Spirit Roots

You know what? After all the negative reviews I read I was going to write a positive review for this one. I really was loving it. Sure I was having some issues with achievements dropping. Die 30 times. I did. No achievement. But eventually it dropped. Defeat the cornthrower. I did. No achievement. No problem. I just went back and beat him again. Achievement granted. But when I got to world 5, level 7, it took me like 2 hours to beat the level (and on easy mode--that's how hard I found the level to be), and I was still missing like 15 coins. Ok, begin again. I finally found the secret ledge off to the left near the beginning of the level, and after about another 1/2 hour I finally hit all the rewarded landmarks for each level: finishing the level, defeating all the enemies, and collecting all the coins, but the game had the gall to tell me that after about 2 and a half hours on a single level, that I had not collected all the coins! 115/115... that seems like all of them to me!!!!! I fumed! Thumbs down, uninstall, hide this game, ignore this game... Steam does not have enough ways for me to show the amount of contempt I have as a customer who is punished for their dedication to a …

How many things can go wrong with a game? This is the only aspect that Spirit Roots exceeds expectations in... from the million different bugs, to the worst ice physics I have ever experienced, to the abysmal level design, combat, platforming, etc. I am positive that if this game was even tested, no one in their right mind would say it's acceptable. I think with a ton of polish, this game could be an average boring 2D platformer, but it's nowhere near that. One of the worst I've played in quite some time.

Spirit Roots is a colourful 2D platformer; a game that reminds me of Sonic the Hedgehog and Rayman kind of games; the levels are fun to a certain point and the enemies/boss fights are a good challenge with unique designs. However, the game ruined by poor level/gameplay choices and the further you get into the game the morr frustrating thr experience mainly because: gameplay flow is interrupted by foreground foliage, enemies shooting you as you spawn in after dying and steep drops with no way to see what's underneath. The ice level is a pain in the arse, I genuinely don't know how anyone has made it past the ice world, the sliding is especially heinous (I gave up).

Not recommended, despite genuinely pleasant Rayman-adjacent art and strong enemy designs across the first four worlds. The container aesthetic and colourful bestiary show real craft, and the opening worlds are readable enough to charm a careful eye. That craft makes what follows all the more frustrating, because a game this pretty had every chance of feeling as good as it looks. It never does. Attacks slide the character forward into enemies and hazards, making every sword slash a gamble. Spikes, saw blades and dotted platforms blend into the background art, forcing blind trial-and-error deaths. Momentum-locking ice physics with no steering and unavoidable falling icicles make the final world some of the worst platforming design imaginable, a swamp bug permanently voids one level's full completion, checkpoints give no feedback, and the difficulty labels simply lie. The art deserves better than the design underneath it.

LISTEN: Yes this game has a lot of bugs and glitches, yes it can be very tedious and annoying sometimes, yes the health system kinda sucks... but LISTEN... I know the game looks kinda poorly made but I genuinely think this game is pretty cool! the best way to put it is that the game has a nice base, but instead of cooking it in the oven, the devs decided to be lazy and just use the microwave instead. The game is almost like another Enchanted Portals. It has some great ideas and fun gimmicks but they just used them incorrectly. With that all being said, I do believe this is a fun game to pick up on sale, I got it for aroud $1.36 or something, and I would say that's worth the price! Anyways here is my full rating on the game: Gameplay: 5/10 Music: 6.5/10 Graphics: 7.5/10 Collectibles: 6/10 Overall Rating: 6/10

Thoroughly charming.