A Void Hope Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "An enchantingly melancholic game with a world class soundtrack" 🌲👻🌳 @EldenPixels #IndieGame #GameDev

The team that brought us Alwa’s Legacy and Alwa’s Awakening has returned with A Void Hope, a 2D narrative adventure with a soundtrack provided courtesy of the monolithic skills of Waveshaper.

The game begins with a short prologue that sets the scene; a couple exist in a world where people are becoming ‘empty’, which is to say they slowly lose their memories, before becoming ghostly, wandering figures that ‘haunt’ the city. Whilst the female is the main character of the prologue, the narrative soon focuses on the male, who begins in a forest cabin and must make his way through the city to find out what has happened to his partner, before his memories completely elude him and he becomes one of the empty.

The presentation is astonishing from the start, there are so many little details packed into each screen to drink in as you make your way through the locations, along with secrets and collectibles to acquire as you do so. As you proceed through the areas, you’ll be accompanied by one of the best soundtracks in recent memory, Waveshaper’s emotive melodies drive home the melancholic vibe of this city, decaying not in physicality, but in the minds of its citizens – I did enquire about this, and yes, a vinyl release is in the early stages, good.

The bulk of the gameplay is all about exploration, with your character moving through the various (wonderfully moody) locations solving simple environmental puzzles and the occasional ‘snake-like’ mini-game to possibly work out a cure to this virus…but at what cost?

The controls are incredibly snappy and satisfying, and there’s a real flow to the fundamental mechanics that dovetail perfectly with the narrative in how they both proceed at a leisurely pace, with punishment of failure in the game being just a brief setback to the previous checkpoint – represented by lamps – which adds to the extremely accessible nature of the whole game.

A Void Hope builds on Elden Pixel’s previous titles to create a game that transports you into an intriguing world brought to life through atmosphere, details, and incredible music.

SUMMARY

A Void Hope is a straightforward game, and that simplicity may lead to some feeling that the story isn’t as deep or as explored as it could be, or that the in-game puzzles may not challenge players enough, but I personally felt that this breezier approach plays to A Void Hope’s strengths, and culminates in a release that can be enjoyed over an evening or two, without outstaying its welcome, or losing its punch.

A thumbs up from us here at GF!