SpiritSphere Review
by Omar (@siegarettes)
- SpiritSphere
- Developer- Eendhoorn Games
- Publisher-
Eendhoorn Games
- PC (Steam, itch.io)
Videogames have long been tied to the world of racquet sports. Titles like Arkanoid and Pong are some of the earliest and most imitated concepts in games history. Enter SpiritSphere, a modern entry that attempts to revitalize the concept by bringing in influence from another oft imitated game: The Legend of Zelda.
It’s clear what SpiritSphere is attempting from the first arena. There’s a familiar Gameboy aesthetic, and grass can be cut to reveal a host of bomb and arrow items. Default character Lin swings has a familiar sword swing, which can even be charged for a stronger attack. Likewise, the sword to sword rally of the sphere brings to mind the recurring Zelda trope of reflecting boss attacks back at them.
Moment to moment, however, SpiritSphere carries the feeling of something closer to Wizorb or Sanrio World Smashball. There’s a strong focus on anticipating the trajectory of the ball and directional control. Get in position for a charge shot and you can not only return the ball with force, but curve it afterward to throw off an opponent. A good shot from an arrow or bomb can have a similar effect, incapacitating an opponent just long enough to get into an opening.
You’ll have to mind the stages as well. The layouts can change the pace of a match, but you’ll also have to contend with stage obstacles. Bushes and lava streams can block off your opponent’s goal, and sometimes you’ll even be harassed by skeletons as you attempt to maneuver. Along with the unlockable sphere variants and characters, there’s plenty of variations to learn.
These variations suit the more casual atmosphere of SpiritSphere well. SpiritSphere doesn’t have the sheer strength of feedback that, say, Redshift Blueshift or Videoball do, so matches never that same feverish intensity. Instead, the constant changes to rules and situations keep you juggling chaos, giving you just a bit too much to think about in the seconds between rallies.
The chaos lends itself well to local play, and between matches I found myself exchanging details on the nuances of stages and items with my partner. It kept us from experiencing the fatigue that’s often associated with longer sessions of competitive games. The slow speed of character and stage unlocks did get in the way, which had me looking toward the singleplayer to speed up the process.
The same chaos that kept the multiplayer interesting works against it here. Each new stage or sphere variant is a hazard to you here. SpiritSphere’s variants often rely on clouding your judgement, so facing a computer opponent immune to those disadvantages sours a loss. On top of that, a loss subtracts from your current total of gold, the currency which new sphere variants are unlocked with. Hit a stage filled with a particularly troublesome set of rules and it’s easy to lose everything you gained up to that point. It stings even more knowing that the unlock system is random, rewarding gold with a random sphere variant, including ones that you may already own. It’s frustrating and has absolutely none of the charm of the multiplayer, and its clear that it’s not the way the game is intended to be played.
It’s a blemish on an otherwise charming game, one that’s otherwise easy to recommend for those who can get a few friends together in the same room. There’s real nuance here, and the breezier atmosphere keeps it from inducing the same sour feelings more competitive titles often do.