Worldless
Turn based combat. Does that phrase make you jump with joy or shudder with fear? It really is quite the divisive genre that separates gamers. There are those who enjoy its tactical and methodical nature, taking time to plan out the optimal play. Then there are the others that prefer the faster pace, real time combat that requires quick thinking and adapting on the fly. In comes Worldless, a beautiful 2D action adventure platformer published by Coatsink and developed by No Name Studios. They have created a third camp, a hybrid camp, one that incorporates the foundation of turn based combat, but with engaging elements of real time reactive responses where timing is imperative. Now, as someone who can see both sides of the coin, I relished this style of game. Not only was it the combat system, but also the excellent platforming and gorgeous visuals that drew me in and kept me exploring.
The following review is an abridged version of Tom’s video review which we’ve embedded here:
Wordless is one of those games that doesn’t hold your hand, it encourages you to both discover and interpret the game as you progress. We start our adventure in space, where an initial calm is quickly replaced by an interstellar orange vs blue big bang. Orange then invades blue, kicking off an intergalactic battle through the stars. We take control of our protagonist, which for the sake of giving some identity to an otherwise faceless being, we shall call Carol. And yes, we’ve assumed Carol’s gender based on the artwork on the title screen, with her long hair, slender figure and lady bongos. Carol doesn’t know why she’s here, or what her goals are, and to be frank throughout the course of the game nether did I. The overall story isn’t quite clear, or perhaps there is a deeper meaning behind it all that went right over my head.
At A Glance
| Worldless | |
| Positives | + Innovative turn based and real time combat + Gorgeous minimalist visual and soundscape + Excellent platforming |
| Negatives | – Confusing story, if there is one – The challenge may be off putting for some |
| Overall | 8/10 |
| Played On | Xbox Series X|S |
| Also Available On | Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One |
| Find out about our scoring policy here. | |
Based on what we’re told from the developers, Worldless is set in a world where polar opposite realities are aligned with a common spark. Players will venture into an abstract setting full of entities with opposing goals. One half is fixated on the virtue of their nature, the other is seeking to exchange it for their demise. Polarities attract, resulting in never ending conflict, and the result is the traumatic process of Absorption which sees their very natures exchange.
You venture back and forth through this metroidvania-lite universe, collecting upgrades and battling baddies with the aim of absorbing them to further upgrade yourself. You could choose to simply defeat them to keep moving on, but you will have to come back and attempt to absorb them to gain upgrade orbs for your skill tree. Throughout Worldless, there are various battles taking place in the background between blue and orange, that not only provide a constant reminder that you are part of a larger war, but also give you subtle hints to certain moves and techniques that you can emulate. There are only a handful of on screen tips to understand the basics of combat, but away from that you are left to figure out how to navigate and battle your way through the various constellations.
The balance of platforming and combat is done quite well. Most aspects of Worldless are very minimal – the visuals, the soundscape, the map, the character design and even the skill tree. None of this comes at a detriment to the overall experience, because at its core each element is done very well. Each area is clearly different from one another, each with its own palette of striking deep and rich colours. The soundscape is crafted very well to match the tempo and visuals on screen and there were moments, especially in the blue zone, where everything felt very serene. My ears were met with relaxing tones whilst my eyes gazed at a calming ocean blue. Then as you enter into combat, the music kicks up a notch to get you focussed, and if you lose, it seamlessly fades into what it was before.
The combat itself is a simplistic blend of tactics and timing that provides a very refreshing challenge, which increases in difficulty as you progress further and further into the game. As you enter the fray, you and your foe alternate moves within your given time frame. In offence, you switch between melee, ranged and magic attacks, each time looking to unveil their weaknesses. You then use their weakness to increase their absorption meter until you’re ready to flick the switch and embrace your inner Cell from Dragon Ball Z. In defence, using visual cues, pattern recognition and reaction speed, you must hone your parrying skills. In doing so, you can use counter strikes, gain faster absorption progression, and even gain increased attacking time in your next turn. If you fail an encounter, you don’t die or lose anything, you simply get pushed back out of the battle, leaving you to either run in and try again, or go elsewhere and return another time. This meant that the more challenging foes weren’t as frustrating as they otherwise would be, and through quick restarts and perseverance, the enemy moveset became second nature, so being able to parry or dodge their mighty blows feels extremely rewarding. The main downside is that you can’t pause during combat and the number of times I lost due to our cat doing something dumb or gross…
As I mentioned before, Worldless is set amongst a larger war, and in this we quickly establish a nemesis, which we’ll call Barry. Barry is your opposite, he is portrayed as the dark to your light, the fire to your ice, the strength to your speed. At the risk of a spoiler alert, Carol and Barry become allies and in doing so, they combine not only combat abilities but traversal ones as well, and this is where the game’s true potential is unlocked. You are able to seamlessly switch between them to dance around the map, as well as pulverise your enemies and a particular highlight was the secret level, where you are made to activate all of your brain to properly navigate the long and rather difficult parkour section. This unashamedly took longer than it should have, but nothing beats that sweet taste of success when you finally reach the end.
Before you can even consider tackling this though, we need to ensure our duo are completely decked out with their upgrades and abilities. This is where the simplicity of the map also comes into play, as you can see each node is marked showing that there is an orb available, either to pick up or absorb. The upgrade tree is striped back and very clear to see what the move is, the button input and also the type of skill it is. Overall, you’re able to upgrade your melee strikes, your ranged attacks, your varying magical abilities, and your defence capabilities.
I completed Worldless on the Xbox Series X with only a couple of issues in my 11 hour run. One was a crash as I was changing areas, and the other was a glitch after a fight where I was stuck in combat mode after winning. Otherwise the game played beautifully, and even after a bizarre ending, I found myself trawling back through to collect anything I missed. Overall, although I wouldn’t count Wordless as one of my favourite 2D games, it’s one that isn’t afraid to try new things, and is able to do so with a gorgeous minimalist approach. With its harmonious blend of colours and sound and the mix of turn-based and real time combat, much like Carol and Barry, the end result is a coming together that leaves you satisfied, but perhaps also leaves you wanting a little bit more.
In the interest of full disclosure, VGamingNews was provided with a copy of the game in order to conduct this review.
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