Strayed Lights is an atmospheric action-adventure game with fluid combat and an intricate world imbued with mystery. You play as a tiny, growing light seeking transcendence, exploring a land of otherworldly ruins and glowing trees, where entities of flickering lights and luminescent shadows reside.
The game is visually stunning, displaying a highly polished aesthetic paired with a serene soundtrack. The interpretive story, while only a few hours long, resonated with me; exploring the darkness, defeating demons, growing stronger and wiser with each win.
Despite being a little on the short side, Strayed Lights is a unique experience that is worth checking out. It is presented beautifully, both in terms of visuals and music, with a melancholic world you will want to get lost in.
The combat is unique and accessible. The action combat system is tight enough to carry its abstract story, and it even introduces an interesting mechanic that could make Strayed Lights worth checking out when it finally releases. In order to properly block attacks, you need to switch your avatar’s color to the color telegraphed by the enemy you’re fighting, which adds an extra layer of thought to your attack patterns.
It features fun, intuitive gameplay but suffers from some performance issues on the Switch. However, these issues do not detract from the overall experience of the game.
Overall, Strayed Lights is something rare in the gaming industry; a game that genuinely surprises us. The story is told in a subtle, heartfelt way. The music and visuals are stunning. I highly recommend giving it a try.
