Nihilumbra

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22

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  1. Psvitalife
    Feb 14, 2015
    8
    Who are you?
    What are you?
    Where are you? Three very good questions asked at the beginning of "Nihilumbra", a unique platformer by BeautiFun games. Previously released in iOS and PC platforms, the game finally finds its way to Playstation Vita in January 27,2015. You are Born, a creature created from an dark anti-matter entity known as "The Void" which wants Born to return to it and    Who are you?
    What are you?
    Where are you?

    Three very good questions asked at the beginning of "Nihilumbra", a unique platformer by BeautiFun games. Previously released in iOS and PC platforms, the game finally finds its way to Playstation Vita in January 27,2015.
    You are Born, a creature created from an dark anti-matter entity known as "The Void" which wants Born to return to it and pursues him throughout the game. Anything in its way will be consumed and destroyed. The void frequently sends creatures after you, which you must avoid in the beginning, but later on you will be able to fight back!
    Having previously been released on iOS, the controls are largely touch based and after being added to Vita, button functionality was added, and was a very nice transition, otherwise, touch controls are quick and responsive. Your character dosent engage in a huge vareity of moves aside from walking back and forth and jumping.
    The main feature of the game is being able to change the games environment through the use of color. There are 5 colors in all, to be collected at various points during the game. My prersonal favorite for example, is the color green, which after collected, can be placed on the surface using the touchscreen to make your character bounce higher than born can jump, making it possible to reach higher platforms. Different colors control new elements of the world, and can be used to either solve puzzles or defeat enemies.
    The games music is very dramatic and eerie sounding, giving you the feeling that you really are lost and don't know what's going on, or what to do, feelings echoed by the games narrator, who does a great job telling you the story and pushing you along.
    There are 5 worlds In total, each one increases in challenge and concludes with a twist which you have to complete the game to appreciate, but there is plenty of replay value to be had for certain!    … Expand
  2. TheQuietGamer
    Jan 30, 2016
    7
    Nihilism is the theme of this puzzle-platformer. A game that tries way too hard to be deep and sometimes comes off as goofy as a result. Luckily some solid gameplay is present to keep you playing until the credits roll. Whether or not it's compelling enough to keep you playing after it's initial short running time, I cannot say. Although there is something special here for the rightNihilism is the theme of this puzzle-platformer. A game that tries way too hard to be deep and sometimes comes off as goofy as a result. Luckily some solid gameplay is present to keep you playing until the credits roll. Whether or not it's compelling enough to keep you playing after it's initial short running time, I cannot say. Although there is something special here for the right audience.

    Storytelling is a big part of the game. It doesn't get in the way of the gameplay thankfully, but it's an always present aspect of the experience. It's all delivered through narration that presents obvious attempts at philosophical questions. It tackles topics like emptiness, hopelessness, and every persons hunt for a purpose and to feel something inside of them. All potentially compelling themes, but the way they are presented makes it all just feel cheesy. I can still say that I was interested to see how it was all going to play out as the set up of the story was pretty cool. The idea of being chased by an endless void that destroys every place you've been to could have been very symbolic. However here it just kind of feels like pandering to an emo audience. Some of this stuff could have been ripped straight from a "misunderstood" 13 year old's journal.

    As far as the gameplay goes, it's a decent ride, but one I didn't find myself wanting to take more than once. It's a breezy experience that makes the standard platforming a little more interesting with it's use of color based powers. Making great use of the Vita's touch-screen capabilities, the game allows you to paint the walls and ground around you with colors that have different abilities. For instance blue will place ice of the ground to help give you momentum, while green acts as a trampoline. There are some nifty puzzles made around the use of these colors that make the short campaign a little more entertaining.

    The short length isn't really too much of a problem here as it means the game ends just as the monotony and frustration start to set in. The story mode isn't a difficult at all. It's a breezy experience that you will get through in no time at all. It just serves as a way to tell it's story while introducing you to the mechanics in preparation for the game's real challenge; "Void Mode."

    Void mode is all about the gameplay. Twitch puzzles and some actual challenge await you here. This mode actually requires you to use more than one color at a time for it's puzzles. Something the story mode never really does. It's a nice way to extend the length of the package and offer a challenge for those looking for it.

    Personally I was done with the game as soon as I completed the story. The gameplay is solid, but not not entertaining enough to make me want to stick around and put myself through some actual challenge. You get an amusing reward for doing so, but I just wasn't up for it. I has seen everything I wanted to by that point. However I do imagine there are plenty of people who will be more than happy to tackle the challenges ahead. The only issues they'll find are that it's still short and swapping colors on the fly isn't as fast as it needs to be.

    "Nihilumbra" is a decent experience. One that's short in length and won't bring everyone the bang for their buck that their looking for, but those interested in unique and artsy experiences are likely to find something special with this game. Even if it's far from the deepest story out there. It's worth a look for the right audience and I have to give it credit for making genuinely good use of some of the Vita's unique features.    … Expand
  3. dugazoid
    Feb 13, 2016
    6
    Interesting, but too easy, and short. I have enjoyed another simple games (Limbo, Fez, etc), but when I finished Nihilumbra, I felt a little bit empty...
  4. kotfr1tz
    Oct 15, 2018
    3
    It’s not that bad but it’s just...boring. Puzzles aren’t that fun. Chases aren’t that fun. Story, even if presented quite originally, isn’t nothing special.
  5. Paranoik
    Jul 21, 2015
    10
    One of the best games I played in my entire life. So simple and so incredible.Everyone should get the experience that game gives, it's unique. Hope Beatifun games will keep doing awesome games.
  6. CreepyNeighbour
    Jan 7, 2016
    8
    I'd never heard of this game until came free with Playstation plus in January 2016 and I have to say this is one of the best I've ever received via that same service. It looks beautiful, it plays superbly and has one the best difficulty arcs I've experienced in over 30 years of gaming. The only 2 possible negatives I have is that it's a bit short and the narrator (even though all hisI'd never heard of this game until came free with Playstation plus in January 2016 and I have to say this is one of the best I've ever received via that same service. It looks beautiful, it plays superbly and has one the best difficulty arcs I've experienced in over 30 years of gaming. The only 2 possible negatives I have is that it's a bit short and the narrator (even though all his comments are directed at the character) can be quite harsh and I would advise that you don't play this game if you have any low self esteem. Puzzle platformers by tradition are not my thing but if you enjoy video games and you're looking for something different you should definitely give Nihilumbra a try.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PS Vita Game of 2015
21
#21 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2015
38
#38 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Hobby Consolas
    Jan 22, 2016
    75
    Nihilumbra is a good, but short, experience for PS Vita. Its core points are the story and puzzles, but some of the mechanics become reiterative.
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  2. Everyeye.it
    Jan 22, 2016
    70
    Vita is the perfect platform for Nihilumbra, but the gameplay is still to unbalanced to completely satisfy.
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  3. The Vita Lounge
    Aug 10, 2015
    68
    Nihilumbra is an interesting concept and a short and sweet title that not only looks great but also uses some of the features that a lot of developers forget the Vita actually has, Nihilumbra is one of the more unique titles on Vita and if you're looking for something different, you should definitely give it a go.
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