Sparklite

Sparklite's constant earthquakes make for a roguelike full of variety and challenge, but that doesn't last forever.

Put simply, Sparklite is best enjoyed as a single player experience, and to that end, it excels.

Sparklite is a fantastic rogue-lite adventure title that provides a nostalgia hit for 2D Zelda fans without feeling like a bad copy. The game's rich world fuses mechanics and story without it feeling obnoxious, and the cast of characters are lovable and well-rounded, with each one standing out from the crowd. By the end, players will be begging for more, even if the final road is a little bumpy with some awkward difficulty spikes. Geodia is a world no one wants to leave by the end, but it's one that's enjoyable to return to again and again.

"The whole affair felt either rushed or like a product borne from a lack of experience."

Sparklite is an impressive outing from mobile developer Red Blue Games. It’s visuals and core mechanics harken back to classic action-adventure titles. At the same time, cleverly designed and well defined systems provide for something fresh and exciting.

Sparklite is a wonderful adventure that may be a bit short for those who have played lots of roguelikes before, but has wonderfully unique mechanics that make it well worth trying out.

The Legend of Zelda's inspiration, which developers don't hide, definitely benefits Sparklite. It's a fun 2D pixel game with a retro soundtrack that evokes a pleasant feeling of nostalgia in the player. It just definitely deserves a better local multiplayer.

Sparklite is a fun little game lifting inspiration from games like The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past and Rogue Legacy. It’s not a particularly hard game unless you’re not strong enough for something just yet. After a while, you’ll have seen most of the screens the game can generate in the world, and then the world will start to become a bit less interesting and repetitive. I’ve had a fun time with Sparklite anyway, though. It is an interesting spin on Zelda-esque gameplay. I say Zelda-eque, because this is not really a Zelda clone. It just borrows a few core design ideas from that series rather than trying to be that series. It basically melds some bits of the classic Zelda formula with a bit of rogue-like and other elements. I’ve spent nearly 20 hours in Geodia at this point, and have mostly completed the game (minus a few side quest things and achievements). Sparklite is available on Steam for $24.99, or you can get the Deluxe Edition for a little more if you want the soundtrack and digital art book. You can also get Sparklite on Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. This review is based on the PC version. Can you overcome the obstacles ahead and save Geodia from the greedy baron?

Sparklite is a fun rogue-like, yet feels like it's missing a small piece to make it truly epic. Hardcore rogue-like fans will grow bored quickly, but newer rogue-like gamers may fall in love with Sparklite. I hope to see a sequel in the future!

In the end Sparklite feels like a game that could have been great, but ended up just being good.