Review key provided by Gearbox Publishing.
About a month ago I was granted the opportunity to take a First Look at Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom. I highly recommend checking out that piece first if you haven’t already, as I will be referencing it periodically throughout this review. The long and the short of my first impression was that I wanted more from the game, just more of what they were already providing.
Does Under the Stairs and Gearbox Publishing’s final product push past the proverbial pitfalls of the roguelite genre? Can it expand on its core gameplay loop to create an addicting experience? Can the soundtrack somehow get even better? Let’s dive into the full review and find out.
Story
The action of the game takes place inside the mysterious and ever-changing Bloom Manor. As Victoria arrives for a visit to her grandfather, she discovers the mansion has been overridden with dark, monstrous creatures. Armed with a flashlight, she makes he way through the attic and into the manor proper. She finds her grandfather, only for him to be snatched up by the eldritch forces that have taken the house for their own. It is up to Victoria to venture through Bloom Manor, defeat the monstrous Guardians, and rescue her grandpa.
Gameplay
Eyes in the Dark shares a lot of similarities with other roguelike and roguelite games. You explore procedurally generated wings of the mansion with upgrades resetting and randomizing with each playthrough. The arsenal of possible upgrades is regularly expanded on and introduces new aspects to the gameplay loop. All these things are true about Eyes in the Dark, but its whole is not just the sum of genre conventions or tropes. Think of these familiar features as the frame upon which Eyes in the Dark hangs its unique aspects like the many portraits which are scattered around Bloom Manor.
Additionally, the game has its unique combat mechanic, combining platforming elements and twin-stick shooting controls which gives Victoria a 360-degree scope to point her flashlight in. Projecting a solid beam of light to attack enemies and dispel the darkness feels responsive and quick adjustments (which are sometimes necessary against Guardian bosses or tougher rooms of enemies) are easy to make.
As I said in my first impression, the flashlight isn’t restricted to a long, thin beam of light. Many, many different lightbulbs can be affixed to the lamp which completely changes the way you interact with it, how you fight enemies, and how you banish the darkness. Not much has changed since my first time playing the game, I still prefer the projectile weapons like the bubble lamp or the one I found that sot like a sci-fi charging rifle.
What the game adds to the roguelite genre is the Knowledge system. Throughout your runs (called Loops in the game) through Bloom Manor, Victoria acquires a currency called Knowledge. This currency can be spent on the bookshelf before your next Loop to gain access to new upgrades in future Loops. What’s more, the bookshelf gives you access to my favorite feature in the game, no holds barred; the Metamachine.
The Metamachine is an invention placed in the foyer of the mansion, and as you spend Knowledge to unlock its functions, it provides priceless bonuses to future Loops. These bonuses can take the form of augments to your slingshot (adding extra shots, shortening recharge time, or increasing the light radius), augments to your dash ability, and even ways to change your jump. These abilities are available during a loop as well but being given a choice between 4 or 5 powerful items at the start of a new Loop always made me consider how I would build things in the run to come.
As you make your way through the various parts of the mansion, Victoria will accumulate sparks, the game’s currency. Sparks can be used to unlock extra upgrade slots for your flashlight, are required to open some doors, and can be spent at the shop operated by a gigantic Crow, in case you were wondering. Sparks are plentiful, but there are parts of the game where you will have to make decisions on how to use them wisely. Should you spend all you have to heal up before a boss battle? Or should you save them in case the shop carries a bulb you really want?
All in all, the gameplay of Eyes in the Dark is incredibly solid. The Loops are quick to get into, and the variety of enemies to fight, collectibles to hunt for, and variety of weapon and movement options make it work.
Audio and Visuals
Eyes in the Dark sounds great. The soundtrack has this thrumming bass that drives everything forward and the electronic sounds that clash with the more antiquated visuals produce an otherworldly feeling that I haven’t gotten from a game in a long time. Each enemy has its own sound cues, whether it’s the buzzing of a moth, the growling and snapping of a carnivorous plant, or the squelching slinking of a wall-crawling slug, the sound design is evocative and creepy without losing any of the charms of the visuals.
Speaking of the visuals, something should be said for Under the Stairs’ work at evoking the Victorian era of lithography with its art style. The game looks incredibly clean, and the way enemies and Victoria’s models always seem to sit just above the background like it’s a storybook is a detail I immediately loved. All the enemy designs are evocative and provide visual clues to how they operate before you see them in action.
The highlights of the audio and visual experience, far and away, are the boss fights. Each has its own theme, and the level of detail that the developers and artists were able to jam into these creatures’ visual and fight designs is truly impressive. I believe wholeheartedly that constraint is one of the best ways to encourage creativity and seeing what they were able to do with only a black and white color scheme is captivating.
Replayability
Eyes in the Dark sits as one of the most replayable roguelites I’ve played since The Binding of Isaac. There’s something so satisfying about defeating these bosses and reaching the next part of the mansion that makes me want to continue forward and explore more. Even after beating the same bosses a dozen times or more trying to make progress it never felt like a chore. The game rewards you at a very even pace, and you’ll always feel you’re just one more Loop away from victory.
What It Could Have Done Better
The only complaint I have about the game is, again, occasionally there is some slowdown when there is a lot on screen at once. I didn’t experience this at any point during boss fights, while in the foyer prior to starting loops, or in the menus. Still, occasionally there would be so many enemies on screen or maybe too much darkness that it would chug for a few seconds until I had killed something.
Verdict
Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom is as good a game as its title is long. The way it builds upon what already existed in the genre and took things in its own, crazy direction is something I appreciate and admire. If you’re a fan of the genre, I highly recommend checking this game out. If you, like me, had been burned out on roguelites for a while, I think this one just might bring back that spark that made you love them before.
Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom is available now on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
