Voidwrought
Game Title: Voidwrought
Released: October 24, 2024
Game Length: 10 Hours
Grade: A
Gameplay
Story: The first thing we need to address is the chaotic nature of the story. Putting together what is going on can be exhausting. Everybody points to this Steam post for the best summation. You can tell where a lot of elements are placed as gameplay mechanics first and lore supposition later. There are a couple of main characters observing from above who play around with this weird void that looks like a black hole until a red star forms and begins creating abominations. You can travel through 12 regions (the void counts as one) and obtain 20 journals that help explain more. You can stumble across Ose the archaeologist who leaves holographic devices at certain locations and commune with 15 stones that tell a little more of what happened in each region.
Home Base: You start the game with barely anything available at the Shrine. The first thing to do is place one of the four custom map markers down as you will be returning back to this place to excavate new areas. You need to find purple braziers to increase up to 9 Devotees to unlock the things deeper below. You do not turn them in like a resource. Instead, the total number you have activated determines which areas you can unlock. Qagat the Burdened is your merchant who will provide you a bunch of random stuff. Another merchant named Yantir the Apostate is rather hidden in a void space by The Court and sells a bunch of different relics.
Upgrades: There are three main characters who help improve your vitals. Namun is the lady who takes your dormant salt receptacles and turns them into potions you can crack open to heal your wounds. She will slowly grow red arms. Eventually, you will be able to use ancient ciphers in the blue rooms 4 times to upgrade your damage. Rahtek's back will grow yellow spines each time. So-Venat requires Conduit Rods made out of metal ingots from The Grand Artificer you find buried below. That helps increase the maximum void charges you can use for relics. Use 3 Construct Parts on the giant machine to increase how many conduit rods you can buy or exchange trace metals into ichor.
Quests: As you traverse the regions, you will encounter 15 beings. Several will ask for your assistance. The game gives you the option to comply or reject. The most important of them all is the giant plant in The Lost Gardens Achretis that actually gives you an achievement to first refuse and then comply after talking with it the second time. It will ask you to collect 10 Vile Sediment out of the offal jars in the lower section of the map in exchange for The Impure relic that let's you go in the red water. You can choose to feed or kill (by striking them) the three white Strange Stalks on The Surface. As for the others, you can bring the Putrid Remains to the Lone Crewman, 5 Progenitor's Flesh to the Gilded Emporium, bring Endless Kaleidoscope to the Vizier, bring Broken Helmet to the Vizier, and bring either the Sealed Orb or Manipulated Orb to the Cerebrum.
Collectibles: Increasing the maximum of your health pool requires the Shards of Vitae. You gain one point for every three you collect across the map. There are 39 in total (allowing a maximum of 18 health points). Across the map are hidden 27 Envoys. Simply strike one of these flute-playing, spider-like creatures a few times and they will hush. How many there are in each region and the number you defeated are shown in the main menu. Defeat them all and you will be able to defeat the big boss for the true ending.
Abilities
Simulacrum: The fun part of the game is how it lets you determine where you want to go. There is no right or wrong way to explore the map. Eventually, you will run into a boss fight and a white room behind them to unlock an ability. These usually come with fancy names like Improved Ligaments that let you hang on the edge of platforms, Adapatation to slide under gaps that are on the ground, Spurs that allows you to hop off walls, Twitch Fibers that let you dash across the screen, Entozoon Sac lets you grapple on hooks, or Hollow Cartilage for double jump. There are some natural maneuvers like striking downward on spikes or enemies that allow you move around without the need to upgrade. Phased Flesh generates a purple circle around you that latches on small purple void pockets that can hang behind thin walls. However, there are some very complex upgrades that will change everything. These include:
- Augmented Cortex: This turns your body into goo that latches on wherever you might see an ancient device. They kind of look like wheels you find on a ship. Some of these will move objects or open doors. However, they will allow you to fast travel between the yellow rooms. Each room will have what looks like a constellation of stars that indicate where on the global map you have or have not found one of these rooms.
- Unstable Nuclei: This turns your body into a black blob that latches on any surface and small enough to move through cracks. Even if you don't find a way to double jump early in the game, this ability will allow you to reach high places by creeping up walls. You can bounce your body upward to latch on the ceiling if it is low enough or transform when you latch on platforms while using Improved Ligaments.
- Awakened Arm: This functions as your charged attack. It builds rather quickly and can be held as you move around the room. This ability interacts with purple things. You can push blocks around the room until they overlap a socket, strike platforms to get them to move, and take down enemy shields that are purple when normal attacks don't work. There's heavy purple doors you can open new passages too.
Relics: You can equip two of these at any time. A good amount can be purchased, but there are some that can be found in hidden areas. A few are designed as utilities like the Warp-Hook that manifests a hook for your Entozoon Sac or the Claws of Rahtek that increases your damage. All of them are unique with abilities like slowing down enemy movement, burning them overtime, or shooting weapons in different directions. There are 23 in total.
Souls: You can equip three at any time, but there are many ways you can obtain them. There are 11 Heralds or boss fights that you can discover in corners of the map that will offer themselves up as a soul. Some can be purchased off the vendor or offered through a quest. They can range from increasing the amount of treasures dropped by enemies upon death to two more health slots added to your maximum pool.