We know, we know, there is no shortage of roguelites these days, especially ones with pixel-art and procedurally generated worlds. However, some games stand out from among the hundreds and Noita is one of those quirky games that manages to stand out from the crowd. How about a game where every single pixel is simulated and destructible – and death is only a stepping stone on the road to greatness? It’s up on Steam in Early Access!
Pixels? Simulated?
That’s right. If you are old enough to remember Liero, you get the idea: Every pixel can be destroyed or otherwise manipulated, leading to an endlessly changing battlefield (until, of course, you or your opponent have managed to wipe the map clean and cover it in worm blood). Noita puts its own twist on the formula, adding countless environmental elements to use in creative ways, such as vats of boiling acid, lava, water, and so on and so forth.
In the middle of it there’s you, an adept of magic, trying to uncover the mysteries hidden beneath the surface of the world, armed with a variety of spells you can freely combine to carve your way through the underground caves, abandoned coal mines, frozen wastelands, and everything else the game decides to entertain you with – up until you die at the hands of the various monstrosities prowling the underground chambers.
Wait, Dying?
Yes, death is an inevitability in the endless underground of Noita. Magic is unpredictable and can cause various complications to arise, as dangerous to you as to the enemies. Furthermore, all the things you can do to your foes – setting them on fire, drowning in water, melting the flesh off their bones with giant vats of acid, burying under tons of rock – can and will eventually happen to you. Fire sticks to people and especially careless magicians. You can try putting yourself out by spawning a small rainstorm, but that might have unforeseen consequences down the road…
At its core, Noita is supposed to be about experimentation and exploration, with alternately hilarious and horrifying deaths a core part of the experience. Past the initial hump of figuring out how to last for more than five minutes without setting yourself on fire, each death is supposed to enable you to learn something new about the game and its underlying mechanics, allowing you to get a little bit further – before your inevitable death.
For those who want to cut that learning curve down, we recommend the Noita Wiki, for all magical spelunking needs.
