Worldless (PC) Preview

Taking the route of a more minimalistic approach to its story, gameplay and graphics, Worldless seeks to stand apart in the crowded field both through its graphical choice as well as the turn-based combat for resolution of fights. Cubed3 sat down to play through the first level and beat the boss to give a quick preview of what is to come.

From the beginning, the graphics are interesting in that they are engaging despite their simplicity. Yes, Worldless is going to consist very heavily of blues, blacks, whites and enemy orange. Running around as little more than a stick figure against the black background, there is a beauty in some of the backdrops of the caves and platforms the character finds themselves in. With no story or words for guidance, this is the only thing to draw the player in - and for the most part it works.

One very present issue, though, is for the simple colour scheme, it often works against the player. Many times the screen looks black, as if it's a wall, but you need only keep running or jumping to find more places to explore beyond this. This is not so much about hiding bonus areas as much as normal progression feels 'hidden' by this darkness or requiring players to make frequent blind jumps hoping for the best. There is a reason these ideas are not particularly popular in the genre.

Combat is an interesting idea, but is plagued by how long it takes, along with its unforgiving nature. It is turn-based, where on a turn, the main character has a few seconds to do various attacks, from spells, swords, bows, charged attacks and so on. After this the enemy will attack either magically or physically, giving a flash of light as a clue to what type of defence must be responded with. The concept is cool and a great way to remain engaging, but it devolves very quickly into move memorization more than reaction or emergent timing.

Worldless really needs far more explanation as to how combat goes. There are things like guard breaks, multiple guards, meters, and all manner of things happening in the background, but they are not exactly clearly explained. The final boss as an example is more of a crapshoot than anything about if the right guards and meters will hold rather than a satisfying battle to the death. Walking away from the game, feelings are mixed as some cool ideas are there, but it really needs a lot of hammering out before it can get a good recommendation.