Valfaris

 Xbox One
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. SomosXbox
    Nov 24, 2019
    74
    Valfaris is a unique title and if it catches you, it will surely leave you with a very good taste thanks to its graphic design, playability and soundtrack... too bad for its technical section.
  2. Windows Central
    Nov 18, 2019
    70
    While Valfaris is in many ways an excellent game, it's held back by some significant design flaws and technical problems.
  3. ZTGD
    Dec 19, 2019
    65
    Developers spend so much time trying to recapture that magic of classic pixel-style games and instead forget about what made them special. It wasn’t the look, it was the loop. There are plenty of 8 and 16-bit titles with mundane game play and nowadays it shows why some games stood the test of time. Be challenging, but be interesting. Don’t just punish players and throw lush visuals at them. Make the game play interesting as well. This is something Valfaris lacks, and I wish more indie developers understood when making these games that I very much want to play, I just lose interest in far too soon.

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best Xbox One Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Nov 27, 2019
    8
    Vafaris: Having mysteriously gone missing, the space fortress Valfaris suddenly reappears in the orbit of a dying sun, having been thoroughlyVafaris: Having mysteriously gone missing, the space fortress Valfaris suddenly reappears in the orbit of a dying sun, having been thoroughly transformed from a paradise to a hellhole. You play Therion, a loyal son who must return to Valfaris to discover what has tainted it. So far so generic, but the narrative isn’t particularly important here. It sets the scene for an action-packed journey across a metal immersive adventure that is filled with robotic and organic threats. The pixel art aesthetic of Valfaris are crisp and suit the over-the-top retro feel perfectly. Despite the setting, there is a surprising amount of color and contrast throughout the game’s levels, although there are times when the screen can feel a little cluttered. This becomes particularly awkward once you’re trying to dodge multiple projectiles, but didn’t cause too many unfair deaths. This isn’t to say that you won’t die, as Valfaris is still quite a punishing game. Fortunately, regular checkpoints and rapid restarts mean that death is mostly a learning experience rather than an irritation. The music is suitably metal, but can be a little repetitive as it largely chugs away in the background without much in the way of hooks or melody. Therion is equipped with three types of weapon: a regular sidearm with unlimited ammo, a melee weapon that generates power upon contact, and a powerful secondary weapon that then unleashes that power. There are many different weapons to discover within each set, with most having well balanced strengths and weaknesses. The need to build up power with your melee weapon before you can use your missile launcher or flamethrower makes for a fluid combat system that keeps you moving. You have to balance the need to get up close to build up power, and the natural inclination to keep distance and fire from afar. Added to this risk and reward system is the fact that your shield uses the same power resource, so there is danger in relying too much on the powerful sub-weapons. Once the combat system feels natural to you, the game opens up to become a hugely enjoyable challenge, but there are clear difficulty spikes. You have a health bar and healing pickups are occasionally dropped by enemies, but it is quite common to find yourself killed very quickly if you make a simple mistake. This is especially true in some quite tricky platforming sections where mistiming a jump will see you immediately killed by environmental hazards. A few sections proved a little frustrating, it made progressing feel rewarding. Every weapon that you collect can be levelled up by collecting Blood Metal, with the final upgrade requiring the rare Blood of Valfaris material. This light RPG approach is a welcome addition, but does mean that earlier weapons feel more powerful than later ones until you find the items needed to upgrade them. This was especially the case with my sword, as the speed at which your beginning weapon generates power proves particularly useful. Upgrade materials are scattered throughout the levels, with some being hidden behind extra tricky platforming sections or in battles. Fortunately you keep the collected items even if you die, so you aren’t forced to repeat those sections once you have beaten them. The green orbs that activate checkpoints are also often hidden away, as extra ones you find can be exchanged for upgrade material at regular upgrade stations. Valfris is quite a diamond in the rough and I'd highly suggest this one for fans of the genre on their Xbox One.… Full Review »
  2. Bitsmebite
    Nov 16, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Valfaris is a game that can surprise you right away and can keep the excitement throughout your narrative. The theme, soundtrack and gameplay style are very common to the genre and here you would think we have nothing new, but the merge of these elements in the title are very well executed, showing a maturing development team and a great title of the shoot games. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves classic games and / or who likes a challenge the old fashioned way. He's not flawless, but can deliver a few hours of fun.… Full Review »
  3. robimus2d
    Apr 24, 2020
    9
    Awesome game -- amazingly satisfying and have never seen this much weapon or boss variety in a platformer. The weapon-upgrade, life and energyAwesome game -- amazingly satisfying and have never seen this much weapon or boss variety in a platformer. The weapon-upgrade, life and energy systems force you to make trade-offs which make successive run through a worth it. The only thing is sometimes the animations seem a bit stiff -- especially compared to the previous team's game, Slain.… Full Review »
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