Review: Mists of Noyah on PS5

There are countless games out there with a concept that promises the world but ultimately falls flat in execution. In the gaming industry, keeping promises is crucial, and the repercussions of not doing so are evident in the backlash from players. We’ve learned from instances where developers promised the sky, but didn’t quite reach the moon, so to speak. A quintessential example would be No Man’s Sky. Sure, now it shines as a remarkable game, and I’m with you on that. Initially, though, on launch day, many of us were left underwhelmed. Now, don’t get me wrong; this isn’t a jab at Hello Games—hats off to them for their dedication and the turnaround they achieved. It’s a lesson for other developers struggling to follow through. This brings us to today’s topic—a game on the PS5 called Mists of Noyah. While the premise seems groundbreaking on paper, as we delve into it, we find it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

Imagine a game that spices up crafting à la Terraria with roguelike metroidvania elements. It promises adventures filled with exploration, becoming unique with each playthrough, and a crafting system to boot. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it? Mists of Noyah, however, feels like it’s been somewhat forgotten in its development journey.

Upon launching Mists of Noyah, the character selection kicks in, and I was eager to see my selected hero take on the mythical night creatures threatening the village. The setup involves scouring for resources during daylight to fortify against night terrors. I anticipated a thrilling experience where every minute spent exploring could mean life or death for the villagers under my protection. Instead, I found myself unexpectedly tossed into a forest.

Mists of Noyah skips over offering a tutorial. Now, I’m all for diving headfirst and discovering things independently. If a game provides basic controls and a vague direction, I’m game for piecing the story together from found artifacts—this builds suspense and intrigue. Unfortunately, here, it seems as if the developers skipped the tutorial out of neglect rather than design.

Navigating the controls was quick enough as I jumped around platforms, battling foes and collecting resources. Tasks like chopping trees and crafting armor soon became apparent through trial and error with unfamiliar menus. While I did manage to meet my first quest objective of crafting a wooden armor set, it felt more like I was button-mashing my way through the process. Eventually, I succumbed to enemies, finding myself back at the starting point with little newfound knowledge, only this time, in the dark of night.

The nighttime monsters were a formidable challenge, with my modest bow inflicting minimal damage. I resorted to evading them altogether, prioritizing finding a village I assumed should have been my starting point. Several deaths and retries eventually led me there, but uncertainty persisted.

The village itself seemed half-baked. Vendors stood around without offering dialogue. Identifying their goods was a guessing game, often leaving me hesitant to spend my hard-earned gold on potentially worthless items. A fairy in the village hinted at dungeon runs, which I attempted at the easiest setting. Yet, I barely survived my first encounter. Despite the challenges, I ventured further, hoping to explore the varied biomes.

These zones, however, were merely repackaged versions of the woodland setting, tinged with desert or arctic elements. They lacked the distinct character needed to be memorable. The transitions were abrupt, shifting from lush forests to frozen tundras and scorching deserts in an almost nonsensical order. The combat, while serviceable, didn’t provide an incentive to push on, and the day-night transition, although conceptually intriguing, felt more like a hurdle without clear objectives.

A perpetual clock ticked away in the corner, amplifying the pressure of an impending nocturnal raid. Ordinarily, this feature would enhance the tension; yet, with Mists of Noyah offering little by way of training or explanation, it transformed into a ticking burden. While attempting to decipher a 12-page scroll I purchased, I realized too late that the clock was counting down, putting me at risk mid-read. While some might argue this was intentional, to me, it felt more like an oversight. The game sorely needs an auto-pause feature, which is conspicuously absent.

In its current state, Mists of Noyah feels like a skeleton of what could have been an engaging game. An ill-defined narrative in an unwelcoming world made the experience feel rushed and unfinished. It gives the impression of being pushed to market prematurely or of developers wanting to move on to other projects. The visual allure is there, drawing you in, yet it’s all surface-level without the substance of a well-developed game. In colloquial terms, it’s all style and no substance. Had the core elements been executed with thoroughness, we’d have a different piece here.

If this title were in Early Access, I’d regard it as a work in progress and approach it with different expectations. Charging players £8 (or nearly double on Steam) for what feels incomplete is frustrating. Given the time passed since its Steam release and subsequent console porting, the game’s unrefined state appears as a money grab, rather than a genuine offer of a polished experience.

In conclusion, Mists of Noyah falls short and is easily skippable. The potential was there for a standout game, yet what we’re presented with is confusing and incomplete. There’s a sense of what could be, yet it’s not fully realized. You’d be better off saving your money for something that provides a more rewarding experience.