Bleak Faith Forsaken Review: A World Beyond Souls Likes

Far from the sheltering walls of Archangel Studios hides a grim world where exploring brings both peril and reward. In this strange place called the Omnistructure, a lone traveler awakens to a shattered landscape with few clues about what came before. Through bleak and crumbling structures that twist endlessly above, our adventurer pushes onward in search of answers amid strange beasts and unfriendly folk.

Developed from the start by just three visionaries, Bleak Faith: Forsaken first emerged on PC to introduce its unique blend of mystery and combat. Players followed an invisible path through a story told not in words alone but by remnants left in the world. Now on consoles, new explorers can traverse fallen cities and ancient ruins through both twists and turns, climbing to dizzying heights and descending into darkness.

Though challenges arise in puzzling out geography and piecing together the past, thrills await around each bend. Strange foes must be unraveled to survive battle, while hidden nooks hide treasures and shortcuts between dangers. By facing beasts and warriors tested in combat, characters grow and gear improves to match shifting tactics. For those eager to dive into its depths, the Omnistructure’s secrets slowly give way—and its triumphs make each new sunrise that much sweeter against the gloom.

Lost in the Omnistructure

Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in exploration that you lose track of your original goal? That’s the type of experience Bleak Faith: Forsaken offers in its sprawling world of the Omnistructure. Among the ruins and mysteries spread throughout this strange land, it’s easy to while away the hours searching every nook and cranny.

You’ll find yourself in a vast, shattered landscape stretching high into the sky. An air of mystery and decay hangs over the empty halls and deserted cities, with clues to the fate of past civilizations left scattered amid the debris. Your only companion is an eerie silence, broken only by winding music boxes or the echoes of your own footsteps. It’s no surprise that players so enjoy piecing together the lore from notes and documents—this world demands you unravel its secrets.

While the atmospheric setting draws you in, some of the level design left me feeling a touch lost. Hallways and rooms sometimes blend together amid the grays and browns, making navigation a chore. I also walked many an overly long corridor just to reach another area. It’s clear the developers strove for an interconnected world, yet balancing shortcuts and complexity proved elusive.

Compare Bleak Faith to the masterful world-building of Elden Ring, where every inch feels purposefully crafted. FromSoftware weaves intricate, multi-layered levels while including plentiful Sites of Grace to rest and level up. Bleak Faith might take a cue from their approach—trimming unnecessary distances and adding more checkpoints would smooth the flow.

Yet for all its sprawling scale, Bleak Faith’s world holds fast to the Souls tradition of rewarding those who look beyond the obvious path. Skilled explorers will find countless hidden nooks, containing upgrade materials, weapons, and clues to piece together the Omnistructure’s past. I spent hours scouring each map and was endlessly delighted by the care put into these side areas. It’s no surprise exploration stands as one of Bleak Faith’s strongest suits.

So while Bleak Faith could learn a few tricks about level pacing, its mysterious world offers a lasting appeal—that of filling in the gaps of a fallen civilization. For those who enjoy getting lost in discovery as much as combat, the Omnistructure provides endless paths to wander off the beaten track.

Mystery in the Omnistructure

Bleak Faith takes an intriguing approach to storytelling with its cryptic lore discoveries scattered throughout the vast Omnistructure. Yet as intriguing as the individual pieces are, they fail to cumulatively reveal the larger plot. You awaken as an amnesiac explorer in a dilapidated world, left only with faded clues among the ruins to piece together what came before.

Documents acquired speak of civilizations lost to strange anomalies, of political intrigue between factions, and of ominous forces at work behind the scenes. Tantalizing threads like rogue knights, heretical preachers, and shadowy conspiracers could hint at compelling characters and overarching conflicts. But without clearer context establishing the setting and relationships between players, it’s difficult to follow their arcs or understand broader significance.

NPCs reference people and events without explanation, assuming prior knowledge the player lacks. While mystery can motivate exploration, too little information grounds the story in reality. We’re left adrift in speculation rather than invested in unraveling secrets with purpose. A stronger narrative hook up front could provide bearings to better appreciate progressively unlocked depths.

Subtlety has its place, but Bleak Faith risks becoming too obscure to engage casual fans. More direct exposition establishing the status quo and major players wouldn’t compromise the obscure nature later evolving through discovery. Cutscenes depicting relevant background or pivotal moments might help immerse players in the world before leaving them to navigate it independently.

The pieces clearly exist for a compelling tale of sci-fi intrigue. With some adjustment finding balance between concealing and revealing information, Bleak Faith could excel at drawing audiences deep into its mysterious lore. The stage is set for a story worth unraveling; it now requires guides to ensure players feel part of that experience from the beginning.

Exploration and Advancement in the Omnistructure

Diverse systems drive progress through Bleak Faith’s foreboding worlds. Rather than hoarding souls, XP accrues naturally from any active pursuit. Stats improve freely whenever you’d like, no campfire required. The handler awaits to fortify found items too. Offer her Echoes to unlock upgrades for shields, swords, and armor.

Enhance equipment through customizable gem slots tailored to any build. Infuse weapons with flaming crystals to harass foes at range, or slot life-steal gems into a vampiric blade. Fortify armor with defense-boosting stones or increase stamina for lengthy battles. Maximum choice means forming a distinct character however you envision.

Unique features surprise as well. Climb colossal enemies to fall giants by targeting weak spots, just like in Shadow of the Colossus. The thrill of scaling a hulking foe adds verticality rarely seen elsewhere. Perks provide permanent shifts once discovered too. My vampiric pick granted constant healing simply by fighting—a lifesaver many dungeons required.

Yet some systems could use refinement. While exploring rewards creativity, danger variates unevenly. Regular foes demand little effort, but sudden difficulties may feel arbitary. Progress halts until strategies overcome erratic difficulty spikes. Meanwhile, combat engages through challenging patterns, but occasional jank muddles perceptive reaction. Still, discovering ways to conquer all adversaries, from robotic to revenant, fuels the drive to see every mystery the Omnistructure holds.

With adaptation, Bleak Faith’s frameworks could excel. Its crafting, character building, and climbing already motivate experimenting freely. Addressing uneven difficulty and combat feedback would intensify every encounter. Then exploration into each shadowy corner would thrill as much as overcoming whatever nightmares may lurk within the domain’s epic depths.

Weaving Victory from Valiant Defeat

Within Bleak Faith’s grim world lies combat both challenging and fair. Mastering each foe feels like a sweet reward earned through study. Bosses dance to intricate choreography, yet focus reveals rhyme in their rhythm. Lunging tigers showcase agility; hexers summon elements, but virtue exists in observation. With care, once impenetrable patterns unwind their secrets.

Progress demands not only skill but thoughtful customization. An array of arms awaits—swords cleave, magic ignites. Bows pick off distant dangers while dual daggers flicker swiftly as serpents’ strikes. My nimble rogue relied on poisoned steel and opportune theft; others wield sturdier shields or pair blunt maces with faith’s healing light. Despite danger, options bring enjoyment’s light.

Yet balance sometimes wavers. Early brigands pose little risk but sudden heightened difficulty surprises. Some towering terrors drain healing items until taught, becoming tests of true grit. Build imbalances emerge also; magic feels undertuned while certain styles outdamage others. With refining, creativity and player expression could shine through more consistently.

Regardless, every confrontation, whether soldier or sorcerer, teaches tactics benefiting future fights. Victory arrives not through relentless assault but intelligent analysis. What attacks signal danger? Which openings initiate offense? Answers transform repeated deaths into dances of dazzling dexterity. Even in failure, lessons help close the gap between attempts. Through struggle we find strength, and in strength a surer step along our path.

So welcome danger and uncertainty. Dread not the dim unknown, but face it with a student’s spirit. Rewards await the patient hand that turns adversity to advantage, and lessons in resilience may yet prove life’s most important. Now let us venture on, equipped to meet whatever dangers wait within the Omnistructure’s shadowed depths.

Environments Both Dreary and Detailed

Bleak Faith certainly lives up to its name in environmental design. Drab grays and browns dominate most landscapes, with gritty textures lending an air of decay. While effective for mood, some areas felt indistinct as a result. Variation in color and lighting would have helped areas stand out.

That said, certain sections showcase Archangel’s creative talents. The Uranopolis towers amid mist; haunting ruins emerge from swirling fog. Subtle lighting shifts maintain an ominous tone while revealing hidden paths. Spires cast atmospheric silhouettes against shifting skies, pulling the eye upwards to flying predators circling stark spires.

Technical troubles emerge in more demanding scenes, however. Climbing among decrepit Uranopolis architecture, framedrops mar immersion. Up-close objects appear blurry, lacking fine detail. Loading screens also disrupt pacing between larger zones. Yet minimal loading within lets exploration flow seamlessly.

Where art shines best is characters. From hulking knights to robed archbishops, each tells a story through armor. Flawless beastmen blend animal and human, equal parts graceful and dangerous. Subtle emotion evokes inner lives beyond battle instinct. Impressive for such a small team.

While rough in places, Bleak Faith transports through imagination. Architectural designs emerge less through lavish textures than skilled juxtapositions of light and shadow. Intimate scoring elicits awe for dreary decay. In striving to unfold rich worlds on a limited canvas, Archangel shows vision to weave tales where others find only rubble. Their environments may be bleak, but they always remain a pleasure to uncover.

Forsaken Lands Worth Exploring

Bleak Faith takes daring strides into uncharted territory. Merging science fiction and fantasy, its blending of genres crafts a world like no other. Though the storytelling leaves something to be desired, Archangel Studio’s imagination shines through the Omnistructure’s decaying majesty.

Where some find frustration, determined souls will uncover rich rewards. Careful searching reveals countless secrets tucked within winding ruins and misty towers. Overcoming each challenge, from hulking beasts to nightmarish bosses, brings a thrill unlike any other. Memorable moments arise not from bombastic set pieces but from intimate vistas glimpsed between perilous encounters.

It’s clear the developers swung for the fence with their limited resources. While technical flaws and unclear directions dampen the experience at times, an infectious spirit of adventure permeates every corridor. One can’t help but admire their ambition to craft an epic worthy of the genre’s greats.

For those seeking new frontiers to explore, Bleak Faith offers unfettered access to an enigma awaiting solution. Its eccentric tales may frustrate some, but dedicated souls will find solace in self-directed discovery. With continued polish to match their artistic vision, Archangel Studio’s future aspirations could forge a memorable franchise all their own. Until then, their Forsaken world presents landscapes that, while bleak, remained etched in this player’s memory long after the final mystery unravels.

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