It’s a dull afternoon. You’re on a bus journey to some place. Bored, you look outside the window and see a billboard zooming past, but it’s enough to discern what’s written on it. It’s an ad which you’ve seen countless times before, but the billboard was colorful enough to catch your attention. If I were to describe Saviorless, then it’s that ad on that billboard—same old wine in a shiny new bottle. Let me break down what Saviorless exactly is.
Saviorless is a 2D platformer set in a stylish dark fantasy world. Developed by Empty Head Games and published by Dear Villagers, Saviorless was released on April 2024.
Plot within a plot
Saviorless starts with three narrators in the middle of a conversation. The head honcho is an elderly man, while the other two are most likely his grandchildren. Their job is to tell the story of Antar, the game’s main character, till the end of time. And as per the elderly man, and much to the chagrin of his grandkids, they shouldn’t deviate from the tale they have always told. Atleast that was the scenario until the old guy falls asleep and the younglings take over.
In the first few levels you control Antar who’s following a radiant heron that would lead him to the Smiling Islands. Why and how? It’s never explained. In fact, the more time you spend with Antar the more your rate of yawning is. He’s basically a cardboard cutout who does stuff because the narrator tells him to. Ironically, the cutscenes involving the three narrators are the redeemable parts of the game, atleast from narrative point of view. You see, the grandkids are rebellious, the moment the main narrator falls asleep, they introduce a new character as the game’s first boss fight, which is like a breath of fresh air. Furthermore, the more the kids meddle in the core narrative, the more the plot changes e.g., Antar is stuck in a place, the kids modify the plot and ‘somehow’ Antar finds a way!
Same old, same old
I said earlier, Saviorless is like those fleeting ads that you see countless times on the road. That’s because it is. It’s an average 2D platformer, with sluggish character movements and puzzles so easy that even a dimwit can solve them with both eyes closed. There’s no weight to Antar’s jumping considering the entire playthrough of Antar is just platforming, and given that you only need to be hit once in order to be sent back to a checkpoint, it becomes a frustrating experience. There are moments when you’ll take control of another character called Nento when the narrators go off the traditional path, and this where you will experience melee combat (albeit very basic). But, because so much of the game is told while you’re in Antar’s shoes, there’s a sense of missed opportunity.
Apart from your central objective, your side objective involves collecting scraps of paper that form the script from which Antar’s life has been based on. You’re supposed to give these papers to the scribe who chronicles your journey. There are six to find in each level, and this chronicler appears near the end of the level for you to hand them in. If you don’t have them all, you’ll ask you to ‘reset’, however he doesn’t say what he’ll reset.
Sadly, I learnt it the hard way because once you hit reset, you’ll be sent to the start of the game without the game explicitly confirming the decision from you. All these QoL elements can make or break the game because the level had some really subpar platforming and I had to do them all over again.
Saviorless is Cuba’s first major indie title, made under dire societal conditions like internet restrictions, censorship, constant blackouts etc. The fact a game was made under such circumstances is an impressive feat, but that doesn’t mean its shortcomings can be overlooked. However, that also doesn’t mean its good sides should be underappreciated.
Visuals, Performance and Sound
Saviorless greatest strength, because the hand painted visuals knock it out of the park! It reminded of the illustrations I had on my school textbooks. I especially love Nento’s overall character design, even though his face looks like a coked up donkey.
The background score is… ominous. It evokes a looming dread of some form of malevolent ancient power hidden behind hopelessness. Atmospheric and mesmerizing, it will remind you of Limbo or Inside or even GRIS. And as for the performance, no hiccups.
Real Talk
Truth be told, Saviorless will appeal to those who are willing to look beyond the simpleness of its gameplay and at the heart of gold buried within. However, for a majority of the gamers, it might be a slogfest with no appreciable outcome. If you’re into niche indie titles like GRIS, then Saviorless might be your cup of tea. That said, I do wish for this game to become a stepping stone for its development team so that they can produce better titles in the future.
FINAL RATING: 60/100
Saviorless Review (PC)
Saviorless Review (PC)Saviorless Review
Saviorless presents a captivating 2D platformer set in a stylish dark fantasy world and features exquisite hand-drawn artwork and animations that enhance the visual experience.
Price: $12.99
Price Currency: USD
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Game
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