Revita Review
In March of last year, developer BenStar released Revita in Steam’s Early Access program to gather fan feedback as the team worked hard on a game they hold near and dear to their hearts. The care that BenStar put into the final product is ever present in this charming indie game. Revita markets itself as a twin-stick rogue-lite platformer with mechanics inspired by 2011’s seminal Binding of Issac. Now in its full 1.0 launch, Revita proves itself to be a fascinating game that features crisp controls, addictive gameplay loops, and a great soundtrack. The game may contain a bit of a learning curve, but it should please many rogue-like game fans. Revita opens with the player controlling an amnesic child who wakes up in a mysterious metro station. The story unfolds in a seen-not-said way that requires players to pick up the pieces of the world to understand what happened to the boy. The main goal of the player is to reach the top of the final clock tower by progressing through a series of smaller towers, each containing multiple floors and a boss at the top with a thematic twist. Along the way, the player will encounter various NPCs who will help them on their journey, each unlocking new game mechanics and progression systems. Beautiful sprites and colorful battle arenas permeate Revita’s visual experience. The game manages to never look too dull in its backdrops despite reusing a lot of geometry in its many towers. Enemy designs are varied and unique, and it won’t take long for players to remember an enemy’s actions just by glancing at the screen. Filling the world of Revita is a great soundtrack that captures the melancholy mood of the Memoria Station hub area while also adding memorable jingles to the fast-paced floors where the battle takes place. There is also a neat element of customization in the game;[ThemaincharactercanbedressedupinlayerswithhatsanddecoratethewallsofMemoriaStationthankstotheunlockableblueprint.
Combat is one of Revita’s greatest strengths, feeling very similar to platforming games like Cuphead. Revita’s gameplay relies on players dashing, jumping, and shooting during bullet-hell style combat scenarios that become increasingly hectic. Although initially difficult to get used to, the game’s use of the left bumper and left trigger for jumping and striking became intuitive as the action became more intense in later levels. Revita is a challenging game at first and has a bit of a learning curve, but the payoff is worth it when players find themselves gliding through levels with grace, deftly dodging an onslaught of bullets and lasers . Revita sets itself apart from its platforming peers with its unique use of player health as a currency. Relics, pickups, and various items in Revita require the player to sacrifice a portion of their health in exchange for goods and services. The risk-reward health management system makes players think about their health and skill level in new ways. A better player, confident in their abilities, can have the luxury of purchasing an expensive level 2 rare relic for many hearts at one of the game’s various relic fountains. However, low-skilled players who bet low and sacrifice half-hearts or full-hearts in chests can still be rewarded with valuable relics that can dramatically change how the game is played. Players can gain more health by defeating enemies and capturing their souls, filling the Soul Meter. Players can use the Souls Meter to restore hearts. A combo system is also unlocked early on that increases how many souls players collect based on how quickly they can defeat a room of enemies. Revita emphasizes the importance of mastering its systems all the time and rewards players handsomely as they get better at the game; however, it has many avenues for progression as players fail and try again in their pursuit of mastery.
Interestingly, Revita is a rogue-lite, which means that the game will constantly throw new things at the player with each run. While good play will bring players to Revita, it’s the constant cycle of failing and trying again where progress really happens. Every death becomes an opportunity to find something new, whether it’s a secret room containing a new NPC or a coveted Celestial Weapon that wipes enemies from the map, there’s always something to discover. Whatever is discovered will directly help the player or even curse them with debuffs if they are unlucky. Revita features tons of relics with many different types, and players can unlock more relics with soul coins in the game’s hub area. Many relics will boost the player’s stats, and some have the ability to change the player’s strategy to completely combat situations. A relic that might not be considered important can be the key to building another run if the synergy is right. Only through repeated trials will players discover all the game has to offer. Additionally, Revita features a procedural generation system that creates a unique run whenever the player fails. No two runs truly play the same way. Each spawn spawns new floors containing new enemy placements, new relics, new secret rooms, and new level layouts. While the levels never feel like they’re varied in their structure, players will quickly find that the game changes enough with each level to keep it fresh. Entering a new room, assessing the situation, and acting on a plan made in just a span of seconds continues to be enticing. Revita’s wide variety of items, builds, discoverable NPCs, and procedurally generated nature make the whole experience addictive.
Revita is a great addition to the ever-expanding library of rogue-like genre games and one that should be on fans’ radar. It doesn’t really challenge the existing conventions of the genre, but what it does, it does well. Revita introduces an interesting health management system that constantly makes players think about the consequences of their actions and features enjoyable combat, responsive platforming, and a great soundtrack. Everything comes together to create an addictive package that will keep players coming back to the game’s charming towers and lonely metro stations for many hours to come. Revita is now available for PC and Switch. Today Technology was provided a PC code for this review. MORE: Revita Lead BenStar Reflects on Risk-Reward Roguelite Ahead of PC, Switch Release