Sephiria recently launched its full 1.0 release. It instantly became one of the best action roguelite RPGs thanks to its forward-thinking systems.
Early Access releases have proven controversial due to changes by loud parts of a video game’s fanbase. Pleasing everybody is never in the cards. Every so often, though, a new release launches in a 1.0 state that it feels like it accounted for all the possibilities. That sense of awe that a genre such as a roguelite gives with its high potential for builds is seemingly impossible to achieve. And yet, Sephiria is one such example that the more you play, the more it feels like there is more behind the curtain.
To have several great ideas converge in this way is astounding. Sephiria takes to heart the brilliance of roguelites with over 300 artifacts that influence a run. It also utilizes a grid board inventory system that makes carefully placing items called tablets to improve artifacts a genius game of its own. Fundamentally, of course, the moment-to-moment top-down bullet hell gameplay is ravishingly fun. When you wrap it all up in a deftly tweaked 4-player online co-op, you are looking at endless replayability.
Who Doesn’t Love Bunnies?
Sephiria starts modestly. You start as a bunny in Bunnyville (ha!). There is a ritual where you will come of age by a Great Tree. A sudden glimpse into the future shows cult leader Askard will slaughter everyone in this peaceful town. This premonition is more than enough for you to take up arms and investigate the source of evil brewing below the surface. Like most other roguelites, there is a story that develops in the quaint village the more you achieve certain missions on each run. Over 6 expansive chapters, the town rebuilds while your relationship with fellow bunnies grows.
Then the main course begins. The design of a run must always feel fair in these kinds of games. Make it shorter, and it feels like you are not making enough progress. Make it too long, and you might just lose players’ interest to achieve that coveted “one more run” feeling. Sephiria’s runs, in no small part due to its Early Access feedback and iterations, are the perfect length.
If everything goes well, there are four main biomes that can be explored every run. Each level consists of three to five areas where the bunnies are assaulted relentlessly by hostile enemies appropriate to the area. In the first biome, the mines are full of disgruntled miners, accordingly. In the second, thief bunnies jump and throw swift shurikens at you with deadly precision. Earning money to spend and experience to level up is the primary goal to explore each of these. If you get lucky, you might even discover secret areas.
What Makes A Roguelite Great
You define a run early in Sephiria. For starters, there are several bunnies the player can choose to play as. Some give 4% more experience earned, others increase attack speed, but lower movement speed. Learning what build you intend to go for is half the battle. The other is getting lucky and actually getting the artifacts and items that you want in each level. That is because whenever you level up, you collect a random artifact. A die in the game allows you to change the options at your disposal. Adapting to the circumstances is essential.
For instance, in one run I was hoping to find artifacts that would improve my attack speed to obliterate enemies quickly. What I did not expect was to find a forge that changed my weapon into a nimble rapier. It fit exactly what I was looking for. Finding items that increased the critical chance and damage, I did not expect to become a powerhouse in a couple of levels.
It is expected to start a run thinking of a certain build, but the fact that you can pivot halfway through and still “save” your playthrough speaks volumes for what the game accounts for. The best roguelites, in my opinion, are those that make you believe there is an invisible hand guiding you towards success. It is clear that the ingenuity in Sephiria’s design is for players to be flexible and trust the process.
It’s The Little Things
The grid board inventory system deserves an honorable mention. All the precious artifacts, tablets, and health potions you score will be stored here in your backpack, a 4×5 grid layout (it can be expanded). What starts out simple becomes a puzzle game of its own. This is mainly because artifacts have the potential to raise abilities exponentially. For example, when you cause Burn on an enemy, there is an item that can cause up to 50% faster Burn damage. Positioning tablets whose only purpose is to increase the level of artifacts is what boosts them.
Some tablets only improve the artifacts that are next to them. Other, diagonally. The most complex ones are only activated by being placed in either the upper or lower part of the grid. Most can even rotate, if you can imagine. You get the idea. When you reach the final levels and have to organize the most optimal way that benefits everything in your inventory, this can become a time-consuming endeavor. Not a slight to Sephiria in the least, the way it simply sneaks up on you to make you so invested in it is commendable.
Lastly, the bullet hell patterns are just fun to decipher. Many will likely die in the first boss or mini-boss encounter they find. But trying again with a different build and a renewed commitment to seeing the run all the way through to the end is exciting. As mentioned, the fact that you can play with up to four friends—and be revived if you are the first casualty—introduces an entirely new paradigm to the game. It is common to say that playing with games instantly enhances them. In Sephiria’s case, I dare say it makes it a must-play action roguelite.
Verdict – Sephiria
The common phrase of there being “too many video games” is flawed. Sure, hundreds of games release monthly, but how many of them are truly great? Crafting every single detail to perfection, Sephiria comes out of Early Access an instant winner. Not only are its builds fun to discover, but so is cracking the code of its ingenious inventory management. That feeling of “one more run” takes on a whole new meaning when playing with friends. All in all, every system converges to deliver one of the best roguelites of the year.
Reviewed on Steam.
A key was provided for the purposes of this review.
Developer/Publisher: Team Horay
Pros:
- Carefully crafted narrative that unfolds over each run
- Intuitive gameplay systems that communicate with each other
- Satisfying combat with dozens of builds that all have the potential for greatness
- One of the most ingenious inventory management systems that will have you organizing for the fun of it
Cons:
- Minor bugs
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Amazing
