Mists Of Noyah Review (PlayStation 4)

Mists of Noyah offers a visually appealing experience with its decent pixel art graphics and animated backgrounds. The game is relatively lightweight with a 4.80GB download size and includes a platinum trophy for dedicated players. One of its strengths is the ability to remap controls and adjust icon sizes, enhancing user accessibility. The video settings allow for customization with options like dynamic camera, screen shake, and hero trail. Players can choose from five unique characters—Lance, Allure, Ninn, Rhys, and Vylat—each with distinct stats and abilities, adding variety to the gameplay. World creation is straightforward, involving just naming the world and receiving a random spawn. The game separates character and world saves, which can be convenient for managing progress.

The gameplay is rich with activities, including earning experience points (EXP) from killing enemies, completing tasks, crafting, and gathering resources. The hack-and-slash combat is complemented by the convenience of always having tools for resource gathering without needing to equip them. Crafting is accessible from the menu, and players can unlock more options by collecting blueprints. The talent and perk trees allow for stat increases and new abilities, though abilities come with cooldowns. Crafting can be further expanded at anvils or furnaces. However, the game has notable drawbacks, such as the inability to pause even in single-player mode and the lack of tutorials, making the initial experience overwhelming. Precision is required for placing portals and prompts, which can be frustrating.

The game’s interface can become cluttered with quests, restricting the player’s view, and the map can be confusing. Combat can be challenging, especially with enemies on ledges, and players can get stuck in loops leading to death. The game demands significant focus to understand and manage its various elements, often necessitating external resources like wikis or YouTube videos for guidance. Despite these challenges, the game excels in resource gathering, allowing players to fish, chop trees, and mine rocks without weapon swapping. Fishing is particularly rewarding, providing ample EXP and food. Gear progression follows a traditional path from wood to iron, and vendors offer opportunities to buy and sell items.

Players can increase their health by finding heart containers and managing numerous quests with full control. The EXP bar is visible, showing progress and rewards. In the village, players can craft, build farms, and set up production lines, with the ability to grow plants and food. The game features a day and night cycle and a scroll portal for quick returns to the village. Each enemy has unique attacks and power levels, and players can choose their playstyle, whether focusing on exploration, survival, or town-building. The game introduces new biomes with unique enemies, creatures, and materials, ensuring there is always something to do.

In summary, Mists of Noyah is a versatile game that caters to various playstyles, offering a mix of exploration, combat, and crafting. While it has some accessibility issues and a steep learning curve, its depth and variety can be rewarding for players willing to invest the time to master its mechanics.