There’s no Light

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 210 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
There’s no Light Game Cover
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"There's No Light" is a dark, atmospheric RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world. As a lone survivor, players must navigate treacherous environments, battle grotesque creatures, and make difficult moral choices. With a focus on challenging combat and deep storytelling, the game offers a harrowing experience that explores the depths of human desperation.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 210 reviews
story30 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The world-building and atmosphere are exceptional, creating a captivating dark fantasy environment.
  • The pixel art is stunning, with detailed animations and a unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • The combat system, while simple, can be satisfying and rewarding once mastered, especially during boss fights.
  • The game lacks a map, making navigation confusing and leading to frustration during exploration.
  • Combat can feel repetitive and simplistic, with limited variety in enemy encounters and attack patterns.
  • The story is often unclear and poorly paced, with dialogue that can be awkward and difficult to follow.
  • story124 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its dark, atmospheric world and the depth revealed through exploration and NPC interactions, while others criticize it for being poorly paced, derivative, and difficult to follow without clear guidance. Many reviews highlight the hands-off storytelling approach reminiscent of Souls-like games, which can lead to confusion and missed quests, but also create an engaging narrative for those willing to invest time. Overall, the story's execution varies significantly among players, with some finding it compelling and others deeming it forgettable or pretentious.

    • “The story is never outright explained to you, but it is drip-fed through notes, NPCs you talk to, and especially the environment.”
    • “Well, it's pretty much some of the best I have ever seen, even with the fairly omnipresent grammar mistakes and the very Dark Souls-like hands-off storytelling requiring you to piece things together, the game leaves lots of text logs, NPC conversations, and set pieces that contribute to the overall plot and setting.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing, and the story is pretty decent for an indie title.”
    • “The quests are difficult to follow or understand with no in-game tracking, and there are no hints that a particular line of dialogue out of hundreds is even a quest to begin with.”
    • “Not only is the story derivative, it’s also pretentious, ambiguous, and poorly paced.”
    • “The story seems poorly written and translated.”
  • gameplay64 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the fast-paced combat and exploration elements, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of depth. Some mechanics, such as healing and karma systems, are seen as overly complex or poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the game suffers from insufficient tutorials and explanations for key mechanics, leading to confusion and frustration during play.

    • “Overall minute-to-minute gameplay is pretty enjoyable, a mix of exploring a dark underworld and pretty snappy melee combat.”
    • “Both the satisfaction and the amazing combat system combine to create one of the best gameplay experiences I've had for a while.”
    • “Great game, everything is fine in it, starting with action and ending with graphics; the game has a very dynamic gameplay, music is a separate kind of fun, perfectly prescribed elements, hardcore bosses, and of course, though pixel graphics, it is beyond praise.”
    • “The simple combat mechanics work, but dodging is sometimes a tad floaty-feeling, which can make boss battles feel harder than they are.”
    • “Some of the basic mechanics are explained once, easily skipped on accident, and then there is no way to look them up again.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, you're just mashing attack and dashing around until you build up your meter to use when an enemy has a yellow mark over their head.”
  • graphics53 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, intricate pixel animations, and detailed environments, creating a beautiful and immersive aesthetic. Many reviewers highlight the unique visual design, often comparing it to classic 16-bit games, while some caution that the impressive graphics may overshadow other aspects of the gameplay, which can be lacking. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and appeal.

    • “The art style and world building mesh very well, the animations are crisp, and the gameplay is very fun once you get into the flow of the combat.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning and the story, so far, has been very good.”
    • “It's a beautiful mix of both visuals and music that managed to grip me again and again.”
    • “Even the store page review quotes are based on what the game looks like, and there’s a reason for that - anyone who’s actually done more than look at the advertising visuals will figure out very quickly that under all the flash, there’s nothing of substance.”
    • “The artwork, gameplay, and UI aren't very polished.”
    • “The art style is really all it has going for it.”
  • music38 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. The soundtrack features a dynamic range, shifting from intense rock during boss fights to eerie ambient tracks while exploring, effectively complementing the game's visuals and narrative. Overall, the music is described as a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's immersive world and emotional depth.

    • “And to add to the combat experiences, the soundtrack will go into fast rock soundtracks to amp up the fight or more solitary eerie music when exploring the world.”
    • “The music is a separate kind of fun, perfectly prescribed to the hardcore bosses, and of course, though pixel graphics, it is beyond praise.”
    • “Music is passable, not very memorable, but provides the game with what it needs.”
    • “The soundtrack plays well with the atmosphere of the game and is chill and ambient in most cases, despite the trailer's metal soundtracks.”
    • “The soundtrack plays well with the atmosphere of the game and is chill and ambient in most cases, despite the trailer's metal soundtracks.”
  • atmosphere28 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and immersive quality, effectively conveying a sense of mystery and the remnants of a fallen civilization. Players appreciate the detailed pixel art, ambient soundtrack, and the overall dark yet captivating environment that enhances the gameplay experience. While some note that the gameplay may not match the atmospheric depth, the visual and auditory elements create a memorable and engaging world.

    • “The hauntingly beautiful atmosphere secludes a sense of mystery, and even the grotesque showcases more awe than disgust.”
    • “The atmosphere of this game is fantastic; at every turn, you see the ruins of a civilization that came before, with the turmoil of the current society held within.”
    • “Action-adventure RPG with an incredibly memorable dark atmosphere and stunning graphics, with an interesting history of the visual world and great music.”
    • “The cutscenes we were shown during gameplay allowed us to get into the atmosphere and made us want to revisit them; the dark colors with blood enhance the perception of the environment.”
    • “The graphics are nostalgic; they create a special atmosphere for this game.”
    • “In fairness, the environments and atmosphere are well done.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, often feeling locked out of quests due to a lack of guidance. Combat encounters are criticized for being unbalanced, with infinitely respawning enemies contributing to a sense of poor design and making gameplay feel unnecessarily repetitive. Overall, while the game is visually appealing, the grinding elements detract from the overall experience.

    • “The fact that time will pass and you may be locked out of things is never explained to you either, so by the time I realized quests were even a thing, I was hours in and had missed them all, making them tedious to retrace or just literally impossible to complete.”
    • “Honestly, while the game is gorgeous, it's really tedious to play.”
    • “The combat encounters don't feel balanced either; a random encounter with infinitely spawning enemies was way harder than the first boss I fought. On another note, don't put infinitely respawning enemies in anything; it's poor design, anti-fun, and tedious.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the character Samedie, a funny skeleton, who adds a comedic element that resonates well with players. Overall, the humor is consistently described as entertaining and effective.

    • “The funny skeleton guy adds a unique charm to the game.”
    • “Samedie was hilarious and kept me entertained throughout.”
    • “The humor in the game is spot on and really enhances the experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy relies heavily on flashy advertising visuals, which may mislead players into expecting more substance than what is actually delivered. Many users feel that the game lacks depth and content, suggesting that the monetization approach prioritizes style over meaningful gameplay.

    • “Even the store page review quotes are based on what the game looks like, and there’s a reason for that - anyone who’s actually done more than look at the advertising visuals will figure out very quickly that under all the flash, there’s nothing of substance.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, as it constantly pushes players to spend more money to enjoy basic features that should be included in the game.”
    • “It's frustrating to see that the game is designed around making money rather than providing a fun experience, with paywalls blocking content that should be accessible.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization is praised for delivering excellent performance, consistently achieving a solid 60fps at 1080p on a laptop equipped with an i5 11th gen processor and an RTX 3060 graphics card.

    • “Performance: excellent (solid 60fps at 1080p. My system: laptop with i5 11th gen, RTX 3060).”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game features a captivating eldritch aesthetic and challenging combat, but its replayability is considered mild, suggesting that while it offers some incentive to play again, it may not be a strong draw for all players.

    • “You've got a beautiful, eldritch game with tough combat, interesting lore, and great replayability.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by various bugs and glitches, which can lead to frustrating issues such as being locked out of certain endings.

    • “There are some bugs and glitches that can, for example, lock you out of an ending.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
    • “I experienced several instances where the game froze, forcing me to restart.”
  • character development1 mentions

    While the character design and animations are visually impressive, players feel that the character development lacks depth and emotional engagement, leaving them unsatisfied with the overall experience.

    • “The character design, the animated trailer, and the in-game animations all look beautiful, but right now I'm not really feeling it.”
    • “The characters lack depth and their development feels rushed and superficial.”
    • “I was hoping for a more engaging storyline that would allow for meaningful character growth, but it fell flat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

30hMedian play time
30hAverage play time
30-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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