WarriOrb Review
Fast Facts
WarriOrb
Developer: Not Yet
Publisher: Not Yet
Website: www.warriorb.com
Genre: Action, Platformer
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Also available on Xbox and Steam)
Age Rating: PEGI 7
Release Date: 08/10/2020
Price: £11.69
A code was provided for review purposes.
WarriOrb tells the story of a mighty demon known as a Spirit of the Unknown who, after failing the summoning spell to revive the Wizard’s daughter, is forced into a pathetic, powerless body. In order to regain his freedom and sanity, the Spirit needs to cooperate and find a way to resurrect the girl by exploring a decayed realm, solve puzzles and defeat twisted creatures. Fail and this new body will be your tomb.
WarriOrb is a 2D action game mixed with puzzles. In your mission to regain your body, you’ll be thrown into various settings in order to beat up enemies and solve puzzles. The game features a decent amount of areas and its puzzles can be the stuff of nightmares; not because they’re scary, but they will require players to explore every nook and cranny in order to move forward. Sometimes it’ll be very subtle while other times, it’ll be easier to figure out.
Bounce and Roll
One of the problems with WarriOrb is the game’s controls. The protagonist feels light and floaty, and when jumping it feels like you’re floating in mid-air; the best way to describe it? Think of the driving mechanics of Grand Theft Auto IV; floaty like a cloud. While it doesn’t make it unplayable, it takes a while to get used to it and plan your movements in a timely manner so you don’t fall to your death or take unnecessary damage on enemies. You can also roll around and about to move a bit faster, but it you hit a wall or another obstacle, prepare to bounce.
Among the areas, you’ll have a bit of platforming to do at times jumping from one spot to another in order to avoid a deadly obstacle; our precious little protagonist cannot survive water, so falling in it will result in damage. The problem with that is that if you fall in the water, you’ll spawn back at the beginning of the platforming sequence; even if you’re one last jump away from the finish line. While not a deal-breaker, it can be annoying as some jumps have to be near pixel-perfect to land.
Breaking the Flow
The biggest annoyance with WarriOrb is the interruption caused by a genie-like statue that will constantly throw you off your path into a puzzle-like situation. You’ll be doing progress through an area or a dungeon and your path will be blocked by the mysterious statue and transport you into a different area where you’ll have to solve a puzzle to prove your worth. It feels forced and breaks the natural flow of the game.
There’s not really anything special about WarriOrb‘s presentation. The game’s areas are overall dark and drab; which somewhat represents the protagonist’s unfortunate predicament despite its cuteness. I love the Gothic vibe the game gives out. The soundtrack is pretty solid; it represents the game’s light Gothic feel with something dark and haunting.
WarriOrb is definitely a quirky 2D platformer/puzzle game… that’s unfortunately not for everyone. The combat is decent but the puzzles can be a real headscratcher as the game won’t give you a slight bit of a hand. Triggering conversations with certain NPCs can be helpful to a certain extent, but you’ll often find yourself stuck unable to progress as you try and figure out how to proceed. If you enjoy a good headscratcher or have the patience of a god, WarriOrb is for you. Otherwise, pass.
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase WarriOrb from the Nintendo eShop here.
