Worldless is a gorgeous Metroid-like platformer with a turn-based twist
Try its demo for yourself now
In the ever-heaving genre that is cool-looking Metroid-likes, it's always a delight to see one that's doing something new and surprising. Worldless, which was revealed at last night's ID@Xbox Showcase, is one such Metroidy platformer that's hoping to shake things up with its rhythmic, turn-based battling. I had a sneak peak at its freshly released Steam demo back in March at GDC, and I came away impressed by both its abstract visuals and fluid, dance-like scraps with its angular enemies. The demo is only 30 minutes or so, so why not give it a go for yourself?
Worldless' demo sees your Rayman-like hero's jumble of shapes materialise in the cool, blue glades of a midnight forest. Trees and hilltops stand out in stark, black contrast to the navys and indigos of the flora behind you, creating a striking setting that's a bit like Gris meets Ori And The Blind Forest - only with a moodier, synthier soundtrack accompanying your running and jumping. Despite only consisting of a handful of spheres and rounded triangle legs at this stage in the game (a montage trailer at the end of the demo suggests you'll be bulking out your final form by the time you reach the game's finale), your avatar feels every bit as light and nimble as the wispy Ori, and is just as joyous to control as you jump and dash to reach your objective.
But it's the turn-based battles that are arguably the main event in Worldless' demo. At the start of your turn, you'll have a set amount of time to unleash whatever combo of attacks you see fit before it's time to defend. In the demo, you have two melee options (a sword and a bow) and two magic spells (ice and lightning) at your disposal, but you'll need to weigh up the time it takes to execute each one and whether there are any enemy weaknesses you can exploit to make the most of your turn's allotted time. Some enemies might bring out a front-facing shield, for example, that you could theoretically bash away with your sword after a couple of hits, but you could also bypass it completely with the slower wind-up of your ice attack.
There's also a rock hard boss at the end of the demo that really puts your skills to the test, including your ability to memorise its quick-fire vertical and horizontal attack prompts to queue up your appropriate shield. Sure, there's an element of rote learning in here, but there's also no real penalty for being defeated either. You're simply brushed away from the fight, and can instantly try it again with full health. Brilliant. Love it. More of this please.
One thing I could never quite master during the demo, however, is the ability to absorb your enemies and acquire their powers. You can do this by attacking weak spots and building up a special percentage bar, and once it's full enough you can squeeze your gamepad's bumpers to initiate the absorption process. The fuller the bar, the more correct button prompts you're then given to seal the deal. In the demo, battles often didn't last long enough to really try this out properly with a lot of enemies, but even longer ones proved needlessly fiddly when it came to hitting the correct combination of buttons. Maybe these enemies simply didn't have any powers I could absorb, or maybe I was simply biffing the timing of the bumper presses. It's hard to say. Here's hoping it becomes a bit clearer to figure out by the time it comes out.
Right now, Worldless is still slated for a general 2023 release on Steam, but I'd definitely recommend giving its demo a go if you're after a hip, new Metroidvania that does things differently. Its early platforming chops look very promising from what I've played so far, and if its upgradeable combat abilities continue to provide interesting tactical options in battle, developers Noname Studios could be on to a winner here. I'll be keeping an eye on it as it heads toward release.