There Is No Light

We must say that gamers can have a unique feeling of satisfaction that only occurs when we “discover” a game. Something that was much more common in the golden age of gaming, when access to information was restricted to magazines and programs, and buying an unknown game entailed taking a risk with no return. Nowadays it is very difficult for a game to catch us by surprise and, the few times it happens, it almost always belongs to the indie world. This is the case of There Is No Light, the action RPG developed by Zelart whose pixel art already leaves you stunned in its trailer, but it is its setting that makes you fall in love with the game when you immerse yourself in its world.

As a first impression, we can say that it seems to be an action game with frenetic combat and a mere narrative excuse that invites us to continue advancing. But as we progress, it turns out that the story is a fantastic web of anecdotes and experiences of hundreds of NPCs that keeps us interested through the high-difficulty peaks and the frustration of repeating a fight a dozen times.

In There Is No Light we play a mysterious protagonist whose life is destroyed in just a couple of seconds. The Church of the Great Hand's army razes his village, kills his family before his eyes, and takes his baby to be sacrificed. Humanity was devastated by a global catastrophe and, to survive, was forced to take refuge underground. When everything seems lost, Samedi appears, a shady character who will make us a proposal that we cannot refuse.

This is the beginning of an adventure that encompasses a wide range of emotions, not only because of the events that will shape the main plot but also because of the gigantic number of social interactions (in the form of secondary missions or simply dialogues) with the NPCs that populate the intricate underground cities. Each character we meet has something to say and from these talks, we can intuit the state of civilization, its sorrows, dreams and hopes. We are also going to witness how they are crushed or... Is there another possible path? Maybe, that's what the karma system is for.

There are two contrasting experiences that shape the proposal of There Is No Light. On the one hand, we have the action part: frenetic, agile, and very punishing. On the other hand, we have the narrative: slow, deep, and full of suggestions and subtle references that paint the gloomy panorama of this futuristic dystopia. To link both extremes, the karma system comes into play, represented by a simple half-green and half-red bar. As we find NPCs we can interact with them, offer an opinion, or intervene in their problems. Depending on our actions, karma leans towards one of its sides and this parameter will be fundamental in both aspects of the adventure.

Regarding the narrative side, it opens or closes certain secondary missions for us, with characters who will only speak to us if we are on one of the sides of the karma scale. And it can even determine which of the multiple endings we will get at the end of the game. As for the playable side, we constantly consume a bit of good karma when using some of the advantages that we have available. When we make decisions that affect the narrative development, a colorful character will appear and tell us what he thinks about it.

Speaking of the combat system we can say that it is “simple”. In the beginning, it's all a matter of attacking and dodging at the speed of light as we continue advancing through dark settings impressively recreated with pixel art. We will never feel safe, we will always be one step away from being surrounded by enemies ready to finish us off with a couple of blows. But that feeling of danger becomes a double-edged sword: addictive and at the same time overwhelming.

There Is No Light invites us to fight aggressively, causing all abilities to be activated through a rage bar that only fills when hitting enemies or breaking objects on the stage and drains quickly if we do not maintain the attack rhythm. Abilities are activated through a combination of actions that are often counterintuitive.

Finally, despite some weak points, the game ends up being a recommendable experience, not only because of its interesting and dark narrative, but because overall it is a beautiful game. The cinematics have a simple but unique style, the level design is exquisite and does not fall into the temptation of repeating itself too much. Zelart's pixel art is wonderful and the enemy animations are up to the task, with majestic settings and creatures that seem straight out of the mind of H. R. Giger himself.

The sound section works in harmony with the aesthetics, generating an oppressive atmosphere through simple but careful melodies and contrasting the action in the right dose. Each of the four available paths has a unique theme, which degenerates until the meeting with the head of the sector and, sometimes, boasts some aesthetic changes worthy of stopping to enjoy the landscape. In the same way, the narrative leads us to continue delving into the history of this dystopia and the main characters help the twists in the script gain the necessary relevance to maintain interest.

It must be said that There Is No Light can be frustrating, dark, and, at times, hopeless. It has a difficulty curve that is quite difficult to assimilate, especially if you are not a player accustomed to this type of title. But, if we face the challenge with patience, it will reward us with a deep adventure full of interesting situations. The Church of the Great Hand is just the tip of the iceberg... Some boss battles will leave scars in our memories and, after watching the final titles roll, we will be more than tempted to return to these gloomy underground cities.