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”Where machinery meets medieval”
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is a challenging souls-like action adventure RPG set in a perpetually expanding Omnistructure with a goal to find your own true purpose in the already forsaken world.
Developed and published by Archangel Studios, a small team of three developers, for PC (Steam, GOG), PlayStation and Xbox.
“Find your purpose”
STORY/PLOT
Bleak Faith: Forsaken follows the same formula as the Dark Souls franchise where the world’s lore is told through the items and information collectables scattered all over Bleak Faith’s world.
Going into the story would unfortunately spoil a huge part of the game so I will avoid any direct story plots to avoid spoilers.
But the game does it simple. You get an objective that’s marked with a gear icon once you get out of the tutorial area. How you reach the marked objective is completely up to you. You are free to roam from the very start which is a huge plus in my book since this game has many breathtaking sights to see.
Upon reaching the objectives, parts and lore of the story/world will slowly fall into it’s own place.
Are you ready to face the unknown horrors that the Omnistructure offers?
Omnistructure awaits you
SETTING
World of Bleak Faith: Forsaken is very dear to me. The world is bleak, depressing, empty, isolated… And that’s what makes it pretty, beautiful and inviting.
You are alone and on your own as you climb and navigate the previously mentioned perpetually expanding Omnistructure. I was taken away by the design and still am. There is something in “brutalist machine” styled architecture that just clicks with me. Especially because the game also paired it with many medieval ruins that show glimpses of what those ruins were. It’s pretty. It’s impressive.
Most of my gameplay was just taking in the sights and admiring the world. There is a part where you are required to “go up,” to put it simple. As you climb and the sun slowly starts to show itself before fully exposing itself and shining down on you and everything around you.
You forget about the depressing world beneath you as you get a small glimpse of hope and fulfilment before having to once again travel into the suffocating corridors of the Omnistructure. The whole feeling of hope doesn’t last long. Your place in the world isn’t up here.
I can’t forget to mention underwater parts of the game. The size of the sunken part of the Omnistructure is just mind blowing and if it wasn’t for the oxygen system in the game, I think I would still be exploring the depths.
GAMEPLAY – MECHANICS
It’s time to address the elephant in the room. Yes, the game has it’s fair share of “jank” and it’s impossible to avoid it. I can’t express how many times it has been a bother during my playthrough. But on the “positive” note, that jank can be used against others if the situation is right.
The game plays as your standard souls-like experience with a minor twist to the leveling system. There is no real punishment if you die because you get experience points rather than “souls” like in Dark Souls games. This makes the game, if you have the patience, a good farming method with any enemy if you are looking for free levels. Experience is added to your level’s progress bar and it cannot go down no matter what.
Apart from the level system, you also get your standard attributes that you can put points in upon leveling and each of the attributes raise something. Be it your health, stamina, attack power, etc.
One thing I absolutely disliked is how much of the healing items you are allowed to carry. Sometimes it’s just not enough. Pair that with a so-so balancing of the game and it’s jank and you got yourself a recipe for a bad time. You can get more “carry” slots but even at max level it’s just not enough at times…
Armor and weapon system are really fun to play around with. You get the ability to upgrade your armor or weapon with an upgrade of your choosing to find a playstyle that will suit you best. This comes in form of slot in attributes and it’s a very welcome design in my book. It allows for more player freedom when it comes to gameplay.
Everything else is nothing to write home about. If you played any souls-like game or just watched it, you will get familiar with everything in no time.
Of course, there are also bosses in the game and I can happily say that they are all unique and fun in their own ways.
GRAPHICS AND AUDIO
Graphics in the game are both extremely well done and could be better. At many times during the game you will notice a lot of jagged edges on many of the game’s various surfaces and characters. I don’t know how it is on PC, but also the game appears to be slightly blurry?? It’s somewhat noticeable for a regular player but as someone who is extremely attracted to “good” graphics I noticed it immediately.
But I won’t lie, it kind of works with the theme of the game. It’s hard to describe it properly but it just works so I will be counting it as a positive.
Now the audio. Sound effects could be better. Like a lot better. They lack that certain power feeling to them. They are generic and unfortunately nothing to write home about as well.
But the ambient music and the soundtrack. DEVELOPERS GET MY RESPECT.
As you roam around the world of Bleak Faith, you are accompanied with the most beautiful ambient music I have ever heard. Just as the world, it makes you feel hopeless. It makes you know that you are alone. But it also gives you that small kick in the back that makes you say “I can get through this.”
And because of that, it’s beautiful, pretty, perfect… Simply perfect.
Unfortunately for all of this, the game suffers have frame drops on PS5 to the point where it’s almost impossible to properly avoid some enemy attacks. This becomes a huge issue with some of the boss fights as having a stable framerate means you can dodge just in time where your invincibility frames kick in.
Medieval world in a never ending Omnistructure
CONTROLS, OPTIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY
They are a bit janky but it’s nothing that can hinder the ability to play. Every single button input can be remapped and I highly recommend you do so, so that you can have a more pleasant experience.
I did that mid way through the game and I was surprised by how much of a difference it made.
Only thing I disliked was the “dodge roll” input. Pressing a dodge button activates a “side step” dodge motion. In order to roll you have to press the same button again twice and your character will do a roll. Most of the time this didn’t work and posed a huge problem and I believe it’s tied to the framerate issue on PS5.
Everything else is standard when it comes to options menu.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have just recently started going into the whole souls-like genre and I am very happy to say that Bleak Faith: Forsaken has left a huge positive impact on me despite it’s flaws. From the world building, lore, theme, music, design,… everything was just executed well. Especially when you know that only three people have worked on this game.
It’s a souls-like game that must be experienced by any lover of the genre. If not for the gameplay, then for the world itself.
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is available now on PC (Steam, GOG), PlayStation and Xbox! Thank you Archangel Studios for giving me a chance to experience a game such as this one. It has been a wild fun ride!
GAMERHUB RATING: FOUR (OUT OF 5) JOYSTICKS
A unique and an unforgettable experience that offers you a never before seen world and a journey to set upon on. A must play experience despite it’s flaws.
