Adventure of Samsara is a reimagining of the original Atari 2600 title, Adventure. While an interesting take on the original title, this serves as a complex and twisting tale around the player’s character, the Solar Champion. Resurrected by the primordial light of the Sun, you are a long-dead Plutonian tasked with reactivating a mysterious inter-dimensional fortress. This reactivation of the fortress is a means to restore balance to the multiverse.
Unlike the simple quest-based narrative of its spiritual predecessor, Samsara unravels its mysterious lore through subtle environmental cues and fragments of the hero’s past.
This take on narrative structure feels less like a traditional epic fantasy game and more like a puzzle where the player has to piece together their own history and purpose in the world they find themselves in. While this story telling is very slow, it’s interesting and is one of the games greatest strengths. This provides not only a sense of discovery but also of mystery.
Adventure of Samsara is yet another Metroidvania experience which borrows more from a “souls like title than that of the genre of which it resides in. This makes the game both punishing and very rewarding. The core of the gameplay revolves around precise, methodical combat and challenging parkour-style platforming. While you start with a basic sword and shield, you will find a lot of upgrades as well as new abilities. These are unlocked over time as you play and explore the world.
The game’s combat is weighty and deliberate; once an attack animation begins, you are locked in, unable to cancel or heal until it resolves. This take on combat forces the player to be both strategic and deliberate when it comes to combat. The platforming is equally challenging, with enemy knock-back often resulting in cheap deaths and frustrating falls into pits. However, this high difficulty is balanced by a generous checkpoint system. While the game’s touch controls and difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially for casual players, they ultimately foster a rewarding sense of mastery. The interconnected world, spanning 10 distinct biomes, is filled with secrets and collectibles. This ensures that exploration is always a key and gratifying part of the experience.
Visually, Adventure of Samsara is a kaleidoscope of artistic vision. The game’s 2D pixel art is very thought provoking and meticulously detailed, creating a stunning and varied world. Each of the 10 biomes has a unique visual identity. From frozen wastelands to fiery industrial labs, all are rendered with a somber and atmospheric texture. This unique artistic style blends the genres of fantasy and sci-fi in a beautiful way.
The animation of the player and enemies you encounter is fluid and well-animated. When it comes to performance, the game runs flawlessly; maintaining a smooth and consistent frame rate on modern platforms like the Xbox Series X. Though with a 2D game like this, it is what we come to expect with a modern platform. The visuals are the perfect complement to the game’s narrative, with environmental storytelling and subtle light and shadow effects creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that pulls the player deeper into the mystery.
Audio in Adventure of Samsara perfectly aligns with its atmospheric tone and beautiful pixel graphics. The soundtrack is in fact not a large collection of chip-tunes, but rather a collection of ambient retro synths that give the game a sense of mystery and help to keep the player engaged. While exploring the world around you, the music is minimalist and meditative, often stepping back to let the player’s footsteps and the sounds of the environment take center stage. This deliberate use of sound creates a deeply immersive atmosphere that enhances the feeling of solitary exploration. As much of a big world as the player finds themselves in, you still can’t help but feel alone. In contrast, the boss battles are underscored by epic, orchestral-like symphonic pieces. This not only underscores how big of an impact boss battles have, but also helps to drive home just how massive and formidable they are.
The sound effects are equally well-crafted, with satisfying cues for sword strikes and enemy attacks. While some may find the ambient music less memorable than a traditional chip-tune soundtrack, it is a deliberate artistic choice that works very much in the games favor. It compliments the game’s stunning visual and narrative themes. in perfect harmony with the game’s visual and narrative themes.
Adventure of Samsara is one of those games that really surprised me. I mean how could you go and make a spiritual successor to Adventure on the 2600 and make it feel new and exciting? Well this game is the answer to that very question. The game is very polarizing in both its presentation and the way it plays.
The game manages to be a very powerful and challenging Metroidvania in its presentation and difficulty. This combination successfully revitalizes the spirit of a classic game while simultaneously carving out a distinct identity of its own. Adventure of Samsara is a hard game with its tough controls and demanding difficulty. With how demanding and difficult this game can be, it may alienate some players who were hoping to revisit a somewhat familiar game.
However, for those who want challenging and strategic gameplay, it offers a deeply satisfying experience. Adventure of Samsara is a testament to the idea that modern indie games can pay homage to their roots while pushing the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay.
While this is not your Dad’s Adventure, this is one epic adventure game that you don’t want to miss out on!
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
In addition to writing articles, Ryan Byers also creates content for his YouTube channel called "Obscure Games and Consoles", collects video games, and dabbles in video game development.