There are countless games out there that promise much with captivating concepts but falter when it comes to execution. While it’s easy to preach the “don’t judge a book by its cover” mantra, in gaming, delivering on promises is crucial. We’ve encountered many instances where developers dangle the carrot of perfection but leave us with something far from it. Take No Man’s Sky as an example; it promised the universe on release, but despite its now stellar gameplay, the initial experience was disappointing. My mention of Hello Games isn’t about knocking them down—they turned things around magnificently and deserve accolades for that—but as a warning to others who might not follow through. Now, let’s talk about Mists of Noyah on the PS5, a game that on paper seems groundbreaking, but in practice, falls short of expectations.
Imagine a game that melds the crafting elements of Terraria with the roguelike and Metroidvania genres. A title centered around exploration, with every playthrough offering a new experience and extensive crafting mechanics. It sounds like a recipe for success, right? However, Mists of Noyah lands far from its potential greatness, instead feeling prematurely abandoned.
Starting up Mists of Noyah had me excited, eager to see what my chosen character could manage in a world where you defend your village from nighttime creatures. By day, you forage and build to protect against nighttime horrors, demanding keen time management and strategic placement. I had visions of racing the clock, knowing that overextending in quests could spell doom not only for me but also for the villagers I vowed to protect. Yet, my excitement waned when I instead found myself in a generic forest setting.
Mists of Noyah offers no tutorial, thrusting players into the action with the expectation of figuring it all out alone. Normally, I’m fine with this approach, given a basic rundown of controls and a loose idea of what to do. Piecing the narrative together from bits gathered during the journey can effectively build suspense. Yet here, the absence felt less like a stylistic choice and more like an oversight in development.
I quickly grasped the basic controls, soon hopping between platforms and dealing with enemies. Discovering that gathering resources like wood and stone was the game’s core came naturally. However, making wooden armor felt more a result of random menu navigation than any clear guidance. And with that, I met an untimely death, returning to the start, still clueless but now facing stronger nighttime enemies.
As the game progressed, tougher enemies rendered my flimsy weaponry ineffective, making it easier to dodge them entirely. Exploration became trivial as my sole focus shifted toward locating the village I felt I should’ve originated from. Eventually, I stumbled into the village, a supposed safe haven that ended up adding to my growing confusion.
The village felt as unfinished as the game’s start. Vendors stood wordlessly, offering items whose purposes were mysterious, creating hesitation in spending my hard-earned gold—what if I bought something utterly useless? A fairy offered a chance at dungeon runs, but even on an “easy” setting, the enemies dominated quickly. Determined to give Mists of Noyah another shot, I ventured into its various biomes.
The biomes were essentially recolored versions of the starter environment, only wrapped in desert or arctic aesthetics. They lacked distinctiveness, and transitioning between them felt jarring and aimless. The combat was serviceable, and the level designs passable, but I struggled to find any motivation to continue. While the day-night cycle introduced an intriguing layer, it only made things harder when my objectives were already unclear.
Adding to the chaos was a persistent timer, relentlessly counting down to nightfall when your village is attacked. You’d anticipate an escalation in danger—and it’d be fair—if the game was comprehensible. Instead, the unending timer was a nightmare in a game where you comb menus and decipher gameplay. Unwittingly, I’d whiled away precious daylight reading a 12-page scroll, unaware the clock ticked on. Intentional or an oversight, Mists of Noyah is screaming for an auto-pause function that isn’t there.
In the end, Mists of Noyah is a shadow of what it could’ve been. It offers a world with no clear direction, accompanied by a plot that’s seemingly absent. It feels as though the developers released it, hoping to shift focus elsewhere, leaving players with something half-baked. Visually, it’s enticing—that’s undeniable—but as the British say, it’s “all fur coat and no knickers.” Had the fundamentals been properly addressed and the game deepened, we’d be looking at an entirely different review.
Were Mists of Noyah still in Early Access, its unfinished nature could be excusable. But asking £8.00 for this feels a bit galling. And even more so when considering the Steam version’s higher price despite sharing the same inadequacies over a two-year gap before the console port. It seems more like a cash grab than a sincere effort to deliver a polished creative vision.
Ultimately, Mists of Noyah is easily skipped. Bursting with potential, the lack of polish results in a confusing, rudimentary offering. It doesn’t feel like a finished game, especially with its roots based on an aging PC release. I’d recommend saving your £8 for a more rewarding gaming experience.
In summary, Mists of Noyah gives the feeling of being a project caught in Early Access limbo, clear in its intentions but significantly lacking in execution. Most elements that could inject sense and enjoyment are simply missing. What’s left is a visually appealing shell with modest ideas left unrefined. Spend your time and money more wisely elsewhere.
