Metroidvanias have the blessing, and the unfortunate curse of existing in the same arena as Hollow Knight. The exception to the rule that made the keen enthusiast genre a mainstream focus. Which means that, inevitably every game thereafter becomes ‘the next Hollow Knight’.
Something that has befallen Well Dweller, despite the impressive catalog of past hits from the Thompson brothers. Such as Crypt Custodian, Islets and Sheepo.
‘Hollow Knight meets Little Nightmares’ has been the tagline I’ve been hearing. But, I’m here to tell you that Well Dweller is more than just some second-rate pretender. It’s the real deal, and it’s here to ruffle the feathers of the Metroidvania community.
Some Nice Plumage
The Thompson brothers have built quite a reputation within the Metroidvania genre for creating unique, gorgeous Metroidvanias on a very consistent basis. They never miss, and Well Dweller is another game that shows their eagle eye for quality.
The game’s central plot is simple, yet gripping. Having you play as the reluctant older brother role, in a world where birds have become near-extinct due to the orders of the Queen. Leading to your mother being birdnapped, and forcing you into the role of a hero, aiming to save your family.
This ushers you into the gorgeous world of Well Dweller, a world that blends light and dark fantastically. A world that feels grand in scale, making it feel like all the more of an uphill battle for a little bird like yourself to survive.
Artistically, it’s a joy to behold, with distinct regions, dynamic backgrounds making each screen feel alive, and with the musical stylings of Will Thompson, you’re treated to some incredible, atmospheric tracks that make playing this one on mute akin to a criminal offense.
The only thing that may be a drawback for some, is that some of the cutscenes and animations feel a little less polished than some of its contemporaries. Feeling a little more cartoonish than you might like when shooting for dark and sinister. But all in all, a visual and auditory treat from start to finish that makes exploring the vast map of Well Dweller as addictive, as it is fulfilling.
Spreading Its Wings
When I sit down to play a Metroidvania, a lot of the time I know what I’m getting, and I rely on that consistency. You’re going to get backtracking in abundance, intricate map screens and simple hack and slash combat, and hidden paths to find. These are aspects of the formula.
However, I love when a game takes those platforming, exploration and combat principles and tweaks ever slightly to make it all feel fresh and new. Well Dweller doesn’t reinvent the wheel in this regard, but it has more than enough to make it stand out from the crowd.
Mere moments into your adventure, you’ll be introduced to your matchstick slingshot ability, allowing you to create bouncing platforms, effectively acting as a situational double jump akin to Animal Well’s bubble ability.
But, you’ll also gain Molotovs you can whack at enemies like baseballs, various movement skills that allow you to spread your wings, and gimmicks for each region of the map that gets the most out of every mechanic, making each area feel like a bespoke puzzle to solve using your newfound ability.
Platforming feels incredibly fluid for the most part, as chaining slides, hovers, climbing, and bounces feels natural, with very few pain points that caused cheap deaths. A usual gripe I have with nearly all games in the genre.
That was largely absent here, and what remained was a game that consistently offered new ideas, while getting the most out of established mechanics. But thankfully, never feeling like a Path of Pain gauntlet to achieve this.
Hollow Knight Lite
Which brings me neatly onto the point that may see a few players turn their nose up at Well Dweller. But not I. You see, the trendy new thing to do in the genre is to offer an endless gauntlet of gruelling boss encounters, platforming sections that are hell itself, and obtuse sections that feel as Labyrinthine as the Water Temple.
Well Dweller mercifully bucks that trend and offers a Metroidvania that has all of those fixings that will sate your appetite for boss battles, pinpoint platforming, and thorough exploration. But, never doing so with a ‘git gud’ outlook.
Bosses have tight choreography that requires learning a pattern, but usually can be confidently beaten in the second or third attempt. Platforming sections require perfection, but also usually come with a healing station so you can have as many attempts as you like.
But above all, this isn’t a corpse runner that punishes you for failing. Nor do you need to get to checkpoints or stations to get around the map. You can warp as and when you like. Making exploration less of a chore. It’s a Metroidvania that gives you everything you want, but equally, respects your time, and doesn’t sadistically choke you into submission through the sheer weight of its expectations.
Some may see this as a negative, but I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to enjoy a Metroidvania without the usually burdens that come with it.
Bird Brained Bosses
The general synopsis could be boiled down to ‘a confident and competent metroidvania.’ The all-round design is superb, but there is one chink in the armor that lets the game down ever slightly. The combat. To say it is one-note would be putting it lightly. Enemy variety is decent, as is the overall boss design, but this is largely wasted effort as the protagonists moveset where combat is concerned, is so basic.
I can’t tell you how many times I was in a boss fight and found myself just wailing on the enemy, no nunace involved whatsoever. Which ultimately meant that the interesting boss design, and attack patterns were scuppered by combat systems that encouraged me to just stand there and spam attack.
Which is only cemented by trinkets, which make the combat all the more easy to negate and cheese. I’m all for accessiblity and easier all-round design, but I feel that a boss battle should still have a little more bite than all other aspects of the game. A hurdle to overcome, rather than a brief pitstop.
There are some obvious exceptions to the rule, such as the Dollmaker boss which is superbly designed and shoulders the burden of the limited combat to make for a memorable fight. Plus, the boss segments that behave as platforming and stealth gauntlets are also lots of fun. But, all in all, more nuanced combat would have took this plucky indie to new heights.
Reviewed on PS5. Review code provided by publisher.
Well Dweller is yet another competent and compelling Metroidvania from the Thompson brothers. Blending cute-as-a-button and harrowing themes to offer up a intricate Metroidvania map that is a joy to explore. It lacks that aggressively punishing difficulty some fans have come to expect from the genre, but that aside, this is a wonderful experience that really spreads its wings
Pros
- A gorgeous, intricate world to explore
- Outstanding, smooth platforming
- Rewarding exploration
Cons
- One-note combat
- Lacks harsher difficulty settings
