Action-adventure games have been a staple of the video game industry almost since its inception. However, games seem to be exponentially increasing in complexity with every new release. In the constant pursuit of everything that is bigger and better, action-adventure games can sometimes lose sight of their genre. Sparklite, by developer Red Blue Games and publisher Merge Games, calls back to classic games and captures the wonder of classic action-adventure and gives us a fresh take on a classic genre.
From the moment I started Sparklite, the look and feel of this game exuded the fun-loving energy of classic video games. The graphics and color feel like something right out of the Super Nintendo era was updated for the modern world. The colors in the animation pop off the screen and give life to a unique environment filled with steampunk machinery with just a touch of magic. This really adds to the wonder of Sparklite and really sets the stage for the unique adventure that was going to come.
The gameplay is action-adventure at its finest. You explore the world of Geodia, a constantly changing environment built on mining, and encounter all the natural wonder this world has to offer. You play on two separate levels of Geodia with your main base being a flying city and you descend down to the surface to complete adventures and gain resources to upgrade your base. In the flying section of Geodia, you have a medical facility and other workshops where you can upgrade your character’s abilities and tools. This was a really interesting component of the game and something that adds another layer to the game itself. You find new blueprints for tools by discovering technology hidden throughout the game. In these chambers, you also get a short tutorial on how to use the new tool.
Sparklite also did a fantastic job of developing characters and villains to populate the bustling world of Geodia. The main characters all feel like fresh takes on classic video game characters with the steampunk elements mixed in perfectly. The lower level enemies are plant/animal-based characters that attack you in a variety of ways. At the beginning, some of these enemies can be pretty tough to beat without tools (looking at your hog like creature that killed me more times than I care to admit) but the tools you develop later in the game make short work of the early enemies. The titans of the mining industry also help cement the classic feel of this game by using absurdly large machines to attack you in the boss battles. These were pretty tough, but this just incentivizes you to track down new tools to use.
In this truly wonderful game, my only issue is that I think the tutorial needs to be longer. I like when developers trust you to figure out puzzles within the game, especially in this genre, but I found myself wondering aimlessly around with no idea what to do, which got a bit frustrating after a while.
Overall, Sparklite was really a breath of fresh air. Everything about this game felt unique while still being able to call back to a classic style of game. Exploring Geodia was an absolute blast and you absolutely add this game to your collection so you can harness the power of Sparklite for yourself.
9.8/10
Sparklite releases today for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC via Steam.
For more information, please visit: http://redbluegames.com/games/sparklite/
Xbox One Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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