 characters.
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of pinball mechanics and adventure elements, providing a fun and engaging experience.
- The visuals and soundtrack are well-crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere and enjoyment of the game.
- The puzzles and challenges are creatively designed, offering satisfying 'aha!' moments as players progress through the levels.
- The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-4 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
- There are significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and resource leaks that can disrupt gameplay.
- The lack of traditional pinball mechanics, such as nudging, and the linear progression detract from the overall pinball experience.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and responsive, featuring a unique blend of pinball mechanics within a platforming context, though it lacks some traditional pinball elements like table tilting and complex wizard modes. While the game offers a pleasing presentation and customization options, many players find the overall experience short, with around three hours of content, leading to mixed feelings about its value for the price. Despite its fun mechanics and polished design, some users express disappointment over performance issues and a desire for additional gameplay features or modes.
“Gameplay is also responsive (no input lag) and being able to customize your little pinball (with accessories found scattered about the spire) is a nice little touch.”
“A fun, short pinball-themed adventure that does a great job of not overstaying its welcome while also fleshing out the mechanics it has to offer.”
“The combination of traditional pinball mechanics with a unique platformer/fantasy twist makes it truly stand out.”
“Tl;dr: pleasing presentation (both sound and visuals), however gameplay can get frustrating a little quickly and don't go in expecting a true metroidvania either.”
“Considering the price tag on this one, I find myself overall unsatisfied at the end of the day with barely under 3 hours of gameplay to do pretty much everything in this game.”
“While it uses the mechanics of pinball fairly well, it's a little bit lacking in actual pinball nerdery - sure, that's not what the game is about, and it uses its mechanics well, but I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of conventional pinball mechanics like table tilting, or more complex wizard mode mechanics.”
- music19 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its amazing soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers noted its ability to evoke nostalgia, drawing influences from classic titles like Chrono Trigger and Octopath Traveler, while also creating a chill atmosphere that complements the gameplay. There is a strong desire among fans for the soundtrack to be released for broader listening, highlighting its impact and enjoyment.
“Amazing soundtrack, too!”
“The music feels like the perfect match for a game you can just sit down with and enjoy, and reinforces the chill atmosphere of the game.”
“Music and sound effects hit home.”
“Please release the soundtrack @apparitiongames, I need the soundtrack please!”
“I found myself jamming along to the soundtrack (please tell me I can listen to it on YouTube or some other music platform!) as well as sometimes my breath catching in my throat with how gorgeous every new level was.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the final room and boss fight, where unclear objectives and excessive barriers lead to prolonged and luck-based gameplay. While some areas, like the planetary system room, are visually appealing, they still suffer from a lack of engaging mechanics, contributing to an overall sense of monotony. Despite capturing the essence of pinball, the game often feels like a drawn-out experience rather than an enjoyable challenge.
“They've done the work to implement a passable, cartoonish representation of pinball, but then made the objectives both opaque and tedious.”
“Just tedious and frustrating when it could have been so much better.”
“The final boss itself also feels tedious; the concept is amazing and I'd love to see more pinball boss fights, but the sheer number of barriers - both literal and figurative - to dealing damage turned the battle into a marathon, taking me well over 20 minutes.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics in Pinball Spire are praised for their crispness and professional quality, contributing to a pleasing overall presentation alongside the sound design. While the art style and animations are well-received, some users note that smaller rooms may suffer from scaling issues on larger monitors, though they perform better on devices like the Steam Deck. Overall, the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for both high-score seekers and casual players.
“Both the graphic design and animations are at a professional level.”
“Whether you’re aiming for a high score or just enjoying the fun visuals, Pinball Spire delivers!”
“A couple of the smaller rooms have also been annoying to play through because the graphics don't scale well, but I'm sure it's great on something like the Steam Deck instead of a big normal monitor.”
“Pinball Spire has crisper graphics, being made in the modern era.”
“Tl;dr: pleasing presentation (both sound and visuals), however gameplay can get frustrating a little quickly and don't go in expecting a true metroidvania either.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly on the Steam Deck and in later levels, despite its enjoyable gameplay. While it runs smoothly on older platforms like the Sega Genesis, players have noted that it is a resource-intensive title that could benefit from patches to address these mechanical and performance shortcomings. Overall, the optimization concerns detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed recommendations.
“Other than this small performance issue, the game is loads of fun and I have been having a blast exploring through the spire.”
“Hopefully the developer is able to put out a patch that will clean up this performance issue.”
“Despite being for the Sega Genesis (an ancient platform by today's standards), Sonic Spinball played smoother and had more consistent performance.”
“Finally, while it plays very well on Steam Deck, it is a complete resource hog and has some performance issues in the later tables.”
“But as it is right now - about 3 hours of play for $15, with some serious mechanical and performance issues - I can't recommend it.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional engagement in the game is tied to the physicality of interactions, suggesting that simply touching elements may not evoke the desired feelings; instead, a more forceful approach is required to fully experience the emotional depth.
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is lacking, as players expected a more engaging and comedic experience typical of pinball platformers, but found it to be absent.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by a perfectly matched soundtrack that fosters a relaxing and enjoyable experience, allowing players to immerse themselves fully in the game's ambiance.
“The music feels like the perfect match for a game you can just sit down with and enjoy, and reinforces the chill atmosphere of the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers express that not all games need to prioritize endless replayability or grind-heavy content, emphasizing the importance of fun and creativity over meaningless progression.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the story, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
“With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possible outcome.”
“The dynamic gameplay mechanics and random events ensure that no two sessions are ever the same, keeping the experience exciting.”
