Unsighted is one of the year’s best metroidvanias, featuring superb combat, varied gameplay systems, and a postapocalyptic lesbian robot love story.
One of the great things about modern metroidvanias is that there still seems to be so much new ground to explore. Eschewing the typical 2D-platformer style for an pixelated isometric view, new indie release Unsighted, from Studio Pixel Punk, takes that familiar metroidvania foundation but expands it well beyond the norm with a slew of mechanics and some excellent storytelling. The result is a highly replayable and reactive experience, complete with bonus gameplay modes and a diverse cast. Virtually everyone will find something here to enjoy, whether it’s the Souls-like systems, time-limited narrative, healthy mix of weapons and upgrades, or the engaging combat challenges and environmental puzzles throughout.
Alma is a helpful automaton created by Doctor Zeferina, built as a perfected synthetic weapon who possesses a sentient consciousness. By the start of Unsighted, an apocalyptic event has ravaged most of the planet, and a group of automaton robots attempt to rebuild and defend their fledgling community from outside threats. Those threats happen to be other robots who have “gone Unsighted” – comparable to “going hollow” in Dark Souls – and conversing with healthy NPCs displays their visible time limit in the corner. The idea is that once this ticks down completely, they lose their minds and become indistinguishable from the many robotic enemies Alma regularly cuts down on her journey.
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