Nocturnal Reviews
Sunnyside have something very special in Nocturnal that could easily stand with the best if it had just a little more story and content.
A competent, yet underwhelming Prince of Persia-inspired puzzle platformer. Its good looks will get it far, but its shallow personality won't be bringing you back.
Nocturnal is a characteristic and original videogame which, however, does not innovate the videogame panorama, while proposing an interesting and satisfying context. The playful structure, pleasant and extremely well integrated, could entertain for a few hours. A work to have if you love the genre and if you are curious about it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Nocturnal may seem short on length but is enjoyable throughout and doesn't seem to overstay its welcome. The "light your sword on fire" mechanic to reveal puzzle clues and help defeat enemies shrouded in the mist is unique and helps the game flow smoothly. While it can be a bit annoying to miss some lore collectibles or extra ashes to help you get to that next perk upgrade since you can't backtrack after certain points, it does make for an interesting risk vs. reward scenario: do you want to just press ahead or take the chance against the mist and learn more about the game's lore?
Nocturnal has a strong core mechanic that generates some interesting puzzles and game play. Aside from that, the environments and story aren’t especially interesting, and while there is progression and a bit of depth, there’s some frustration, too. Nocturnal does a lot with its basic premise, but the rest of the game feels like an afterthought.
Nocturnal definitely stands out as an interesting action-adventure side scroller. The twist on the platforming formula adds some novelty to the core gameplay, although I think that there are things that haven’t been explored enough.
Nocturnal features fast and furious action as well as an interesting gameplay system with fire and light. With good graphics, atmosphere and entertainment, at least for the few hours it offers.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Nocturnal is a compact proposal, to the point and with interesting mechanics in terms of combat and puzzles. It is far from the great exponents of the genre, but it bets on some original elements that can undoubtedly attract an audience that does not want to complicate itself with the rigid, demanding and absorbing structure of a pure and simple Metroidvania.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Nocturnal focuses on one mechanic and builds everything around it beautifully. However, it ends too soon and fails to give its world and story justice.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
In brightest day, in blackest night...
Nocturnal is a must-play title for fans of 2D action-platformers. While it may be relatively short, it offers a satisfying challenge and a refreshing twist on the genre.
Nocturnal is a gorgeous action platformer but one that won’t show you anything new when it comes to gameplay and story. I enjoyed the exploration, combat, and puzzle solving but none of it did anything to stand out from many other similar games I’ve played.
Nocturnal is a beautiful and charismatic game, but the lack of content, the short duration and the repetition end up making the title expendable at the current price. It's better to wait for a sale.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Between a simple presentation and a deeply personal story, Sunnyside Games crafted a great game that has a lot of highlights in the visual side and combat, but is hard to recommend due to its short length, lack of replay value and finicky platform controllers in some precise moments of the gameplay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Its combat as far as the common enemies goes feels repetitive, however, and sometimes it’s best to avoid it whenever possible, and its audio design is very short, but fans of the genre have something to look for here.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
That’s the best way to describe Nocturnal: it’s a neat game. It won’t take too much of your time, and it’s similar enough to other metroidvanias that you’ll probably only want to play it if you’re already a fan of the genre, but if you like the genre and want something that has enough spark of inspiration to carry it through a few hours, it’s definitely worth investigating.
It is curious that, in many moments, Nocturnal reminded me of the Prince of Persia franchise. In fact, the game has an essence that is worthy of this historic series, mainly due to its intense sword clashes. However, there is a notable and creative differential, which is the use of fire as a constant element in puzzles, duels and explorations. Despite the title having some problems, such as a poorly present story, performance errors and a short duration, Ardeshir's adventure presents good glimpses on the Switch. With the sword in hand, exploring the Isle of Nahran and scaring away the fog with firepower become extremely fun activities to carry out.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The constant and dynamic use of fire gives Nocturnal a very satisfying identity. The elegant visuals and the melancholic atmosphere are captivating in their own right, but they don't hold the player's interest when falling into repetition. It doesn't take long to reach the end of the game, which is a shame because what it offers us is well done and leaves very clear the potential to take the world, the combat and the mechanics to further developments, with the certainty that the studio would be capable of good additions. Thus, the title closes its beautifully and competently outlined cycle, albeit more concisely and humbly than it should be.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Nocturnal is a short yet phenomenal experience that needs to be played multiple times to truly be appreciated. While yes, you may be a tad bit confused at the end of your first run, but if you stray off the linear path, you may find the true embers at the heart of the game.
Nocturnal is a brilliantly executed game with an amazing story, if you can find it in the notes. For those who don’t have the patience for it, this game might seem more like a drag, but it is well worth the effort if you want to know more about Ardeshir and what happened on Narhan. If you’re still not sold on it, then you might end up staying just for the music and amazing visuals, at the very least.