Worldless

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 679 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Worldless Game Cover
Worldless is a beautiful game that blends the joy of exploring a Metroidvania with seriously compelling timing-based combat.
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"Worldless" is a single-player fantasy fighting game set in a newly formed universe, where entities are trapped in eternal conflict. With 2D turn-based platformer gameplay, players can explore interconnected areas, uncovering secrets and upgrading abilities while engaging in strategic combat against beings that aim to stop them. The game boasts splendid visuals, an intriguing story, and excellent music, making for a very atmospheric experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 679 reviews
graphics105 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Innovative and engaging combat system that combines turn-based mechanics with real-time actions, allowing for strategic depth and satisfying gameplay.
  • Stunning visuals and a unique art style that create a captivating atmosphere, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack.
  • Challenging yet rewarding exploration and platforming, with a variety of abilities to unlock and secrets to discover.
  • Poor tutorialization and lack of clear guidance can make it difficult for players to understand mechanics and navigate the map.
  • The game can be frustratingly difficult at times, especially with certain bosses and platforming challenges that require precise timing.
  • The story is minimal and can feel vague or confusing, leaving players wanting more narrative depth and clarity.
  • graphics161 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the stunning visuals, unique art style, and fluid animations. The minimalist yet captivating aesthetic enhances the overall experience, creating a beautiful atmosphere that complements the gameplay and sound design. While some noted minor issues with navigation due to a lack of detail in certain areas, the general consensus is that the visuals are a standout feature, making the game visually impressive and engaging.

    • “The visuals are stunning, both for the character you play but also, and maybe especially, for the enemies you encounter.”
    • “The graphics and animations are incredible, and the music is great too.”
    • “The visuals of this game are absolutely gorgeous, the combat art, the movement, everything.”
    • “The graphics are better in the trailer than in the game; it is somewhat bland and needs more details.”
    • “Don't let the pretty visuals fool you; this has janky and unresponsive platforming, and the combat is turn-based with parries.”
    • “This minimalism extends into the game's visuals - while they're undeniably pretty, everything within the same area tends to look same-y, which certainly made navigating around the world harder for me - and the lack of a real map certainly does not help here.”
  • gameplay146 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a blend of engaging mechanics, fluid movement, and a unique absorption system that encourages mastery and exploration. While the combat is often praised for its depth and satisfying mechanics, particularly the parry system, some players find certain aspects, like the lack of clear explanations for mechanics and the repetitive nature of some areas, to be drawbacks. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time in learning its systems, with a visually stunning presentation that enhances the gameplay.

    • “The mechanics and map are both absolutely spectacular, the animations are smooth and really well done, same with the atmosphere.”
    • “The gameplay is simple but can be challenging at times.”
    • “What truly makes the game stand out is just how much it rewards players for learning all the mechanics of the game and breaking out of their comfort zone to try new things.”
    • “Now I have one thing to say: there is a secret zone that is really bad to play. It's basically the path of pain from Hollow Knight, three times harder, with mechanics that you barely have learned while collecting the green triangles (they are the key to getting there). You have to do two (or more, I haven't beaten it) minutes of precise platforming in a row, or you start back at the beginning, and apparently there is a boss after all that!”
    • “The gameplay to me is very dry because you do the same thing in like four areas, and there is a major gameplay change in the middle but not worth the time to unlock when you could play other games.”
    • “Worldless is dragged down by a hyper-restrictive combat system in which guessing is one of the main mechanics.”
  • story120 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by its minimalist and abstract nature, often leaving players to piece together its narrative through environmental storytelling and sparse dialogue. While some find the vague and interpretive elements engaging and emotionally impactful, others feel the story lacks depth and clarity, leading to mixed opinions on its overall effectiveness. Despite its shortcomings, the beautiful art and compelling gameplay often overshadow the narrative's limitations, making it a memorable experience for many players.

    • “The story fosters a sense of wonder and mystery by only ever giving threads of information through dialogue and environmental storytelling.”
    • “The story is mysterious and not explicitly detailed, requiring you to go out of your way to delve into its secrets, enjoyable.”
    • “I loved that the story doesn't hold your hand - many things are implied about the world the characters find themselves in, but it's not explicit and yet also not too abstract.”
    • “The story is quite underwhelming, especially with the ending.”
    • “The story itself is nothing groundbreaking, but I loved the way it is delivered, especially with some optional lore and one really cathartic moment.”
    • “The one and only issue I have with this game is the story is hard to follow, in my opinion.”
  • music99 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it beautifully complements the visuals and gameplay. While some tracks may not stand out individually, the soundtrack effectively sets the tone for various environments and encounters, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the music is described as stunning, atmospheric, and integral to the game's emotional impact.

    • “The music is phenomenal and really sets the tone for each area and encounter.”
    • “The soundtrack fits very well and accents both the intensity of the battles and the beauty of the areas, and of course is great music to boot.”
    • “The music and environment are what really make this game pop out; the colors are vibrant and slick, and the music has a very somber but energetic tone to it.”
    • “Every boss is the same music and probably doesn't change for the green dildo dragon.”
    • “The music takes a bit of a back seat as it's mostly atmospheric, but it's still excellent and pops off when it needs to.”
    • “The music is crafted to generate different emotions depending on the situations and locations, and was a key aspect of the experience.”
  • atmosphere38 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, unique art style, and immersive sound design, creating a captivating and mysterious environment that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the combination of atmospheric storytelling, engaging combat, and exploration, which together contribute to a rewarding experience. The music complements the visuals beautifully, further enriching the overall ambiance and making the game feel both serene and vibrant.

    • “The atmosphere is incredible and the music only adds to it.”
    • “This game is gorgeous, has a fantastic minimalist style and atmosphere, ramps traversal and combat from very basic to very challenging and rewarding, and shockingly complex, rewards exploration and figuring out perfect combat execution.”
    • “Worldless is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric titles I've ever played.”
    • “Atmosphere wise... well look at the screenshots, that should give you some idea.”
    • “It has style and atmosphere, but I'm not enjoying anything about it.”
    • “While we are given the narrative in some texts by emblematic characters, most of the story is left to the player's interpretation, and this makes the atmosphere feel more mysterious and mystical.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the map design and lack of quick travel options, which complicate the search for upgrades. Combat is also criticized for being repetitive and requiring precise execution, especially during late-game battles. While some note that the challenge is manageable, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a cumbersome experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The map design became frustratingly tedious, particularly when searching for all the upgrades.”
    • “Contrary to all of the reviews here, I found the combat extremely tedious and boring.”
    • “Late game battles, especially optional bosses, can be tedious and require repeated frame-perfect defenses and attacks in combination, or you die and have to start over from scratch.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its polished performance and lack of bugs, particularly excelling on Linux. However, some users express a desire for better optimization on lower-end devices to enhance accessibility. The gameplay mechanics are well-designed, promoting strategic combat without feeling overly simplistic.

    • “The combat puts you in constantly, requiring a wonderful mix of tactics, puzzle-solving, combo optimization, and creative fighting.”
    • “The other mechanics based around absorption also provide direction for your turns that prevents the game from becoming a mash-fest or linear optimization problem.”
    • “What I want is not to say the game itself is bad, but just help the game be more optimized for lower-end devices.”
    • “The game is extremely polished in terms of performance and is also bug-free.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and simple character designs, which are complemented by stunning visuals and clean animations. Reviewers appreciate the artistic style and overall aesthetic, noting that the character designs contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The world, the character design, and animations are gorgeous to look at.”
    • “Amazing game, with beautiful character design.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal and the visuals are outstanding; the character design and simplicity is everything I could ask for, and the animation is so clean and well made!”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The game is described as deeply emotional, particularly through the touching character arcs of Edda and Aven, culminating in a powerful final battle. Despite its abstract and vague story, players report experiencing genuine emotional moments that reflect the developers' creativity and passion, evoking a mix of frustration and excitement throughout the gameplay.

    • “The arc of the two characters (Edda and Aven apparently) was very touching, climaxing in an emotional final battle that left me in awe.”
    • “While I have absolutely no clue what's actually going on, there are some genuinely touching moments.”
    • “The best word I would use to describe this game on the whole is emotional.”
  • stability4 mentions

    User reviews on stability are mixed; while some players report significant lag and freezing issues during gameplay, others praise the game for its polished performance and lack of bugs. Overall, the experience varies widely, with some enjoying smooth gameplay and others facing frustrating interruptions.

    • “The game is extremely polished in terms of performance and is also bug-free.”
    • “Runs great on deck, and after 2 hours in, it seems really fun so far.”
    • “However, I have had a lot of problems with the lag; every 1-2 seconds, the game just freezes for a moment. Additionally, when I enter a fight, it can either close the game window without the ability to reopen it, freeze entirely, or just show a previously frozen screen.”
    • “There are no bugs or glitches; everything about it is perfect.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it high due to engaging gameplay, others note a lack of depth and variety that limits replay value. Despite these concerns, many still recommend experiencing the game at least once for its memorable moments.

    • “Yeah, the ending is a bit 'meh', but the replayability is at max.”
    • “Despite the obvious Hollow Knight inspiration, Worldless doesn't have much build-crafting depth or replay value, but it still provides a fantastic and memorable experience.”
    • “The only thing that might be problematic is the game's replayability.”
    • “While the replay value is low outside of fighting everything again, I encourage you to at least try the demo.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its amusing character designs and whimsical landscapes, which provide a lighthearted backdrop for gameplay. While the environments are visually appealing, they can become repetitive and may lead to confusion if players explore without direction. Overall, the humor adds a fun element to the experience, though it may not be deeply memorable.

    • “Funny shapes duke it out in a real-time rhythm game.”
    • “You journey through landscapes that look really cool and are funny to platform around in.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy Worldless

Play time

16hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
10-24hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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