- DEVELOPER: Silent Games
- PUBLISHER: Secret Mode
- PLATFORMS: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
- GENRE: Action RPG
- RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2025
- STARTING PRICE: 29,99€
- REVIEWED VERSION: PC
I’ve been playing a lot of Empyreal lately, an action RPG that dropped earlier this year on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. It’s got some really unique ideas mixed in, but the big question is: Is Empyreal actually worth your time and money? Empyreal had so much potential to be amazing. Its extraction ideas are interesting, and the skill-based combat is really fun as well. While the beginning is great, the more you play, the more repetitive it gets. On top of that, the game has its share of technical issues, and sometimes the gameplay feels unfairly difficult. It’s a real shame because the core ideas are so strong.
Combat is really fun and exploration is rewarding
Before you jump into the action, you start in a main hub. It’s pretty standard but super useful. You’ve got your blacksmith to identify all the sweet loot you’ve found, and multiple traders where you can buy missing items, upgrade your shop, sell gear, and even buy back stuff you’ve accidentally sold.
The game also offers three different playstyles with weapons and a huge variety in equipment, so you’re always finding ways to improve your character. Now, there’s also a system to modify your loot, but to be honest, I never quite wrapped my head around it, and I didn’t feel like it added much to the experience, so I mostly skipped it.
You’ve also got a story here, casting you as an elite mercenary diving headfirst into the Monolith, a dangerous place packed with ancient enemies. Your goal is to fight them, take on bosses, complete quests, and of course, get tons of loot. As for the NPCs, honestly, they’re so forgettable you’ll be skipping through their cringe dialogue.
“Before you jump into the action, you start in a main hub.”
Let’s dive into the combat because honestly, it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, the shield and baton combo feels super strong; you get these great defensive skills that make you pretty much unkillable. But then, there’s the gun, and it’s quite clunky. You have to perfectly time your reloads, and if you stop shooting for even a second, the gun just leaves your hand.
Despite that, it’s generally fun to test your skills against all sorts of enemies, whether they’re up close or shooting from afar. And the loot? It’s everywhere. Exploring always feels rewarding, and there are also plenty of secret areas, so you never feel like you’re missing out.
Technical issues that still haven’t been fixed
Now, here’s where things get a bit weird. The difficulty can be completely out of place. Take the impossible difficulty, for example. You can’t even hit enemies normally; you have to stun them first or rely solely on abilities and consumables. This gets even more annoying when you’re facing a boss. You can barely damage them, and they’ve got these insane, overpowered attacks, like a literal nuke you have to run away from because there’s no way to counter it. Oh, and don’t even get me started on stuns; you can get knocked out for ages.
To top it all off, the game has some serious technical issues. We’re talking frequent FPS drops, some really poorly optimized areas. I’ve lost count of how many times items have glitched through the floor, and the camera is also an incomplete mess, making fights way harder than they need to be.
“Don’t even get me started on stuns; you can get knocked out for ages.”
Despite all those issues, the combat in this game is seriously fun. It’s flashy, dynamic, and it feels super good to dodge and swap between different weapons while you’re fighting off multiple enemies. In fact, the bosses are so much fun I’d happily just jump straight to those fights. Biomes also feel distinct, with different environments and vibes, and the enemies do vary enough to keep things interesting.
Solid experience that can only get better
There’s just something about this game that feels off; it doesn’t really pull you back in for hours and hours. It’s more like a “one run and you’ve had enough” kind of deal. Also, the AI can be pretty weird sometimes, and you’ll constantly fight the same-looking enemies even in different biomes. The story is completely forgettable too, so while the fun aspects outweigh the negatives, those negatives are still really noticeable, and honestly, some of the jank from launch still hasn’t been fixed.
In the end, this is still a very solid title. The combat is incredibly exciting and fun, but the technical problems really drag on. Ultimately, it’s a decent single-player experience, but it’s just not a standout title that can truly compete with its rivals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very fun boss battles. | Repetitive. |
| Rewarding exploration. | Sometimes cluncky combat. |
| Three different playstyles. | Technical issues. |
| Easy to sell and buy equipment. | Forgettable story. |
Review copy provided by the publisher
3.6
