Valfaris

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 51
  3. Negative: 5 out of 51
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  1. Sabrewulf1
    Oct 10, 2019
    10
    Its turrican for this generation.
    Its contra for this generation
    Its got elements of team 17's old amiga classic 'assassins' Its for gaming metalheads. Its tough as old leathery boots. Its vicious pounding and electrifying levels. Its old school bosses. Its got awesome weapons. Its got a stellar soundtrack It got no microtransactions But it does have headbanging. Why are you reading this ?    Its turrican for this generation.
    Its contra for this generation
    Its got elements of team 17's old amiga classic 'assassins'
    Its for gaming metalheads.
    Its tough as old leathery boots.
    Its vicious pounding and electrifying levels.
    Its old school bosses.
    Its got awesome weapons.
    Its got a stellar soundtrack
    It got no microtransactions
    But it does have headbanging.
    Why are you reading this ? go get it!    … Expand
  2. bcdserra
    Oct 11, 2019
    10
    Amazing game !
    The art design and atmosphere are phenomenal if you like that sort of "far future" sci-fi style like 40k for example.
    The gameplay is equally amazing, game runs great on Switch (Bloodstained buyers rejoice) and is a lot of fun to play with tight controls, cool weapons and well thought out level design.. With that you get no penalties for dying and plenty of checkpoints,    Amazing game !
    The art design and atmosphere are phenomenal if you like that sort of "far future" sci-fi style like 40k for example.
    The gameplay is equally amazing, game runs great on Switch (Bloodstained buyers rejoice) and is a lot of fun to play with tight controls, cool weapons and well thought out level design..
    With that you get no penalties for dying and plenty of checkpoints, which makes the relative toughness of the game more comfortable to handle without getting too easy.

    Special mention for those gorgeous 2d sprites which look like your Super Nintendo was on cocaine.    … Expand
  3. Rustyshark
    Oct 11, 2019
    10
    I created an account just to post this. This is an amazing game, one of 2019’s best.
  4. Drevan
    Oct 11, 2019
    9
    One of the best games I have played in 2019 and honestly one of the best 2D Shooters I have played ever! Amazing gameplay!
    The incredible soundtrack and very nice pixel art are just the icing on this delicious cake.
    9/10 - Would give it a 10 but the game is a tad short, granted that you will die a lot and that will make the game last somewhat more by default, but I feel the game could    One of the best games I have played in 2019 and honestly one of the best 2D Shooters I have played ever! Amazing gameplay!
    The incredible soundtrack and very nice pixel art are just the icing on this delicious cake.

    9/10 - Would give it a 10 but the game is a tad short, granted that you will die a lot and that will make the game last somewhat more by default, but I feel the game could have been longer.    … Expand
  5. v4vendetta
    Jan 6, 2021
    9
    pretty addicting game. this game is really extra ordinary in its glorious 2D. Cannot say what kept me going for hours, may be its the level design or the sweet graphics. Worth buying !!!
  6. Soulsborne
    Oct 16, 2019
    9
    I'm constantly dying due to the fact that i cant stop headbanging to this games amazing soundtrack while I play. Love the retro snes style, good upgrade system and weapons, challenging and satisfying metroid/contra gameplay. Very happy I didnt pass this one up.
  7. GhostGeneration
    Oct 10, 2019
    9
    Valfaris is brutal, stunning, and completely kick ass. Full review on The Ghost Generation, or just BUY IT NOW.
  8. Richyrik
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Run & gun muy entretenido, con mucha accion, muy parecido a la saga contra. Graficod pixelart muy trabajados, dificultad bastante bien ajustada y con una duracion bastante decente para su genero. Gran banda sonora
  9. MedusaMadman77
    Feb 8, 2020
    4
    Very overrated. Wait for a deep, deep sale. I regretted spending more than $5 bucks on this garbage. It's not fun, the weapons are lame, the visuals are muddy and messy. All these positive reviews are based off pure hype. There are MUCH BETTER 2D platformers out there.
  10. lebk2440
    Dec 12, 2021
    9
    I had a real blast beating this brutal 2D run and gun. Even though it’s brutally difficult, it is such a satisfying game that keeps on giving. The game keeps providing you with new weapons to keep things fresh. There’s an upgrade mechanic to the weapons, I personally chose a set of weapons and stuck with those until the end. I tried all of them but you can choose what suits you.

    The parry    I had a real blast beating this brutal 2D run and gun. Even though it’s brutally difficult, it is such a satisfying game that keeps on giving. The game keeps providing you with new weapons to keep things fresh. There’s an upgrade mechanic to the weapons, I personally chose a set of weapons and stuck with those until the end. I tried all of them but you can choose what suits you.

    The parry mechanic is great, just use your shield and time it properly but there’s a bonus to this, if it’s a projectile, it’ll stick to your shield and you can shoot it back, usually dealing lots of damage. It’s so satisfying when you shoot back a large amount of projectiles that you’ve successfully parried. One thing that really bothered me was that as soon as an enemy would be off screen, it would become invulnerable, like it didn’t exist anymore, except that it could still hit you with projectiles/lasers. Sometimes, even if you can still see part of the enemy, your shots won’t register hitting the enemy. It’s especially bad during some boss fights. Graphics are beautiful, disgusting and so gory at the same time, which is an awesome combination. At times it was difficult to determine what was a platform and what wasn’t. This game controls extremely well, very responsive and that’s important when you sharp reflexes are needed.

    The metal music fits very well with the game. Being a metal head myself I can listen to this without playing the game.

    Solid frame rate 60FPS all the way through, fast load times.

    Overall an excellent game. Highly recommended for gamers who are looking for a challenge, cool space guns and metal music. 9/10    … Expand
  11. thryce3
    May 30, 2020
    8
    Valfarus is the Contra to Slain:Back from Hell's Castlevania....except good.
  12. CJMoka
    Dec 13, 2020
    9
    Excellent Soundtrack, Pixelart, and Gameplay!
    Great risk reward hook with the idols. Well worth the price of admission!
  13. HappySpaceInvad
    Apr 10, 2021
    9
    It’s the kind of game you wish were possible on the Mega Drive or SNES. Gorgeous pixel art graphics, great animation, great heavy metal music, full screen scaling (but that effect is not over-used). Frequent save points so it never becomes too frustrating and, once you work out your shield can trap incoming projectiles (requires a bit of timing) and fire them back at enemies, the wholeIt’s the kind of game you wish were possible on the Mega Drive or SNES. Gorgeous pixel art graphics, great animation, great heavy metal music, full screen scaling (but that effect is not over-used). Frequent save points so it never becomes too frustrating and, once you work out your shield can trap incoming projectiles (requires a bit of timing) and fire them back at enemies, the whole thing plays very smoothly indeed. Having mastered Blasphemous too, I can safely say this is a lot easier than that.

    Of course, if you only have the patience to mash away at the buttons, then you’re unlikely to enjoy this.

    On the Switch, this is in every respect an upgrade from Slaine Back From Hell, which had terrible performance issues that were (sadly) never fully resolved despite patches. The music is far less repetitive and of higher quality, the graphics are smooth throughout and the gameplay more interesting.    … Expand
  14. giannis2001
    Sep 10, 2020
    7
    It's a really satisfying shooter game. But it's really, really hard. If you love challenge this is for you or else just avoid.
  15. gillibrand
    Apr 7, 2020
    10
    Really fun game. Stays fresh the whole time with varied level design, lots of distinct enemies, and frequent boss and mini-boss fights. It's hard, but save points are frequent, so you can think of it as a series of mini-challenges.

    My biggest complaint is it's a bit hard to duck. You need to hold straight down. I found myself "leaning into" a couch too much and standing up when I didn't    Really fun game. Stays fresh the whole time with varied level design, lots of distinct enemies, and frequent boss and mini-boss fights. It's hard, but save points are frequent, so you can think of it as a series of mini-challenges.

    My biggest complaint is it's a bit hard to duck. You need to hold straight down. I found myself "leaning into" a couch too much and standing up when I didn't mean to. A dumb complaint, but this bit me quite a few times. It's also a little cheap that some bosses explode and can kill you even after they're dead, but the battles are fun so I didn't mind too much.    … Expand
  16. Tiamat_Swec
    Oct 22, 2019
    9
    You will get value for your money 234 SEK. Game structure, graphics, sound and music make it a clear indie favorite that won't go unnoticed. This requires skill and patience. The game contains a lot of violence, so it is recommended for those over 16 (eShop).

    Given that there are short lanes and boss after boss, the game feels more like a boss rush race. Therefore, it does not receive    You will get value for your money 234 SEK. Game structure, graphics, sound and music make it a clear indie favorite that won't go unnoticed. This requires skill and patience. The game contains a lot of violence, so it is recommended for those over 16 (eShop).

    Given that there are short lanes and boss after boss, the game feels more like a boss rush race. Therefore, it does not receive top grade but still a strong 9 out of 10.    … Expand
  17. jiorl
    Jan 23, 2020
    8
    The Good: The juxtaposed beautiful-ugly dystopian aesthetic is fantastic, a good variety of weapons and enemies, the boss battles are generally good (especially the final boss), a neat checkpoint system, music is great

    The Bad: Using the joy cons can be annoying as buttons are close together, while the heavy metal music is great it can get grating when you are stuck in a rut Other    The Good: The juxtaposed beautiful-ugly dystopian aesthetic is fantastic, a good variety of weapons and enemies, the boss battles are generally good (especially the final boss), a neat checkpoint system, music is great

    The Bad: Using the joy cons can be annoying as buttons are close together, while the heavy metal music is great it can get grating when you are stuck in a rut

    Other Notes: Valfaris really nails the hardcore dystopian vibe that it strives for. The mood it creates really gets you in the mood to slay whatever the game throws at you. The weapons all really feel good to use, especially the shotgun, and the checkpoint system is neat as well - you pick up green things called resurrection idols and use them to create checkpoints, but if you don't you have a larger health pool creating a nice risk/reward system to think about when playing. However, the default controls are a bit fiddly, and that is amplified when using the switch's joy cons. The X/A/B/Y buttons are all needed and are all close together and when you are in a full on situation, there is a good chance you will mash a button you didn't mean too. That said, Valfaris is still a fun game, and hopefully if a sequel is made it will build on what on this game delivered    … Expand
  18. jens76
    May 9, 2022
    8
    late to the party, no playing around, no secrets, Valfaris is a kick-ass gothic paradise. (Moshing, die Mutti sagt, der morscht schon wieder.)
  19. shanecummings
    Feb 23, 2020
    10
    Dead Cells is one of my favorite recent games and this has some elements of that game but fused with rock. It also has a nice linear story line that is fun. Loved the weapons and the enemies especially all the bosses and mini bosses
  20. Dzdogg
    Apr 2, 2021
    8
    A challenging game yet very fun, I love the pixel art graphics and gore, weapons are punchy and killing enemies was so satisfying I wish it has HD rumble. Highly recommend.
  21. IamSquid
    Jan 2, 2023
    8
    This game is basically Contra done right.
    It scratches a lot of itches:
    The retro side-scroller shoot-em-up itch,
    the relentless violence itch,
    the killer soundtrack itch,
    the weirdo pet project itch.
    I'm glad I played it.
  22. TSNintendogamer
    Apr 20, 2022
    9
    This game is great! I love the gameplay as it's like contra but it's a slower pace and the game feels more like an adventure than contra because of it. I also like how you can get in vehicles as well. The graphics are just as good if not better than in slain. I just wish the music was more memorable in this game as slain had more reconisable tracks.
  23. Johnny033
    Aug 14, 2022
    9
    Nice art. Nice playing and combat style.
    Don't get mad if you die too much times. That's the point this game carries you. Its not an easy game. There are some bosses that have difficult mechanics and zones where mobs gonna make you destroy the game.
    But that's what makes this game interesting. Give it a try... and enjoy.
  24. Oddlennon
    Oct 3, 2022
    9
    What a fantastic game!
    This kept me entertained for a good while!!!
    I think I was playing for about 150 hours….. and around 30 of them were on the final battle
  25. Han_theReal
    Dec 10, 2022
    8
    Very challenging jump n run shooter thing, with awesome look and cool weapons.

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best Switch Game of 2019
68
#68 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Switch Player
    Mar 9, 2020
    80
    In terms of pixelated platformers on Nintendo Switch, Valfaris is a punk-powered riot, introducing enough weapons, enemies and bosses to always keep things fresh and rocking. A dodge function would have helped this to even greater heights.
    Read full review
  2. Worth Playing
    Dec 2, 2019
    80
    Valfaris is solid. The pacing is great, and with the exception of the back half, the difficulty curve isn't too bad. The juggling of weapons in relation to their balance is well done, and the constant boss fights are a fulfilling challenge once you overcome each foe. Provided you enjoy the Nintendo-hard games of the past, Valfaris is well worth checking out.
    Read full review
  3. FNintendo
    Nov 19, 2019
    70
    Valfaris does not have to make perfect sense to be a good game and while its plot is rather basic and its gameplay doesn't always feel perfectly fluid, there's enough to this chaotic action platformer with a sci-fi and heavy metal theme to make it stand out. Thanks to its marvelous visual environment, metal-based soundtrack and variety of action moments, Valfaris is nothing short of a fun delight for fans of absurd, violent and chaotic action.
    Read full review
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