‘Noita’: Indie Gaming At Its Peak
One of the best Indie games in a long time is Noita, a massive open-world action platform that offers passive co-op and multiplayer games. The new Souls – as released by Annapurna Interactive – has been released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360, but we still need to take a look at the PlayStation Vita version. It is made for an unforgettable journey, as it does not reinvent the wheel; it is a unique interpretation of a classic 2D action game with a new twist.
I think Noita is one of the best indie games out there right now, and a great example of indie gaming at its best. Disco Elysium, for example, is probably one of the good role-playing games released this decade, even though it was released a year ago by the same team behind some of our best indies.
Yet there are few games that can generate the sheer pull of activity that Noita triggers. One of the most annoying things that happen when you die for reasons that are not your fault is when things turn into a chaotic experience in which things are constantly spiraling out of control. It may not be how often this happens in Noita, but it is the way the genre throws players back to the beginning of defeat.
Noita comes from the same team behind the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Super Mario Bros. 2, and on the surface, it seems simple. Digging, scrolling and side-scrolling work, but there is much more to it, as each pixel has simulated properties.
As good as it is, the fun of Noita’s physical explorations and experiments quickly grows tired, and it harms his replayability. The unknown is what fascinates and fears us all, but with the feel of the platform game – feats and even environmental objects floating over spots and spells offer no on-screen explanation, and the number key quickly switches to a magic wand – the game plays like a platformer without any real sense of direction. It is a time of punishment – wasteful, frustrating, and frustrating experience, hurt only by the lack of explanatory texts.
It’s not an easy game, but it’s a fair balance and well polished, with a good amount of depth and a great balance between action and stealth, as well as a decent level design.
