Imp of the Sun Xbox Series X Review

Imp of the Sun's premise is simple, stop an Eternal Eclipse and save the world from endless darkness. Speed and mobility are key as you're encouraged to move as if there are only mere hours left before reaching the point of no return. The beautiful hand-crafted environments offer unique challenges as you face off against each domain's Keeper and slowly built your move set to take on who is responsible. Imp of the Sun is a short but fast pace adventure that encourages mobility above all.
 

 

Imp of the Sun starts a flame Imp task by the Sun to retake its power from the Four Keepers by venturing throughout its empire. Joining the Imp are the last 2 humans, A young girl named Suyana and her grandmother who offer tips on your adventure. The other helper is a human but he died, named Qari this undead spirit will help Nin, the Imp named by Suyana, in upgrading its abilities, providing guidance, and context for each ar

Imp of the Sun's narrative doesn't go beyond what is expressed in the opening scene. Nin is the last hope for the world in turmoil and the Four Keepers who stole the Sun's power must be taken down by force. Each region is guarded by these Keepers and has a specific theme linked to a unique power found in each of the areas. This includes air dashing, turning into ash to pass through dense vines and walk on fragile leaves, blaze for heavy damage and lighting dark areas, and wall climbing.
 

 

The levels are designed to take advantage of the ability within the area you obtained it but you can progress in whatever order you choose. The regions are excellently designed to complement all mobility options provided to Nin throughout the game. This allows the player to bypass certain puzzles entirely if they have the right abilities. For example, in the Labyrinth, there's an entire puzzle platforming section where you can grab a key item and avoid the multi-step process of unlocking the path the right way. There are many paths that encourage speedrunning and complementing this is the game's length, a seasoned gamer will complete the game in about 4 hours. This sense of discovery encourages you to slide down walls that seemingly lead to nowhere or jump into the middle of the room despite it appearing empty. Load times between areas are notably long and the map provided isn't helpful but there's enough diversity within the landscape that you'll gain a sense of direction. If you happen to come across an area you cannot enter Suyana will tell Nin.

The mobility system is constructed around momentum, you cannot just run at full speed but have to build up to it. At first, this is limiting as you cannot make those long jumps without first gaining some speed but after gaining a few skills like the air dash everything starts to come together. You'll start crossing gaps like they were small puddles and move past areas like a raging fire. Most abilities, such as healing are centered around a gauge called Inner Fire which recharges at fire sources or while in bright light. In the darkness, the gauge will refill slower or completely stop if in complete darkness but recharge when enemies are defeated. Managing this meter is essential especially since abilities like self-healing require a great deal of time that leaves Nin vulnerable to attack. 

Combat is limited in scope but the developer's incorporated mobility into the mix to ensure fights play out in more dynamic ways. Thanks to a healthy selection of enemies players will encounter a fresh sample of new foes in each area they visit, each requiring new tactics to defeat. Whether it's knocking shielded warriors to the ground by sliding, using the air dash against the Condors in the mountains, or following the patterns as the mermaids in the swamps mock you, each region has specific enemies that act uniquely. Complementing these are excellent animations that help the player read each enemy attack to ensure you can react accordingly.

Littered throughout are collectables but the key focus is earning experience to trade to Qari for better stats. You can upgrade health, inner fire, or attack power with each tier requiring more points. You can earn bonus points by completing challenges and defeating enemies. The other collectables help expand the world by providing content into what happened before the Eclipse with Suyana's grandmother providing the information if you have the collectable. The game does give you the general location of the item and Qari can teleport you to any area if you've been there before.
 

 

The best part of Imp of the Sun is the boss fights. There are 5 in total and each one is excellent in both design and the fights themselves. Each one takes advantage of the ability you earned in that area but as you progress the bosses become easier due to Nin's added move set such as major abilities earned by defeating the boss. There are 4 in total that range from significant damage to healing Nin but with the exception of the final boss, the last 2 Keepers will also be a snap. However, the frame rate will drop if too much action is on screen such as enemies dying at a high rate. 
 

 

Imp of the Sun is a solid journey full of excellent boss fights complemented by a wonderful presentation that highlights Peruvian culture. The load times are long and the journey short but the adventure doesn't linger with excessive filler. Imp of the Sun is a brief and wonderful journey with a lot of heart that will encourage players to come back for another round, especially for those seeking every achievement. 
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed