Adventure of Samsara – PS5 Review

Atari have been doing a lot with their old properties. We’ve seen Yars Rising transplant the gameplay of Yars Revenge into a search action game and now it’s Adventure’s time to get a modernised effort. Adventure of Samsara bears very little resemblance to the 1980 classic. Ilex Games have been tasked with the facelift and what they’ve delivered is something good.

The story seems thinly spread. The Orphids inhabit a world that is now overrun with necromancers. Whilst there is some lore to piece together from obelisks and the chattering of the tribe, it tends to stay out of the way. I don’t mind it as I’ve always seen these types of games as exploration first. As a result, I didn’t have many narrative threads to hang on. Whilst it did lead to a journey without many stakes, I wasn’t wanting for more story.

With something so basic, they’ve taken a familiar route with search action providing the framework. Rather than hunting for a key to open a castle, you are delving into sections of the world to unlock new abilities, new areas and generally strengthen as you explore. You’ve got a traditional, graph-paper map to fill out and, whilst it doesn’t mark out trinket locations, it will give you one for your main objective. It’s up to the player to mark any other points of interest which does mean it pays to be observant.

It is not the largest game but there’s plenty packed within the walls. I find the power curve to be pretty steady and you gain almost all of the movement abilities by the half-way point. These include double-jumps, a grappling hook that can make revisiting areas a lot easier. Combat feels fine with three weapons eventually picked up by our hero. The sword is snappy but not the most damaging of his arsenal. The hammer batters enemies but can take a while to swing. A bow allows for ranged combat and all three of these weapons can be switched on the fly.

There is a parrying system which some opposition is tuned for. The timing required is pretty consistent but I find you can’t really hit it late. It makes shorter work of the brutes but missing those windows can feel punishing. You can mostly get by without it but there are some situations that demand you stand your ground and learn the cadence of it. There is a telltale flash that seems to indicate the proper moment to ready your shield.

Magic also allows for some quick and easy damage. You have a mana bar which refills as you hit enemies. As long as you’re being aggressive, you should always have something in reserve. Aside from an energy shield and an instant teleport to a previous checkpoint, there’s not a lot of utility to these spells. I often just used them to create a little space and throw some bonus damage at bosses.

It never felt like a power fantasy. Outside of the early areas, the foes took some time to clear. By the final act, they’re still carrying a threat. The only difference being that threat can be leapfrogged or sneakily dispatched. There’s a diversity to the enemies that manages to hold up. New enemies are gradually introduced and, whilst the don’t operate on complex terms, they kept me honest.

There’s quite a few bosses that conclude each area and I found them to be mostly challenging. Like the regular foes, they have a pattern to observe and, despite some of them being humongous in size, arenas will have safe spots to stand whilst you wait for an opportunity. The last two bosses felt strangely trivial with my health pool being able to tank the more damaging attacks. On the whole, they feel nicely tuned for where they appear in the game. Some of them are nicely grotesque in design and tend to fit the areas they laud over.

I find Adventure of Samsara to be pretty balanced. I felt like I was being thorough combing the map for items but still wound up 30% short. Whilst there were plenty of enemies that could slow me down, I rarely felt stuck or hitting many roadblocks. The rewards were regular enough to keep the dopamine hits coming. In that respect, it feels smartly paced.

Presentation tries to evoke the Atari 2600 aesthetic. Whilst the fidelity is miles apart, the pixelated graphics and confident use of yellows does pop. It’s detailed with a good use of colour to distinguish one area from another. It definitely helped me familiarise with the world. The backgrounds feel muted to allow the platforms to stand out with climbable ledges glowing when approached.

As you progress deeper into the game, more technological touches enter the world. It does result in an interesting mix of a natural world meeting a mechanical one. Cutscenes offer a more animated, sharper look which I really like. Typically, they introduce boss encounters or gaining a new ability and they show off the angular character designs. They certainly contrast against the pixel graphics but they’re really well done.

Music is sparse, allowing the retro sound effects to shine. There is some atmosphere to be toyed with but you’re mostly given the accompaniment of enemy fire and the sound of your weaponry. The dragon areas come with a coloured tint and some locations give off a gloomy, foggy tone that does imply decay.

Whilst it pays the merest of nods to the old game, Adventure of Samsara’s pacing and balance are executed well. Whilst he pixel art is detailed, it can look a little ordinary when placed against the exquisitely animated cutscenes. Exploration feels rewarding and there’s plenty to find within the intricately designed areas. Some of the bosses can underwhelm but I enjoyed combing the map for secrets and gear.