Nobody saves the world is a satisfyingly grinning Zelda like

Nobody saves the world is a game about filling up meters, leveling up and watching the numbers get bigger. At first I didn’t think it would work for me, but like the video game equivalent of a catchy tune snaking its way into my gray matter, it didn’t take long for the hours to slip by without me even realizing it. It’s a testament to how finely-tuned the game’s combat and exploration is that it never goes more than a few minutes without discovering, killing, or leveling up something new, even though the overall experience can at times feel like it would you gobble up empty calories.

In 2013, Toronto-based indie developer released Drinkbox Studios Guacamelee!, a throbbing, side-scrolling metroidvania that was as much a hard-hitting beat ’em up as it was a cerebral maze navigator. Drinkbox had released a few games before, but the Lucha Libre-inspired platformer was what put the studio on the map. Then Drinkbox spent most of the years thereafter caught up in its own success, making ports, remasters, and a sequel

multiplayer

Nobody saves the world Sports online two-game co-op. While there are some major downsides – player two can only be a clone of the host player and doesn’t advance in their own game – the game is manageable and more fun in company.

You play, surprise, a faceless meat puppet named Nobody whose special power is a magic wand that allows him to change his shape. Need to fit into tight spaces? Become a poisonous mouse. Need to swim afloat? Transform into a mermaid shooting bubbles. An Evil Calamity™ threatens the world and you are the only one who can stop it, digging through dungeon after dungeon in search of new powers and special gems that can save the land from untold horrors. Most of the time, you smash hordes of monsters, earn money and level ups, and spend them expanding your powers in a seamless cycle of destruction and progression.

This feedback loop is based on three pillars. Each form, like the bow-wielding ranger or rabbit-spawning mage, can rank up and unlock new forms and new powers. These powers can be mixed and matched across different forms, allowing you to take things like the Knight’s crowd-controlling stomp Ranger or the Ranger’s stacking poison damage onto the Mage’s rabbit army. Finally, certain enemies have color-coded barriers that can only be breached by dealing specific types of damage. It’s a mechanic pulled out of the Guacamelee! Games that add much-needed depth and difficulty to combat. You can also change forms on the fly, expanding your options to further tackle waves of enemies and boss fights. Just when you think you’re overwhelmed, a new combination of enemies and shields forces you to get creative again and find a new strategy.

Rather than just leveling up for killing things, you do it by completing specific challenges such as: B. Killing 50 enemies with poison. So, like a well-calibrated Battle Pass, Nobody saves the world subtly shifts your objectives alongside your evolving arsenal. But instead of struggling in exchange for cosmetic trinkets, work towards finding more fun and effective ways to advance in the game, which, unlike the purgatory of a live-service treadmill, has an ending.

If, like me, you enjoy topping up meters and testing new and creative builds to efficiently take down enemy mobs, this is a recipe for several long nights of fun. Drinkbox has tried to keep boredom to a minimum by having new milestones coming quickly and often. Dungeons that you might need to grind a few times before defeating a bigger boss subtly reshuffle in a roguelite way each time, making them feel more like rides in a theme park than prisons.

Nobody saves the worldThe map is also full of side quests and NPCs to distract you and take you on brief excursions deeper into the bizarre world. None of the ones I encountered felt particularly noteworthy (I’m about halfway through the game), but they bring variety to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Not to mention the stunning reinterpretation of an old school The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past-Style Overworld and the excellent soundtrack by composer Jim Guthrie.

Nobody saves the world can sometimes feel like it overwhelms you. Aside from how dense and repetitive it can be, every enemy you kill explodes rewardingly in coins and health refills, and each new challenge you complete comes with a shiny seal of approval. Binging works when you never feel full, and with Nobody saves the world I would occasionally feel stuffed, but after I had time to calm myself down I always wanted to go back for more. I only wish some of my favorite blockbuster RPGs could track their progress so accurately.