14 DAY TRIAL // I jump and dash in the air, activating a glowing hovering orb that creates a platform under my character’s feet just as he begins to descend. A short pause reveals another orb that can be reached by carefully combining my movement options and a bigger platform past it. It takes two tries but I get the moves right and get to my destination.
An orange square enemy is standing in my way and the game shifts to the battle, which is turn-driven. I launch a series of physical attacks, which the opponent resists, before delivering a cold magic strike just before my allotted time ends. Then I shift to the defensive, successfully deploying my shield just before a flame strike reaches me.
For the next few rounds, I manage to match my attacks with the square’s weaknesses, and I also do mostly a good job of avoiding damage on the defensive. I launch my special assimilation special ability, which should give my character a new ability for the future. Unfortunately, I have not maxed out the required meter and fail, even if I defeat my enemy. I could try to improve my performance but I opt for more exploration.
Worldless is developed by Noname Studios and published by Coatsink. I played a preview of it on Steam on the PC. It will also be offered on the Xbox Series X and S. The title mixes action platforming with a unique battle system.
There’s little info on the story at the start of the game. The protagonist is a relatively undefined humanoid, who’s able to project a map of the world out of his head and explores a world that’s equally lacking in terms of structure. Some creatures are clearly hostile but I found little indication of why gamers are battling them.
There are hints that two hither powers are fighting to dominate this realm but the narrative is lacking a clear hook. The story is as undefined as the world players move through. It’s a good thing that the game has a unique gameplay idea.
Exploration in Worldless is pretty standard for the genre, with the protagonist able to use jumps and dashes to activate platforms and reach new map areas. Some of the sequences are pretty complicated and it took me a few tries to nail the move sequences, although there’s no death from falls.
The unique idea is the shift to turn-based combat when an enemy appears. During the attack phase, players need to probe and then exploit enemy weaknesses. On the defensive, they will use a shield to negate incoming damage. A mini-game powers a special assimilation move.
It’s a good system, with cool moves and tense moments. Players will have to choose different approaches, depending on how the opponent behaves. If the enemy wins, gamers are free to try again, using what they’ve learned to improve their performance. A skill tree will add more abilities as they make progress.
Worldless has a striking look. The world is kind of empty but punctuated by points of light that will guide the player through the platforming challenges. The stylized approach is also seen in combat, especially when it comes to opponent design. This approach impresses at first but variety is needed in the long run. The sound design is also minimalist but efficient, with some cool tunes for the soundtrack.
Conclusion
It asks players to tactically consider their moves, mastering timing on offense and defense. The system creates tension and offers clear feedback to drive improvement. Worldless will need to add more ideas to keep gamers engaged but it already has a strong foundation to work with.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
