I can’t help but feel that in 2022, with so many classic titles already available, we need to see something flashy and noteworthy from a platformer that wants to have any real substance and stand out from the overly saturated crowd. Spirit Roots is a title that joins that very group of games and if we were to be sold on first impressions, then I’d say Spirit Roots is probably every part that standout surprise we’ve been waiting for. Sadly, as nice as the visuals are, with them looking like something out of a Rayman Origins DLC, the overall simplicity of the level to level gameplay kills off anything spectacular early on, instead pushing things towards more of a slog than a stellar experience.
I don’t like starting things off in a critical way, and I don’t want that to be taken as Spirit Roots being a bad game as it’s not quite so simple, but this is a game that could truly be incredible but just falls short by relying on repetitive measures and never really branching out to anything more than basic platform mechanics, showcasing the fact that this is very much a mobile game that’s been thrown to the console market.
The game takes place across the Stitched-Together Planet. This unique world is the result of a hundred-year conflict that has left the small remaining parts of the fighting planets in need of being stitched together to create a survivable and much larger one. This new planet comes with a condition agreed by all parties, no one crosses the border that separates the two. However, we all love a rebel from time to time, and in this tale, that rebel is you as you set out to find out just what happens if you do.
It’s not the most intriguing of stories it must be said, but it’s enough of reason to see you set out across the 5 unique locales that can be found throughout Spirit Roots. Within these locations that include the likes of the Village levels before progressing through the Swamp, Desert and so on, players will be put to the test against 50 levels that will need to be bested to make it to the end, with each one containing different hazards and enemies unique to each environment. At the end of each area is a boss level that can at least prove a lot more engaging and challenging than that of the levels that came before each one.
Within each level, the main objective is to make it from A to B whilst collecting yellow souls along the way. Collecting all of these souls is the only requirement to achieving 100% level completion and a 3-star rating for your efforts, and with most souls rarely straying far from the beaten path, tracking them all down only usually takes a few minutes with little real exploration required.
To get to the end of a level there will be all of the expected actions required such as climbing walls, jumping across platforms and over gaps, avoiding obstacles and so on, whilst active threats will also attempt to stop you in your tracks such as a varying selection of enemies. Most of these offers very basic attacks with some simply throwing objects at you, whilst larger enemies will utilise their size and brute force to put an end to things. You won’t find life or heart system here though, with just one hit enough to see our protagonist perish and return to the last checkpoint, but with levels only really lasting around five minutes, there is no huge progress loss should you happen to fall on a spike or take a pitchfork to the head.
In fact, the only real challenge in terms of gameplay comes from the boss fights, with each boss providing a somewhat increased challenge to that of the basic jumping and attacking repetitiveness of each level, but for veterans of platformers, there won’t be anything to stop you progressing for long with Spirit Roots proving a very easy and simplistic game to conquer in terms of its difficulty.
Sadly whilst there are boss fights and plenty of levels to trawl through, Spirit Roots doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen in every other platformer over the years. The core experience here is identical to everything else on offer with basic point to point goals, a scattering of enemies, some basic attacks to deal with them and some typical platforming. There are no abilities to speak of, there are no sudden changes or mechanics to get accustomed to and whilst it’s not a pointless adventure, there really is no risk whatsoever in the gameplay design. This in turn makes this title feel more like an entry-level title to newcomers rather than one a seasoned gamer should be jumping into.
One thing that does shine throughout is the aforementioned visuals with some incredibly pleasing cartoon aesthetics which create an immediately pleasing world to run through. With bright and vivid colours Spirit Roots really does pay homage to games such as the previously mentioned Rayman Origins. Visual appreciation doesn’t just apply to the game world that’s been created here either as both enemies and environments come packed with plenty of detail to keep you looking around the screen on each level.
The audio side of things is also fairly impressive with some rather exciting music that feels like a blend of some old school platforming classics and The Sims, however with no real narrative between levels after the initial opening to the game, this can become a little repetitive after a while and you might want to at least turn things down slightly to avoid having the level music stuck in your head far beyond the time you put the controller down.
Conclusion
Whilst Spirit Roots is not a bad title, it’s also not a title that will give you anything you haven’t seen or got already from any other title in the genre. It’s nice to look at and it might take you a few hours to push through all of the levels, but if you’re looking for anything more than the basics, you won’t find it here. The price point does shine a large positive with this title one of the cheaper new releases on the store, but with numerous other titles on the horizon, there should have been something a little more to Spirit Roots to ensure it stood out as a game you must play.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox One review code, using an Xbox Series S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
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