Spellbearers Review

I remember Super Smash TV like it was yesterday. Therefore, when a game is inspired by this gory experience, I have to take a look. Spellbearers is a magical endeavour that takes the essence of the top-down brutal shooter. However, it lacks gore and blood and this leaves the gameplay a little lacking. This didn’t put me off though as Whim Independent Studios has done a nice job with this short but challenging title.

If you want a casual game that doesn’t test you mentally, you should consider this option. The action revolves around 4 legendary heroes. Strangely, these cloaked wizards look different, but all share the same skillset. This lack of depth and variety will impact replay value. But, if you can overlook this issue, you’ll enjoy the hectic waves of monsters and the huge 2-tiered boss battles.

3 kingdoms and a bucketload of monsters dominate the world of Spellbearers.

Spellbearers wins no awards for its storytelling. The plot is paper-thin and rarely affects the course of the game. However, I enjoyed the fantasy edge and the minute contextual elements. The ruling kingdoms and their rulers are cursed. Everyone has become a monster and all hell has broken loose. Thankfully, a band of wizards are ready to step up and take control. This is where you and a friend come to the rescue.

Players can pick from 4 different coloured wizards. The protagonists look different but are effectively the same person. This was a shame as the developer could have added plenty of depth and different tactical approaches with little effort. Moreover, players could select their favourite hero on something more than just a colour. Talking of colour, Spellbearers has an extremely dark aesthetic. This makes identifying your foes a little challenging. What’s more, the array of projectiles and the tough-to-see obstacles will cause you to die repeatedly.

I wasn’t a fan of the overbearing and crass audio. The simple soundtrack and loud sound effects haunt you at every turn. Consequently, if you are somewhat sound-sensitive, this will overload your senses.

It’s child’s play.

Each playthrough demands that you explore a labyrinthine world full of danger. Each room is a deadly combat arena and spikes, flames, and ice are the obstacles you must overcome. As the waves of monsters approach, you must use your staff to fire whatever spell you have equipped. This is an easy task as the left analogue stick moves your hero and the right one activates your selected spell. The controls are responsive and the layout is easy to understand. As such, this is easy to play and you’ll be slaying monsters in no time.

As the wave unfolds, new spells, shields, extra lives, and chests of gold can be collected from the dungeon floor. You must be quick, though, as the items fade and disappear if you do not collect them in time. As the action evolves, you will be surrounded by deadly monsters. Additionally, you must avoid every obstacle if you wish to keep your lives and bonuses intact.

Each of the dungeons has an enormous boss to overcome. These giant entities have a weakness that must be exploited. Moreover, once you complete the first wave of its attack, you must start again and defeat its second form. This was great and a real highlight of the never-ending action.

Spellbearers is a decent but shallow indie game.

Whether you tackle Spellbearers alone or with a friend, it is a fun but shallow indie game. The visuals are good but the dark colour palette does create unnecessary sighting problems. Moreover, the audio is a little overbearing and you may wish to turn this down for a more pleasant experience. I enjoyed the simple gameplay and the refined control system. Though the lack of depth could have easily been avoided, it is a good casual title, nonetheless. Accordingly, if you love the genre, you can click here to grab a copy from the Xbox store.