3 
0 Selfloss is a mysterious linear story-driven game developed by Goodwin Games and published by Merge Games. This is the first game from developer Goodwin Games and was released earlier this month. It is available for £16.99 on Steam.
Selfloss is also available on PS5, Microsoft, Xbox S/X and Mac.
The story starts with your main protagonist, Kazimir, waking up and embarking on a soul healing journey. Armed with his light infused staff, he explores Nordic inspired lands, overcomes challenges and encounters other-worldly phenomenons.
An Old Man and his Magic Staff…What Could Go Wrong?
Gameplay
You are Kazimir. An elderly gentleman who just woke up in the misty mountains. You’re greeted with what appears to be a very long necked duck? Cute! They tell you to find your way which, ironically, that’s what you end up having to do. As you descend, you are faced with Miasma; this world’s evil entity that is looming all over the landscape. Not cute. It blocks your way, so you have to use Kazimir’s staff to use blinding light energy to rid of these oozing nasties. I have to say, as a person who gets jump scared easily, I did NOT appreciate the walking Miasma affected monster waddling its way to me.
You’ve got to use your co-ordination skills to run, shine your light and even dodge roll. But, like I said, you’re an older person. So expect your stamina to run out very quickly. Kazimir also sweats and puffs when he has to run for a limited time. Every swing of your sickle (gained later in the game) feels heavy. I felt as heavy and as worn out as Kazimir, thanks to the pushback from my DualSense controller. Usually I like to feel invincible in my games. But I was quickly humbled!
For those who like to truly immerse themselves in gaming, Selfloss is good to get lost in. You’ll face puzzles combined with beautiful scenery. You’ll restore light to the world while finding peace for your own soul.
Graphics & Audio
I did want to shine light (see what I did there?) on the soundtrack. The music starts off wistful and melancholic which harmonises the story of Selfloss. It then flows into a haunting melody as you sail on the waves and see the first whale covered in Miasma. As a whole, it creates a daunting atmosphere of doubt and the presence of danger. There isn’t any voice acting as such in Selfloss. In fact, the only dialogue is a slight mutter or groan, backed up by subtitles. This reminded me of Cult of the Lamb and I personally liked this choice. I don’t need to focus on two things at once, because by my own admission, I am easily distracted.
The atmosphere is completed with the visuals which is stunning in its simplicity. Marena, the goddess of the afterlife, is a enormous entity that shows her power. While the fish swirling atop the water that help solve puzzles offer small bouts of light in this dim and dubious world. The framerate struggled a little when it came out of a cutscene, went from a steady 60fps to 30fps. I lowered the graphic demand to just High and it sorted itself out. I can forgive this though; what’s a graphic drop compared to a good story?
Longevity
Selfloss is a story based game and has one goal in mind; heal your soul and heal the world. No pressure. But this means the game is to be experienced in a few hours. It’s a game to find yourself at the end of a difficult day. To help you find positivity in darkness, to heal your own soul. Okay, well, you might prefer to just sleep. But I saw this game as a metaphor to banish my own darkness with my light. Now, where do I find a magical staff with light powers….
Final Thoughts
I did say this game needs co-ordination and unfortunately, I am a button masher extraordinaire. I can, however, appreciate the beauty and the message of this story. Kazimir’s journey needs to end with the peace he needs and deserves. Selfloss is a bittersweet yet stimulating game that incorporates both story and gameplay. I recommend this game to anyone wanting to dive into a deep narrative about ‘self-loss’ (pun fully intended). This is a great start for Goodwin Game, I can’t wait to see what they publish next.
With all of this taken into consideration, I will be awarding Selfloss the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
If you enjoyed this review, why not check out our other PC reviews here!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
