Loot River

 Xbox Series X
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Everyeye.it
    May 3, 2022
    80
    Loot River is a complete, difficult and well packaged work. A unique mechanic that of the Tetris-style platforms, which lends itself well to the game world created by the guys of Straka Studio. Too bad for the mole represented by that problem with the hitboxes and animations of certain characters. Overall, however, the game is more than good, fun, challenging and will keep you hooked for a long time.
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    May 3, 2022
    80
    Action, roguelike, shifting levels, environmental puzzles “a la Tetris” and simple but clever combat mechanics. Despite some minor flaws, Loot River is definitely one of the best Indies of the year.
  3. XboxEra
    May 26, 2022
    78
    After a slow start Loot River really grew on me.
  5. MondoXbox
    May 3, 2022
    76
    Loot River combines attractive looks and sounds to roguelike mechanics with Tetris contaminations, giving life to a definitely original gameplay loop. It suffers from some repetitiveness and a not too deep combat system, but it remains capable of fascinating the player thanks to its unique mechanics.
  6. XboxAddict
    May 24, 2022
    70
    I normally tend to steer away from Souls-like as it’s not my genre of choice. Coupled with being a roguelike, I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy it in the slightest bit. Loot River surprised me though with its interesting and unique puzzle mechanics, and while not perfect by any means, “Souls Meets Tetris” is something I never thought I would write, but here we are. Factor in that Loot River is also currently available on Game Pass and it’s a hard title to pass up trying to see if it click with your genre preferences.
  7. TheXboxHub
    May 16, 2022
    70
    It feels like Loot River has difficulty in committing to the type of game it wants to be. For a roguelike, the runs feel too short, with too much blocked off. For a roguelite, the run-to-run progression is too lacking to be engaging.
  8. Video Chums
    May 4, 2022
    60
    If it featured more deliberate combat and less ambiguous visuals, Loot River would have been an awesome game due to its uniqueness.
  9. Edge Magazine
    Jun 16, 2022
    50
    Every now and then, there's a flash of ingenuity. [Issue#373, p.122]
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  1. Eurogamer
    May 6, 2022
    You know that moment in a good roguelite where you've overextended yourself, but you've also won riches that you don't want to lose before you can bank them? This is what Loot River is built for, ultimately: I race around the world, dashing from one tile to another, breaking off from a little continent, an archipelago of burning wood and then searching, searching for the level's exit as I eye my tiny health gauge with fear. A procedural dungeon-crawler where you can rescramble the once-scrambled levels? Gary Chang would be proud. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2022

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. YeWestVigorTest
    May 4, 2022
    4
    Great potential - awful execution.

    Loot River has a fun idea with it's puzzle combat hybrid but just now the game feels like it's still in    Great potential - awful execution.

    Loot River has a fun idea with it's puzzle combat hybrid but just now the game feels like it's still in some unpolished early access state.

    My main issue is with the combat. It just doesn't flow nicely like other top-down roguelikes (Hades, Dandy Ace etc.) Swordplay feels artificially stiff and awkward with a dodge roll that sometimes works and sometimes not. I understand that there should be maybe more of a "Dark Souls" style feel to the combat but for now it feels frustrating bad, not challenging but fair good.

    The art style is fine and I like the grittiness of it.

    BUT the gameplay loop and the feel of constant progression that makes games like these addictive and fun just isn't there. This just doesn't suck you in like it's contemporaries.

    I really hope they fix this game with smoother combat. I will come back to correct myself. But for now, I'm happy this was on Game Pass and I did not spend money on this. Play other roguelikes for now and come back to this when it's good.    … Full Review »
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