Warm Snow
- January 18, 2022
- BadMudStudio
- 21h median play time
"Warm Snow" is a Chinese-style dark-fantasy roguelike game that offers a unique blend of traditional Chinese mythology and strategic gameplay. In this game, players will embark on a dangerous journey through a dark fantasy world, facing numerous challenges and enemies along the way. With its procedurally generated levels and permadeath system, "Warm Snow" provides a fresh and challenging experience with each playthrough. The game features a variety of character classes, weapons, and skills to choose from, allowing players to customize their playstyle and strategize their way to victory.
Reviews
- The roguelike nature fits the Wuxia themes perfectly, providing a satisfying gameplay loop with a variety of builds and synergies.
- Combat feels fluid and responsive, with a good balance of challenge and fun, making each run enjoyable.
- The game features beautiful art and a unique aesthetic, drawing players into its world.
- There are significant translation issues, with many dialogues and item descriptions being poorly translated or untranslated, making it hard to understand some mechanics.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly in higher difficulties where enemies become damage sponges, leading to tedious gameplay.
- Some mechanics, such as the dodge and enemy hitboxes, can feel unresponsive or unfair, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay219 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Warm Snow" is characterized by its fast-paced, addictive mechanics and a variety of build options, reminiscent of titles like "Hades." Players appreciate the unique flying sword mechanic and the depth of combat styles, although some find the collection and recall of swords cumbersome. While the game offers a satisfying loop and engaging boss fights, it suffers from some balance issues and translation problems that can detract from the overall experience.
“In the sloggy sea of action-roguelike games, this is a standout gem for both gameplay and vibes.”
“The gameplay is straightforward, fast-paced, and very rewarding. There are stories to uncover and capture the depth of the lore.”
“Warm Snow is a surprisingly robust action roguelike with a satisfying gameplay loop and commendable build variety.”
“Throwing swords is a cool concept until you realize it's a huge chore to collect them and the skill to call them back takes forever; there are some ways around this, but it doesn't represent the majority of the gameplay.”
“Unavoidable one-shot mechanics on the final boss, if you're unlucky or have a wrong build.”
“The bosses gain no new mechanics, just a lot more HP and armor, making you able to easily evade everything they throw at you but instead deal 1% damage every few seconds or so, ending up taking time and not skill to beat.”
- graphics89 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style, blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern design elements, resulting in a visually captivating experience. While many players appreciate the detailed environments and smooth animations, some have noted issues with readability during intense gameplay and occasional performance glitches. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, despite minor criticisms regarding clarity and technical performance.
“The aesthetic and art style here is second to none.”
“From the moment you dive into its mesmerizing world, you're greeted by visuals that transcend the boundaries of ordinary gaming.”
“The game achieves a great balance between the traditional Chinese art style and the modernized vision of roguelike games.”
“In fullscreen, it has massive screen tearing (picture cuts horizontally 4 times!!!) and no matter what I try through graphics driver settings - nothing seems to fix it.”
“On top of all that, the performance is quite bad given that the graphics aren't that great.”
“It feels a bit low budget but it fits the general aesthetic and vibe of the game.”
- story86 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered interesting but often overshadowed by its gameplay mechanics, with many reviewers noting that it lacks depth and coherence due to poor translations. While some players appreciate the lore and its integration with gameplay, others find it simplistic and not a focal point of the experience, comparing it unfavorably to titles like "Hades." Overall, the narrative is seen as a decent backdrop that enhances the gameplay rather than a compelling standalone element.
“The storytelling is very compelling.”
“Some of them can even be regarded as unimportant side lore, yet by knowing them makes the main storyline feel even more impactful.”
“The story and unlockables are interesting and fun to collect.”
“The biggest issue right now is that the story is basically non-existent and the two highest difficulties are based on severe number bloating, especially the highest one.”
“The obtuse translations that do exist are nowhere near enough to give you even a clue what's going on, the voiceovers aren't translated, and it has the sort of barely coherent, hazy storytelling that is typical of Chinese high fantasy.”
“The story is pretty basic and simplistic, there just to drive the game forward rather than deliver a compelling narrative.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with players enjoying the variety of classes, challenges, and modes available, especially with the addition of free and paid DLC. Many users highlight the engaging gameplay loop and the randomness of drops, which contribute to a fresh experience in each run. However, a few reviews mention that some aspects may lead to a lack of replayability for certain players, indicating a mixed experience depending on individual preferences.
“I've beaten them on all difficulties, with all classes (which are called sects in the game), with all challenges multiple times, and every time was satisfying, which speaks volumes about the game's replayability.”
“I got hooked into it really fast and it has great replay value with the free DLC adding another mode and a paid DLC for a third mode.”
“Overall recommended the game with its gameplay and replayability, along with the randomness of drops like relics and swords making each run different or controlled depending on how long you have played.”
“This game was a delightful obsession for weeks, with the DLC significantly extending its replayability.”
“The story is a little shallow right now but replayability is high due to the massive amount of different builds you can create.”
“An okayish roguelite but a bit too monotonous to have much replayability.”
- music25 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a generally positive reception, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere. While some found the soundtrack to be fantastic and immersive, others noted that it could be unmemorable or standard at times. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, complementing its visuals and gameplay.
“The music is fantastic, the gameplay is simple but addicting and fun, the difficulty is tough but fair.”
“The soundtrack is amazing.”
“The grim atmosphere created by the story, music, and artwork is captivating.”
“Other than that, the music, story, or the visuals are not really something to be impressed by.”
“I personally found the look really neat, but the music boring and standard - you make up your own mind.”
“- not enough music or sound effects.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the build crafting and the variety of playstyles available, many feel that the grinding can become tedious, especially when facing damage-spongy enemies and seeking better relics. Overall, the grind is seen as excessive by some, detracting from the enjoyment of the game, while others appreciate the progression it offers.
“Bigger gripe: it's a bit too grindy if you want to get better relics and other features.”
“Even with the best possible setup, I find it straight up tedious and unfun grinding down bosses' massive lifepoints.”
“So I imagine grinding to unlock all the meta upgrades will just be a chore.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report significant bugs and subpar performance, others praise its stability and ability to maintain high frame rates despite visual effects. Issues with UI and translation suggest that further refinement is needed, but overall, the game performs well for many users.
“Overall, I didn't really experience many bugs, and no framerate issues except for a very niche scenario.”
“Excellent game that is very optimized, as the whole screen is filled with effects and still maintains a stable 120fps.”
“The gameplay, visuals, performance, and music are amazing.”
“The current version comes with many bugs, hits can miss randomly, the optimization is subpar, not recommended.”
“UI's a bit wonky at times as it clearly wasn't optimized for the English language, so sometimes you'll see words bleed beyond the border, but they are relatively rare.”
“Secondly, yes, the translation would really benefit from some polish, and some weapon text should be optimized since they don't fit the box.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky characters and absurd situations, such as the "evil befell" creature and the amusing invincibility mechanics. Players enjoy the comedic elements of gameplay, including funny weapon combos and playful interactions, which contribute to an overall lighthearted and entertaining experience.
“The 'evil befell' creature is hilarious to me.”
“End-game here is just hilarious invincibility time while you dash around killing all enemies all the while you make sure you go through the flickering shadow.”
“Love this funny little game, makes me go boom.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, characterized by engaging music, captivating levels, and a grim yet immersive aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of atmospheric elements, including the artwork and mechanics, which contribute to both the enjoyment and challenge of gameplay.
“The atmospheric levels and engaging bosses create a captivating experience.”
“Great atmosphere, mechanics, bosses.”
“The grim atmosphere created by the story, music, and artwork is captivating.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game generally runs well, particularly on the Steam Deck, but players report experiencing lag spikes, graphics glitches, and various bugs that can affect gameplay. While some issues can be mitigated by changing PC region settings, the game remains enjoyable despite its stability concerns.
“Runs great on the deck as well.”
“To this day, the game is still pretty buggy. You have to change your PC region settings to China to avoid many bugs, and even then, there are still some left, but the game is playable from start to finish.”
“It's a bit janky and sometimes buggy, but it's still a lot of fun to play.”
“It's a really good game, despite the lag spikes and occasional graphics glitches.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be less complex than that of "Hades," offering a more straightforward approach to character arcs and growth.
“The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful.”
“The growth of the characters is well-paced, providing a satisfying journey from start to finish.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I expected more complexity in character arcs, but they ended up being predictable and one-dimensional.”
“The choices you make don't seem to impact character growth, leaving the development feeling meaningless.”