Casting a fireball won’t even so much as singe the grass in most games, but in Noita, your sorcerous abilities can have handy consequences.
In Noita, every pixel is simulated. What that means is that every tiny piece of the world can be affected by what you’re doing to it. Ice spells will freeze water or make surfaces slippery. Fire sets things alight or can make dangerous gases explode. Electricity will course through bodies of water and electrocute anything within them. So, while hitting an enemy with a spell is one way to take them out, finding out how you can use your magic within your surroundings is often much more effective.
That said, your magic is just as lethal to our wizard hero as it is for the enemies around them. A single mix-up can have you blown up or frozen under ice, and this being a roguelike, it’s back to the beginning for you once you die. The game is also generated each time you start, so while you can learn how to cleverly use your spells, don’t expect the same stage setup next time. You can’t just learn your environments and then overcome them from memory. You actually have to be a smart spellcaster.
Which is pretty neat, honestly. Instead of simply firing off whatever spell does the most damage, you’ll need to master your surroundings and always be looking for ways to use your environments. It puts a lot more imagination and creativity into a game about a spellcaster, and offers the chance for some great stories to tell about your successes and failures within the depths of Noita.
Noita is available now (in an Early Access state) on the Humble Store, itch.io, GOG, and Steam.
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