Empyreal, adjective – pertaining to the highest heaven in the cosmology of the ancients. This one sentence could encapsulate the entire experience of Silent Games’ debut title of the same name, and yet you’d still be understandably confused as to what it’s all about, and that’s a lot of the charm of the game. Empyreal is as much a puzzle as the ruins and spaces you explore during your time in the ‘Ziggernaut’.
An action-RPG with roguelite elements, you’ll take control of your own mercenary, sent to relieve an entire squadron of deserting or dead soldiers – such is your apparent skill – to help explore an ancient monolith found on an expedition. A by the numbers story, sure, but what follows isn’t.
After spending too long in the character creation feature- I made a glam version of myself kitted out with badass facial scars and some incredible smokey eyeshadow -, I went on my way, and found myself a little lost. I was greeted with a huge encampment, with many tents, buildings and futuristic implements, whilst little old me was caped up and a melee weapon on my back. Exploring the unknown is a major point of Empyreal, so this feeling doesn’t go away, and if games that don’t hold your hand aren’t your thing, likely, Empyreal won’t be.
There’s So Much to Empyreal!
In the early game, you’ll be spending your time initially exploring the mazelike encampment, meeting all the characters and conversing with them. Make sure you do this throughout your playthrough, as the game won’t tell you to speak to them every time you should, and it’ll mean you miss out on unique dialogue, items, and even missions. Again, it won’t hold your hand!
Beyond the somewhat deep conversational system in place, you’ll be tasked with exploring the monolith known as the ‘Ziggernaut’, which, for reasons unknown, has caused entire squads of men to turn heel and desert their posts, leaving the expedition almost at an end. Once you really get to grips, and learn the many, MANY, different systems the game employs, this is where Empyreal shines.
The combat and exploration go hand in hand, so it’s only right to talk about them simultaneously. The Ziggernaut is made up of four quadrants, all of which are unique in their environments. From dark and dingy dungeons to sand-covered buildings, there’s something for everyone here, although what the environments manage in diversity, the enemies you’ll encounter unfortunately don’t. Faced with countless automatons, you’ll be fighting what feels like the same basic classes of enemies time and again, no matter the environment, with only the ending bosses differing slightly.
Each ‘Cartogram’ you find will allow you entry into another part of the Ziggernaut, but that just means another run through the environment with a different combination of enemies, status ailments, bosses and loot, which will prove addictive, trust me. With each entry into a Cartogram limited by the digital currency of Reset Charges, it isn’t an open-ended mission either, as every time you die, you will lose a charge.
You can also donate these to other fallen heroes, one of the few somewhat across the ether aspects of the game, allowing me to help you, and revive you if you run out of your own charges, but in doing so, am I risking my own chance of success? Well that’s for you to decide each time you’re offered the choice. Same as come the end of a run, you can choose to donate a random item into the void, which will be sent to others playing. You may lose an incredible bit of loot, but just as equally, you may well end up benefitting from someone else’s donation too. It’s an odds game that you can’t help but gamble with sometimes.
With player level being dictated by your gear, rather than strict XP like other action RPGs, you’ll regularly be thinking ‘one more, I might get a new glaive’, and then suddenly it’s 3am. It happened several times to me. Exploring into the unknown again and again is ridiculously good fun, if you allow it to be.
Three Weapons, One Outcome
Talking of gear, Empyreal offers three distinct play styles, all of which are useful in their own right. You can choose the glaive, which is quick, but weak, and keeps enemies at a distance. You can go with the mace and shield, which allows heavy hits, a bit of defense and a pretty handy rush ability that’ll send you careering across the floor to the nearest enemy. Lastly, you could choose the cannon, which is a distance weapon with three different ammo types, and in my opinion, was both the hardest to utilise, but most satisfying to master.
Believe me when I say, but understanding each weapon, it’s strengths, weaknesses, how and when to use them, is one of the biggest tasks in Empyreal, and you’ll do well to rely on just one during your playthrough. Not being able to change your primary during a run, and instead having to wait till you’re back at camp, is a bit of a problem though. If you’re armed with the ‘wrong’ weapon and facing a particular boss, you’d best strap in and hope for the best, because you’ve just made your life more difficult.
And that brings me to my final few points. Without spoiling much, Empyreal’s story is a little thin, and certainly nothing new, but it is for you to uncover some of the more unique conversations, so don’t miss the chance of speaking to them, and speaking to them about one another as well. Edmund especially was a particular highlight for me, but that’s because I’d chosen my character to be morose and chose every sullen and sarcastic reply I could, which he regularly met with ease.
The combat and exploration are both addictive and intense, and the game isn’t shy about throwing menu and mechanic a plenty at you, which can be hard to keep track of, but if you want to progress, you’ll have to. From new Cartograms, abilities, all manner of gear, treasures, consumables and more. There’s a lot. Pay attention as its explained! If I’m being honest, it could have been stripped down a little, but for those that enjoy resource-heavy RPGs, you’re going to be at home here.
All in all, whether you’re a roguelite fan, an action RPG fan, into third person action games or just like hitting things with other things, you’re likely to enjoy Empyreal. It’s a futuristic twist on an ancient setting, and the two manage to marry pretty well, and it just so turns out that Empyreal ends up being the most important experience a game can be; fun and rewarding. And really bloody addictive.
Empyreal
Empyreal is a complex, challenging, feature-rich action RPG. In a far-flung corner of the galaxy an Expedition arrives on a hitherto unexplored planet to find a colossal Monolith built by a lost civilisation..
Summary
Empyreal is one of those AA games that come along once in a while. They’re good fun, great to look at and you come away wanting more. From unrelenting combat to ‘one more go’ at another Cartogram, another level and another attempt at getting the best loot, Silent Games didn’t do much wrong.
HOURS PLAYED: 24
PLAYED ON: PS5
- Combat and exploration go hand in hand. You'll find secret rooms naturally, and decimate enemies with well-learned skill.
- It keeps you guessing throughout, and some of the characters are certainly memorable.
- Beautiful to look at and easy to listen to. Very immersive.
- There's a lot to keep track of. A lot to understand. A lot to master.
- Not being able to change weapons during a Cartogram run is a drag.
Empyreal is out and available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, or how we think KIBORG may be the go-to rogue-lite. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
