Wings of Vi

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,334 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Wings of Vi Game Cover
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In "Wings of Vi" , play as the angel Vi on a mission to defeat the Demon Lord Jeh’oul, traversing dangerous worlds and battling hellspawn. Inspired by "Megaman", "Cave Story", and "Castlevania", the game offers skill-based gameplay, cutting out arbitrary difficulty. Aimed at hardcore-platformer lovers and speedrunners, it also caters to a wider audience with various difficulty levels and modifiers.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,334 reviews
gameplay88 positive mentions
stability36 negative mentions
  • Wings of Vi offers a challenging yet fair platforming experience that rewards skill and perseverance.
  • The game features beautiful pixel art, a catchy soundtrack, and a variety of unique bosses that keep gameplay engaging.
  • Character customization adds a fun layer of replayability, allowing players to unlock and equip various cosmetic items.
  • The game's difficulty can feel overwhelming, especially for casual players, with many sections requiring pixel-perfect precision.
  • Some players experience frustrating bugs, such as the game freezing or going black after respawning.
  • The combat against regular enemies can feel unsatisfying, as they often do not react to hits and can overwhelm players in tight spaces.
  • gameplay262 mentions

    The gameplay in "Wings of Vi" is characterized by its challenging, skill-based mechanics that require players to master precise movements and timing, often leading to a trial-and-error experience. While the controls are tight and responsive, the high difficulty level can be frustrating, with many players feeling that success is heavily reliant on understanding mechanics rather than sheer luck. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy hardcore platforming, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its punishing nature.

    • “Vi has a very good base gameplay and movements and is designed to introduce every one of its possibilities one by one, and again each time will make sure you master it before going to the next step.”
    • “The gameplay challenges ramp up at a good pace, you slowly get more movement options and the game really makes you get the most out of them as you progress.”
    • “The gameplay never becomes stale or uninteresting, level designs are each unique and challenging in different ways and you get a great sense of satisfaction when you finally down a boss or get past that one room that you've been stuck on for a while.”
    • “Which is not abnormal, but considering the frustrating gameplay, you most definitely will get impatient, which leads to more and more mistakes.”
    • “The mechanics are easy enough to wrap your head around but the overall level design is made to push you to the limit of reading every pixel because evidently landing on a ledge with your big toe is impossible but if you so much as float near a spike and land almost perfectly fine on the other side you're just dead.”
    • “The unsatisfying trial-and-error gameplay became annoying almost immediately.”
  • music230 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and memorable tracks, with many reviewers highlighting the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some tracks are described as incredible and fitting, others are noted as forgettable or even annoying in certain contexts. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for its ability to motivate players through challenging gameplay, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “The music is incredible, and ranges from peaceful sounding tracks to very intense, blood-pumping tracks.”
    • “Wings of Vi has a stellar soundtrack that really sets the tone for the game.”
    • “Occasionally you'll fight a boss with horrible music and voice clips and probably take a lot of damage due to RNG (unavoidable attack patterns are a very likely possibility).”
    • “The music doesn't seem to be anything to write home about; monotonous and repetitive, it serves its purpose but rarely excites me and is more there it seems to blend the minutes into hours into days.”
    • “The music feels out of place in a lot of the areas, and is very forgettable; there's only one track I can remember off the top of my head.”
  • graphics192 mentions

    The graphics of "Wings of Vi" are characterized by a vibrant and appealing pixel art style that resonates well with fans of retro aesthetics, drawing comparisons to classic GBA games. While many players appreciate the colorful and well-designed environments, some have noted performance issues such as framerate drops and laggy menus. Overall, the visuals are praised for their creativity and charm, particularly in the design of bosses and character customization, making it a visually engaging experience despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “Aside from that, the graphics are beautiful, bosses have some of the best designs I've ever seen in a pixel-art game, your character is fully customizable with lots of accessories completely animated, that makes exploring worth it, and the color scheme during the levels is fantastic.”
    • “The graphics are pixel-art in its greatest form.”
    • “The levels are all designed very well and the 2D graphics are charming and pleasing to the eye.”
    • “If I didn't know better upon seeing an official artwork of Wings of Vi, I'd be the first person to skip the game right there.”
    • “Somehow the framerate drops on this old game with simple graphics, and even stranger, the menus are laggy.”
    • “Despite the fact that the game is a 2D platformer with a pixel-art style, this game has performance issues.”
  • story132 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered simple and lacking depth, serving primarily as a backdrop for the challenging gameplay rather than a focal point. While some players find it satisfactory and appreciate the art and atmosphere, many feel it fails to engage them or provide meaningful character development. Overall, the narrative is seen as adequate but not a strong selling point, with most players acknowledging that the game's appeal lies more in its platforming and combat mechanics.

    • “In addition to the skill-based difficulty, the story is interesting and the characters are likeable.”
    • “The story is simple, but enough to keep you going.”
    • “What I like about this, though, is that the story isn't trying to be anything more special than it's capable of.”
    • “The atmosphere is gray and the story was not good enough to keep me interested.”
    • “While I understand the story is not the selling point of this game, I still found the lack of effort put into world building off-putting, as I wasn't inspired to try to beat this game, or to find out what comes next.”
    • “The game starts off with a 10-second story in which you walk into Jeh Oul's prison, throw rocks at him, he's freed, makes the expected generic threat, and escapes. That's all the story you get.”
  • stability38 mentions

    The game is reported to be quite unstable, with numerous bugs and glitches that can significantly impact gameplay, including issues with controller support and save file management. While some players found enjoyment despite these problems, many noted that glitches can create frustrating experiences, such as freezing during critical moments. Overall, while some bugs have been patched, players are advised to back up their save files and be prepared for a less-than-perfect experience.

    • “Playing with a controller doesn't work, and the game is buggy as hell.”
    • “All of that ignores that I apparently needed to be making sure I backed up my save file to a third location, as while troubleshooting Steam issues I deleted the locally saved data, and upon reinstalling found I had no save files.”
    • “The game overall is fantastic, but very unstable; glitches are very likely to happen on normal playthroughs; helpful, unhelpful, funny, and unfair glitches; is it as broken as Sonic 06?”
  • grinding34 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by its high difficulty and repetitive nature, often leading to frustration and tedium, especially during boss fights and certain puzzles. While some players find satisfaction in overcoming these challenges through persistence, others feel that the experience can be overwhelmingly stressful and unenjoyable. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate a punishing grind and are willing to invest time in mastering its mechanics.

    • “It's not fun, it's just tedious and stress-inducing.”
    • “Even though there is an 'easy' mode, you will still be grinding the same sections and rooms and bosses over and over again just to progress forward.”
    • “Wings of Vi is a very brutal experience; you'll likely find that the difficulty ramps up faster than you can learn the game, meaning you'll have to crank out repetitive grinding to overcome some areas. Boss fights especially are showstoppers, as they're both tanky and spammy, so you'll need to dissect their patterns to nigh perfection if you want to progress.”
  • replayability16 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to a lack of rewarding challenge after initial completion, others appreciate the extensive replay value offered through various difficulty levels, modifiers, and the pursuit of hidden cosmetic items. The inclusion of a "hardcore" mode and the potential for speedrunning also contribute positively to its replayability for competitive players. Overall, the game provides a unique experience with opportunities for repeated play, especially for those who enjoy collecting and mastering challenges.

    • “Graphics are good, controls are excellent, and the replay value is absolutely outstanding thanks to the various difficulty levels and modifiers (and leaderboard).”
    • “It has a lot of replayability and is going to be extremely fun (and probably frustrating) to speedrun.”
    • “Hell platformers are supposed to be hard; you will hate them and wonder why you bought them. However, after each segment, you will feel accomplished since you got good enough to beat a segment or mastered a skill. Wings of Vi rarely gives me this feeling, and I only feel like, 'Good, I beat that; now I will never have to do that again,' which gives this game almost no replayability except for really competitive people.”
    • “There's a lot of fun to be had collecting all of the hidden cosmetic items, which gives it some more replayability.”
    • “There is a 'hardcore' mode available once one beats the game, along with other modifiers for the replay value.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for causing inconsistent performance, including frame stuttering, particularly in cavern areas. Despite its simple 2D pixel-art style, players find the optimization issues unacceptable, impacting gameplay elements like hit detection and button input. Overall, many reviewers feel that significant improvements in optimization are necessary for a better gaming experience.

    • “If the hit detection, button input, and optimization were fixed, I would definitely recommend this game.”
    • “Unfortunately, the performance was a bit all over the place for me.”
    • “Despite the fact that the game is a 2D platformer with a pixel-art style, this game has performance issues.”
    • “The poor optimization is completely unacceptable.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The game is noted for its humor, particularly in its absurd difficulty and the ability to customize characters in comically unappealing ways, which can inadvertently complicate gameplay. Players find the combination of challenging mechanics and humorous glitches amusing, although some express frustration with the game's instability. Overall, the humor is appreciated, even as it intertwines with the game's more serious challenges.

    • “I like that you can customize your angel, and it's funny that you can make them look absolutely appalling to the point where you're generating enough particles and nonsense that it makes the game harder to play.”
    • “Which is why it's simply funny when people brag about just how difficult this game is, as if sheer difficulty automatically makes the game better.”
    • “And well it is indeed hard even on the easiest mode available, which is funny that you also have the option to make that mode harder by turning on 1-hit kill wonder mode.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, with some moments eliciting tears, particularly in relation to character experiences like Solgryn's. The frustration of adapting to new gameplay mechanics, such as transitioning from close combat to ranged attacks, adds to the emotional depth, highlighting the struggle between gameplay and narrative immersion. Overall, the game successfully evokes a range of emotions, leaving a lasting impact on players.

    • “10/10 would cry again”
    • “Solgryn made me cry.”
    • “It would be very clear that she wouldn't be touching the sprites, because Vi freezes when she dies.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is marked by creative and unique designs that enhance the overall entertainment value, particularly for fans of anime aesthetics. However, some players express dissatisfaction with the scantily-clad character portrayals, indicating a divide in appreciation for the character design style. Overall, while the characters contribute to the game's charm, opinions on their presentation vary significantly among players.

    • “It's an odd twist on classic platforming elements that makes it uniquely challenging and fun to play, and the creative character designs make the world extremely entertaining.”
    • “The level design is poor, the music grates very quickly and I'm just not a fan of the scantily-clad anime girl character design.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere is described as dull and gray, contributing to a lack of engagement with the story, which fails to captivate players.

    • “The atmosphere is gray and the story was not good enough to keep me interested.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of "Wings of Vi" is criticized for being misleading, as the game's difficulty does not align with its promotional materials, leading to frustration among players. This disconnect suggests that the game's monetization strategy may rely on players purchasing additional content or retries to overcome its challenging nature.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

20hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
15-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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