The Spectral Web: Hitodama
- November 10, 2023
- Aevin Abstract
- 40h median play time
Get on Steam"The Spectral Web: Hitodama" is a top-down adventure game featuring pixel art and modern effects. When Hito gets lost in the woods, he's spirited away to the Labyrinth, where he must battle monsters and confront his captors to find his way home. With crisp, responsive controls, players can maneuver precisely, dodge enemies, and wield powerful spells. Search for hidden coins to power up and discover elemental shields.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Hitodama offers a charming blend of Metroidvania exploration and classic Zelda-style gameplay, providing a substantial amount of content for its low price.
- The game features engaging combat with diverse spells and mechanics, allowing for various play styles and strategies against a wide range of enemies.
- With multiple routes, difficulty settings, and a focus on secrets, Hitodama boasts high replay value and an intriguing story that keeps players invested.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive and the level design reminiscent of random Zelda dungeon rooms, which can feel dull over time.
- The lack of defensive options for the character can lead to frustrating encounters, especially on higher difficulty settings where players may feel overwhelmed.
- The fast travel system can be hard to recognize, and some visual elements, like the lighting, may appear amateurish or distracting.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of old-school metroidvania and Zelda-like mechanics, offering a large, interconnected map with diverse mechanics and engaging combat. Players can expect around 40 hours of content, with a balance of exploration and fighting, alongside various unlocks and alternate modes that enhance replayability. While the core gameplay may feel somewhat repetitive, the integration of story and mechanics keeps it interesting and accessible.
“A marvelous game, an old-school metroidvania with Zelda-like gameplay.”
“The gameplay is fun and engaging, with mostly switching between fighting and exploring.”
“Hitodama has a large, interconnected metroidvania style map, intense bosses, fun items to fit a variety of gameplay/combat styles, passive character progression upgrades, and a story that'll keep you guessing.”
“It's very reminiscent of the original Zelda 1 (for NES), for various reasons, which does mean it's somewhat repetitive at times with the gameplay.”
“It actually has a decent amount of replayability, as you'll find later on with unlocks, but the core gameplay remains mostly the same, so it's really just about picking your favorite flavor.”
“These mechanics increase in complexity at a fairly smooth pace, sometimes challenging or even a bit frustrating but never incomprehensible.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging and features unexpected twists, with multiple routes to explore beyond the main narrative, which takes about 4-5 hours to complete. While the story is somewhat sparse, it effectively integrates with gameplay, enhancing the overall experience and keeping players intrigued. Overall, it is described as fun and compelling, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“It's got fun music and an intriguing story that takes some unexpected turns.”
“I don't think it's my place to get into details here, but it has some compelling instances of gameplay/story integration and is definitely not an afterthought.”
“The game's story is relatively sparse, but effective when it comes up.”
“Being already familiar with the game, I needed about 3.5 hours to complete the main story, so I estimate about 4-5 hours for newcomers.”
“Hitodama has a large, interconnected metroidvania style map, intense bosses, fun items to fit a variety of gameplay/combat styles, passive character progression upgrades, and a story that'll keep you guessing.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game boasts significant replayability, with a wealth of unlocks, alternative stories, and various gameplay modes that enhance the experience. Players can enjoy multiple playthroughs by exploring different content and difficulty settings, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking longevity in their gaming experience. Overall, it excels in providing a fun and engaging environment that encourages repeated play.
“The real shining achievement of this game, however, is in its replay value.”
“In conclusion, Hitodama's a fun time, infinitely replayable, and definitely worth the price.”
“It actually has a decent amount of replayability, as you'll find later on with unlocks, but the core gameplay remains mostly the same, so it's really just about picking your favorite flavor.”
“There is a lot of extra content that at least doubles the time to see most things, plus alternative stories on top of that adding a lot of replayability.”
“It also has numerous alternate gameplay modes and difficulty/accessibility settings, giving it huge replay value.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its fun and engaging quality, with reviewers noting the impressive effort put into creating a fully original soundtrack by a solo developer. Additionally, the music complements the intriguing story, enhancing the overall experience with unexpected narrative twists.
“It's got fun music and an intriguing story that takes some unexpected turns.”
“The music is amazing.”
“Composing a fully original soundtrack for a game is no small undertaking for a solo developer, and you can really feel that Aevin gave it his all.”
“The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“While the effort is commendable, the soundtrack feels uninspired and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
“The audio quality of the music is subpar, which detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, indicating that it can become monotonous over time.
“This got a bit tedious, honestly.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive.”
“I found myself doing the same tasks over and over without any real reward.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The review indicates that the author is unbiased regarding the game's optimization, focusing instead on their enjoyment of the game itself. There is no specific feedback on performance or optimization issues mentioned.
