Nocturnal PC Review

Sunnyside Games might not be quite as new to the gaming scene as they seem, considering the development studio was founded in 2013, but they do have big ambitions. This interesting little studio is based in Switzerland, and just like any other new studio, they started small… Pixel sized infect, with their first release – The Firm, a pixel-based arcade game that was originally released on mobile only.

 

Remember those big ambitions, well, after quite some time of radio silence, they released Towaga: Among Shadows. This odd and somewhat profound action-adventure game got them a good spot on the ranks, but Sunnyside Games went a step further with their latest release, Nocturnal in 2023. With the publishing company Dear Villagers backing them up and putting them on the map, Nocturnal was brought to life and to us.

Nocturnal might look like your everyday action side-scroller; it actually redefines the genre while also keeping it simple. Simplicity’s strength is something that is typically very easily underestimated or even overlooked, and that’s what this game’s focused on. You might not get an overwhelming number of mechanics to keep track of or massive hordes of enemies to face off against, but you will instead get an interesting mystery combined with incredibly smooth gameplay, and let’s not forget that the game is actually beautifully designed.

Onto the good part. In Nocturnal, you’ll be introduced to the protagonist Ardeshir, a soldier of the Enduring Flame. Finally returning home to the island of Narhan; however, the island is not the once bright and fiery paradise it once was. He is instead attacked by the corrupting fog known as the Mist, a dark and shadowy force that seeks to snuff out the phoenix fire permanently. Though, Ardeshir’s main objective is to find his missing sister, Arsia. While the opening cinematic / introduction doesn’t show much in terms of the story, it will do an amazing job of impressing you with animation quality and revealing Ardeshir’s main power. The power in question being the Sacred Flame and the ability to channel fire through your sword, even if only for a short time.

 

With the introduction done and dusted, it’s time for some action, right? Well, yes and no. Ardeshir’s dangerous quest starts with him on the beach next to a row boat, though this is also where you find your first note. This is also where things become a bit more interesting in Nocturnal, because while there is a story, it’s not so easily given to you. The first note you get is from Arsia, and it does give some very slight information as to the story; you’ll need to explore the rest of Narhan for more notes to get the rest of the story. Sadly, this is easier said than done because the game is mostly linear, and finding the short alternate paths for loot and notes does become a challenge quite early on.

The big issue with a linear game like this is that you are also forced to keep moving forward, this means you can’t always backtrack to explore other parts. This is a nice touch to an extent but also a little frustrating because you’ll end up finding notes in drips and drabs or you’ll miss precious coins that could have been used for Phoenix Gifts. However, fortune favors the bold, or in this case, the patient. So, if you’re willing to go through multiple playthroughs or reload as often as needed before hitting the next checkpoint, you might just be able to make the most of the coins and notes you get.

Most side-scroller games feature this, but Nocturnal does it so well, the puzzle-like world. In Nocturnal, fire isn’t just life; it’s also used to control the environment, such as elevators, doors, and even revealing hidden paths. Remember the notes and coins? Those can be hidden too, and sometimes you’ll have to open a hidden path by burning the plants away or opening a hidden path. For some extra detail – Fire might be destructive, but on the island of Narhan, it’s also used on the torches to turn them into switches that open doors or do various other things. Sadly, Ardeshir can’t hold on to the fire for very long without striking a lit torch to refresh his fire duration.

 

On the matter of fire, as mentioned before, fire is everything in Nocturnal. However, it’s also your only weapon against the Mist that plagues Narhan, and even though you can just refresh the duration of Ardeshir’s fire at a nearby torch, those same torches can also sometimes break. As you progress through Nocturnal, you’ll soon be introduced to Mist creatures. Just as you are trying to restore the flame to the Narhan, their objective is to extinguish it permanently. Though the Mist creatures can only be killed with fire, sooner rather than later, you’ll also have to start using your fire time wisely because you might have limited torches that can break or you’ll have to carefully jump around to get a mobile torch.

Naturally, there is one more important thing to lighting up Ardeshir’s blade. Some parts of Narhan house a much thicker Mist than other parts, Ardeshir can temporarily survive in it, but you’ll need fire to cut through it. Then there are parts that have a Mist so thick it extinguishes any flame it touches while eating away at Ardeshir’s health.

Where things become a bit more confusing in Nocturnal is that you’re not just fighting against the Mist, you’ll also be going up against human guards who instantly label you as a traitor or deserter while trying to cut you down. Between the Mist creatures and the guards, there’s a decent variety for both sides which keeps things interesting instead of becoming monotonous. Luckily, the fights aren’t over the top nor do you get flooded with enemies to stand in your way, but some fights do require some strategy or just careful fighting.

 

Eventually, after some exploring and possibly a few upgrades, you’ll get to your first boss fight. These fights shouldn’t be taken lightly, they’re not impossible, but your health will drain extremely fast if you’re not paying attention. What makes the boss fights such a highlight for Nocturnal is that they come in phases but also in a pattern, so if you pick up on the pattern, the fights become painfully easy but one mistake can still cost you some time and effort.

Now that you’ve finished your first boss fight, and probably suffered several deaths and retries as well, you’ll get your first and only major upgrade. The Throwing Dagger… It sounds boring, but it’s actually a godsend mechanic that can make future fights a lot easier by giving you some range damage. Though, just like Ardeshir’s blade, the Throwing Dagger can carry fire too for some on the fly torch lighting or just setting your enemies ablaze. Where the shine of this nifty little tool might fall short is with the fact that it only has one shot; not to worry, your single knife does come back to you after a few seconds for another throw at least.

To save the best for last, upgrades. You know them, we love them, and everybody needs them. In Nocturnal, upgrades or Phoenix Gifts play a vital role in your survival and the battle against the Mist, though you’ll need coins that can be found by breaking pots or sometimes from cutting down enemies. Again, this might require some exploring which is easier said than done since this is a linear game that tends to close off routes behind you. However, your first upgrade is also your most important one, and it’s the ability to heal yourself at the cost of your fire.

 

There are other useful upgrades you can get, like more health, longer fire duration, movement speed and increased fire damage. However, the most notable upgrade is a second ability called Embers Throw, at the cost of your fire, you can essentially launch a fire wave that will deal some really good damage. While the upgrades are nice, they aren’t necessary either.

It goes without saying but it does seem that Nocturnal isn’t the type of game you just play once. Since coins and notes can both be missed, the only way to get the full story is to reload and double back to any possible areas you didn’t explore or multiple playthroughs. For a game like this, multiple playthroughs might be the easier option but also the more fun choice.

Nocturnal seems to have taken several pages from oil-based painting with its art style when it comes to the nature side of things while going for a more textured 2D design for everything else, normally these two visual styles wouldn’t be seen together, but they work quite well. What makes the visual side of Nocturnal stand out even more so is the smoke effects used for the Mist on its own or when Ardeshir runs through it with fire. This beautiful combination of art styles and visual effects can be dangerous to anybody playing as you might find yourself stopping just to admire it.

 

The sound design and music side of Nocturnal is just as inspired. The game isn’t voiced at all and instead relies on text-based dialogues for what little talking there, with some very basic human sounds for effect, though this game has something much more important up its sleeve. An amazing soundtrack, you’ll notice the music shifting as you progress and explore more of Narhan, but the soundtrack also sets the mood of what’s going on around you with mostly instrumental wonder. Naturally, for a game that relies so heavily on fire, it doesn’t have much on the sound effect front for fire unless you set something on fire but everything else from fighting to the Mist is all there.

Overall, 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.

Jay Claassen (@R3GR3T_3NVY)
Editor, NoobFeed