This is one of those situations where I don't know why this game is in my Steam library, but I've purchased enough bundles over the years and this seems to be one of those games that you get from some bundle somewhere. Either way, if you have this in your library and haven't played it yet, please do.
The pitch for Valfaris is that it's a Contra-style run-and-gun but with metal music, stop motion-style animation, more forgiving checkpoints, and a much greater focus on biomechanical creatures. It looks and sounds wonderful.
This is a pretty tough game -- the end boss took me an hour or so to beat -- but it's very well designed. Valfaris gives me the type of experience I always wanted out of a Contra game. Tough-but-fair action, great-feeling guns, sick bosses, and a rip-roaring power fantasy.
It is a game that gets dramatically close to 5 stars if not for a back chunk that features both a small difficulty spike and a couple levels that go on and on. Worth playing and I fully recommend it, but with that asterisk.
Going to buy its new sequel either at full price or the next time it goes on sale to support the developers.
The pitch for Valfaris is that it's a Contra-style run-and-gun but with metal music, stop motion-style animation, more forgiving checkpoints, and a much greater focus on biomechanical creatures. It looks and sounds wonderful.
This is a pretty tough game -- the end boss took me an hour or so to beat -- but it's very well designed. Valfaris gives me the type of experience I always wanted out of a Contra game. Tough-but-fair action, great-feeling guns, sick bosses, and a rip-roaring power fantasy.
It is a game that gets dramatically close to 5 stars if not for a back chunk that features both a small difficulty spike and a couple levels that go on and on. Worth playing and I fully recommend it, but with that asterisk.
Going to buy its new sequel either at full price or the next time it goes on sale to support the developers.
For what it try's to be, does it perfectly.
Very short but great game, with a similar feel to the studio's Slain: Back from Hell, albeit with a more futuristic touch and focus on ranged instead of melee combat. Still as Metal, though.
I enjoyed this one a lot, with the highlight being combining the sub-2h speedrun and sub 10 deaths playthrough into one.
I enjoyed this one a lot, with the highlight being combining the sub-2h speedrun and sub 10 deaths playthrough into one.
Hot garbage. Difficult for no reason, and the music sucks on top of that. A game that thinks it's way cooler than it is.
Un shooter lateral máis, interesante pola perspectiva de metaleiro flipado mesturado cun aire futurista e que non deixa de ser unha continuación do Slain, da mesma compañía e que levaba o mesmo nivel de fliparse.
O deseño dos niveis, sen ser nada especial, é variado e polo menos os masillas son temáticos a cada un. Os monstros de fase están ben, e igual onde falla algo máis é na falta de coherencia na súa dificultade. Destaca especialmente o deseño das armas que nos permite ir recollendo, algunha é unha pasada.
En xeral entretén, pero non pasará á historia por nada especial.
O deseño dos niveis, sen ser nada especial, é variado e polo menos os masillas son temáticos a cada un. Os monstros de fase están ben, e igual onde falla algo máis é na falta de coherencia na súa dificultade. Destaca especialmente o deseño das armas que nos permite ir recollendo, algunha é unha pasada.
En xeral entretén, pero non pasará á historia por nada especial.
I love everything about this game except the way it controls. Which is unfortunately a HUGE ding against the game.
No one told Warhammer 40000 as a sidescroller would've been so much fun
This game had a lot of potential. Good ideas and visuals, but gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. Feels very stiff and dated, leading to an overall pretty frustrating experience
Valfaris is a sidecroller action game which takes place in the same universe as Slain: Back from Hell. This time around the core gameplay revolves around a big gun that consumes energy, a sword that restores energy on hit and a sidearm that doesn't require energy at all. There's a decent selection of weapons to choose from and level design is reasonably varied so the experience doesn't get repetitive in my opinion.
Once again, the aesthetics and soundtrack are impeccable and the gameplay is very tight for the most part. I do resent the upgrade system a bit because materials are rather limited so there isn't much room for experimentation. Also, just like Slain, the game is rather though, but I believe that's very fitting all things considered.
To conclude, Valfaris is sick \m/
Once again, the aesthetics and soundtrack are impeccable and the gameplay is very tight for the most part. I do resent the upgrade system a bit because materials are rather limited so there isn't much room for experimentation. Also, just like Slain, the game is rather though, but I believe that's very fitting all things considered.
To conclude, Valfaris is sick \m/
I just don't enjoy this much
Valfaris is an indie game made in the years between 2015-2XXX that is a 2D action-platformer without being some sort of metroidvania and/or roguelike. And it's pretty solid, making it even more of a rarity.
The game feels kinda like a combination between Contra and Ninja Gaiden (NES), with the frantic pace, above average difficulty, and emphasis on constant forward movement. There's some tricks of its own that the game pulls, like an interesting checkpoint system that can be tied to your HP/ammo gauges, and a parry system which can be finicky to use at first. Every level is generally well designed and telegraphed to the player, and if the player pays attention they'll see tons of subtle good design choices, like putting a more complicated enemy that you haven't faced in a while in a neutral area to refresh your memory before throwing lots of them in an upcoming platforming section.
There are some sloppily designed segments, mainly around the end, and for every boss that is a hit there's also another one that is underwhelming and/or annoying, but what I think holds back this game from being really good or even great is the actual variety in the level design. It's all of decent quality and gets progressively harder, but after about the first half of the game you've seen basically every enemy type and every obstacle and every object and they're not really mixed or shaken up much. It's fun, but how many times can the game make me climb a wall or grab onto a flying enemy while turrets are shooting at me before I notice?
If you're looking for a modern game that tests skills that are very different from its contemporaries, or if you're just missing games like the ones I described earlier, you can't go wrong with Valfaris. It provides a few hours of solid, pattern memorizing, violent fun, and if you're new to the genre it might even make you want to play the great ones.
The game feels kinda like a combination between Contra and Ninja Gaiden (NES), with the frantic pace, above average difficulty, and emphasis on constant forward movement. There's some tricks of its own that the game pulls, like an interesting checkpoint system that can be tied to your HP/ammo gauges, and a parry system which can be finicky to use at first. Every level is generally well designed and telegraphed to the player, and if the player pays attention they'll see tons of subtle good design choices, like putting a more complicated enemy that you haven't faced in a while in a neutral area to refresh your memory before throwing lots of them in an upcoming platforming section.
There are some sloppily designed segments, mainly around the end, and for every boss that is a hit there's also another one that is underwhelming and/or annoying, but what I think holds back this game from being really good or even great is the actual variety in the level design. It's all of decent quality and gets progressively harder, but after about the first half of the game you've seen basically every enemy type and every obstacle and every object and they're not really mixed or shaken up much. It's fun, but how many times can the game make me climb a wall or grab onto a flying enemy while turrets are shooting at me before I notice?
If you're looking for a modern game that tests skills that are very different from its contemporaries, or if you're just missing games like the ones I described earlier, you can't go wrong with Valfaris. It provides a few hours of solid, pattern memorizing, violent fun, and if you're new to the genre it might even make you want to play the great ones.
Really good for what it is, but I'm pretty bitter it hid the more fun version of the game until you beat it once. It's not a super drastic change of the game, so I wish it was just unlocked from the start. Hardmodes being locked is cursed.
Rarely has the difference between two games in one collection been more obvious than in the case of Valfaris and Slain. While the latter was a clear lead balloon, Valfaris is the real deal.
Pros:
+ believable sci-fi setting and detailed pixel art
+ action feels meaty and the controls are tight
+ close combat is beafy enough to be a viable option
+ resurrection idol swap system is a smart idea
+ weapon upgrade system is simple but effective
+ secrets are surprisingly well-hidden
+ optional weapons are actually worth it
+ the skull mech sections really add to the gameplay
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ boss fights are creative and tough but fair...
Cons:
- ...even if they have swansong attacks that can kill you without warning
- some platforming mechanics in the second half feel undercooked
- health items drop randomly and a bit too rarely
- some of the instant death sitations can get frustrating
- technical performance on Switch is not without hickups
Playtime: 8,5 hours with over 300 deaths and one weapon missed. I guess I'm not really good at this game.
Favourite Weapon: Starting weapon with the spread shot upgrade and the tentacle for its increased reach.
Magic Moment: Entering the skull mech for the first time and just leveling everything left and right.
Verdict:
Valfaris is exactly what it promises to be: A kick-ass sidescrolling action game without unnecessary fluff. The combat feels satisfying and impactful, while the weapon upgrades have plenty of impact and offer various builds for each given situation. If you can get past the sometimes rough platforming sections and boss fights, Valfaris offers a lot of old-school fun with a tight visual presentation.
So play it if it seems like your thing.
Pros:
+ believable sci-fi setting and detailed pixel art
+ action feels meaty and the controls are tight
+ close combat is beafy enough to be a viable option
+ resurrection idol swap system is a smart idea
+ weapon upgrade system is simple but effective
+ secrets are surprisingly well-hidden
+ optional weapons are actually worth it
+ the skull mech sections really add to the gameplay
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ boss fights are creative and tough but fair...
Cons:
- ...even if they have swansong attacks that can kill you without warning
- some platforming mechanics in the second half feel undercooked
- health items drop randomly and a bit too rarely
- some of the instant death sitations can get frustrating
- technical performance on Switch is not without hickups
Playtime: 8,5 hours with over 300 deaths and one weapon missed. I guess I'm not really good at this game.
Favourite Weapon: Starting weapon with the spread shot upgrade and the tentacle for its increased reach.
Magic Moment: Entering the skull mech for the first time and just leveling everything left and right.
Verdict:
Valfaris is exactly what it promises to be: A kick-ass sidescrolling action game without unnecessary fluff. The combat feels satisfying and impactful, while the weapon upgrades have plenty of impact and offer various builds for each given situation. If you can get past the sometimes rough platforming sections and boss fights, Valfaris offers a lot of old-school fun with a tight visual presentation.
So play it if it seems like your thing.
Digital (Steam)
Warhammer Contra with Riffs.
Got this game from a bundle and really wasn't expecting much but it is fantastic. The only downside of this game is its controls, but it makes up for it with its above and beyond art, music, story, and boss battles.
Pretty great so far. Love the soundtrack. A sometimes brutal difficulty alleviated by frequent save points.
Fun simple contra-esque, doesn't do much new tho
Valfaris at first was a very inviting game. First drawn in by the visuals which can be quite good at times as it reminds me of late 90's PC games style. Valfaris is hardcore metal sounding 2D action game where wreck havok on an alien world. You get a handgun, a sword and a heavy gun. Handgun being your basic attack and sword being good for quick powerful damage at close range. Your heavy gun uses a meter to use but you can gain more meter with meele hits. There are several different guns and weapons all doing unique and different things. From spread shots, shotguns, missiles, lasers, electric streams and more. It does give you a cool customization feel to make your own playstyle. Weapons can be upgraded but really they just add more damage and length for the most part. All this combined with a difficult game in nature can be quite fun. Bosses are well designed and levels like to throw new things at you here and there.
My problem with Valfaris is that the game is stretched a little too long and the combat and visuals start to feel repititve. Once you find your prefered weapon loadout there really isn't much more to the combat. Things will either die in a single hit or take a few hits. It's not so bad but the game does give enemies infinite respawns at times and other times enemies can literaly spawn in right behind you and swarm around you. The story is a complete nothing burger, so don't expect anything here. This is one of those rare kinda games where I liked it but halfway through everything started feeling the same as everything as before and it started to drag my experiance down a bit. I don't wanna harp on it too much though as it is pretty decent and really does what it sets out to do well. It's just when I first started it, it set my hopes and expectations up a bit only to just fizzle out for me. I did like the final boss though.
My problem with Valfaris is that the game is stretched a little too long and the combat and visuals start to feel repititve. Once you find your prefered weapon loadout there really isn't much more to the combat. Things will either die in a single hit or take a few hits. It's not so bad but the game does give enemies infinite respawns at times and other times enemies can literaly spawn in right behind you and swarm around you. The story is a complete nothing burger, so don't expect anything here. This is one of those rare kinda games where I liked it but halfway through everything started feeling the same as everything as before and it started to drag my experiance down a bit. I don't wanna harp on it too much though as it is pretty decent and really does what it sets out to do well. It's just when I first started it, it set my hopes and expectations up a bit only to just fizzle out for me. I did like the final boss though.
Ich kann weder mit Story, Soundtrack noch der Optik viel anfangen.
Die Story nimmt aber keine Zeit in Anspruch, der Soundtrack ist auch nicht wirklich schlecht und die Optik ist nicht so schlecht, dass sie wehtut.
Daher zählt für mich hier nur das Gameplay. Und das ist an manchen Stellen etwas hakelig, meist jedoch gut genug.
Der Schwierigkeitsgrad kann nicht gewählt werden. Es ist daher exakt so schwer, wie die Entwickler es wollten.
Absoluter Pluspunkt.
Das Spiel ist schwer, aber mit sehr schnellen Checkpoints.
Gerade im 3er Gespann mit Padwechsel beim zwangsläufig eintretenden Tod ein perfektes Spiel.
Lediglich das Leveln der Waffen und die Belohnung durch Punkte, die man aber fürs Speichern ausgeben muss, haben mir nicht so überzeugt.
Die Story nimmt aber keine Zeit in Anspruch, der Soundtrack ist auch nicht wirklich schlecht und die Optik ist nicht so schlecht, dass sie wehtut.
Daher zählt für mich hier nur das Gameplay. Und das ist an manchen Stellen etwas hakelig, meist jedoch gut genug.
Der Schwierigkeitsgrad kann nicht gewählt werden. Es ist daher exakt so schwer, wie die Entwickler es wollten.
Absoluter Pluspunkt.
Das Spiel ist schwer, aber mit sehr schnellen Checkpoints.
Gerade im 3er Gespann mit Padwechsel beim zwangsläufig eintretenden Tod ein perfektes Spiel.
Lediglich das Leveln der Waffen und die Belohnung durch Punkte, die man aber fürs Speichern ausgeben muss, haben mir nicht so überzeugt.
Tried to like it cause of metal but it ain't that much fun. Probably tired of pixel 2D platformer.
\m/
fuckin' metal as fuck, dude
Great action game! Challenging and fun, retaining a lot of classic design ethos while keeping modern sensibilities. It's structured like a run and gun of old, but it's got a cool risk-reward mechanic with its weapon upgrade system, and the combat has parrying and some engaging meter management. I'm not a huge fan of the visual style, personally (and its story is similarly wacky), but it's doing what it's doing well. It's exactly as long as it needs to be, too, and doesn't waste your time at all.
Great action game! Challenging and fun, retaining a lot of classic design ethos while keeping modern sensibilities. It's structured like a run and gun of old, but it's got a cool risk-reward mechanic with its weapon upgrade system, and the combat has parrying and some engaging meter management. I'm not a huge fan of the visual style, personally (and its story is similarly wacky), but it's doing what it's doing well. It's exactly as long as it needs to be, too, and doesn't waste your time at all.