Sparklite is now out on all platforms, with beautiful handmade pixel graphics akin to Stardew Valley or Moonlighter, its a sight to behold.Sparklite is now out on all platforms, with beautiful handmade pixel graphics akin to Stardew Valley or Moonlighter, its a sight to behold. Having a development time of four years with a team of only three people, Sparklite is a labor of love and it shows.
The story opens up on an airship caught in a rolling thunderstorm, where our hero and her robot companion fall down toward the earth — luckily Ada is unscathed, but her pal is nowhere to be found. Exploring from the wreckage, she uses her trusty wrench to whack mutated baddies into submission as she searches, leading her to a deep dark cavern: the lair of a Titan. The Titan makes short work of her, but she does at least see her captive friend. Waking up in a cozy room, Ada knows what she must do. She must leave the comfort of this town in the sky and venture back down below, to save not only her friend, but to save the world of Geodia itself from the awful Titans who are mining the planet of its resources at the request of a man who calls himself “The Baron.”
Sparklite is played in a top-down action perspective not unlike classic Zelda title “A Link to the Past.” The game has procedurally generated areas that change every time you pass out, which is explained in the game’s lore as the planet becoming unstable due to the core of pure Sparklite (which is used as a currency, among other things) being mined. This means no area will really look the same twice, and that you’ll need to keep your wits about you. You can upgrade Ada through the use of items called Patches, which can boost stamina, energy, and even the damage of your weapon and other tools incrementally. Through time, you’ll get other patches that allow you to view area maps or even pinpoint certain locations in all areas. The Patch system is a really good take on upgrading, and though most other items are easily lost, you’ll always be able to hang on to your patches.
Sparklite is a bit of a grindy game, but the payoff for the time spent is immense. Every journey to the world below allows you to come back and upgrade your patches or the town’s facilities, granting you access to more tools and more survivability down on Geodia. As you venture down and attempt to dispatch each of the five areas’ Titans, the amount of Sparklite you accumulate will always be put to good use. The stunning visuals and downright addictive soundtrack make each area feel alive, and I appreciated my time in each zone wholeheartedly.
Pros:
-Beautiful hand-animated sprites
-Great Soundtrack
-Fantastic combat and upgrade systems
Cons:
-Very grinds
-You will die a LOT
Overall: 10/10
Sparklite is a great example of what a small team can accomplish when they set their hearts and minds to something. The world they’ve created is rich in lore and adventure. I really hope that this isn’t the end of seeing Geodia, or even our heroine Ada — there’s just too much here for there to only be one adventure. I would urge any action RPG fan to pick this up, as this game is truly a gem and I absolutely adored every minute of it.… Expand
