There’s a familiar rhythm to modern Metroidvanias now—melancholy worlds, cryptic lore, punishing bosses—but every so often, a game emerges that seems to claw its way out of something deeper. Voidwrought, developed by Powersnake and published by Kwalee, is one of those games.
Originally released in 2024 and now expanded to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Voidwrought has an already strong reputation—often compared to Hollow Knight. On the surface, the comparison makes sense: hand-drawn visuals, tight platforming, and a hauntingly sparse narrative. But Voidwrought isn’t just echoing that formula—it’s twisting it into something more unsettling, more alien, and at times, more ambitious.
A World Drenched in Ichor
You assume the role of the Simulacrum, a mysterious entity born beneath the ominous Red Star, driven by a singular purpose: to hunt ancient gods and harvest their blood—Ichor.
It’s a premise that immediately sets the tone. This isn’t a tale of heroism or redemption. It’s one of consumption, ritual, and quiet, creeping dread.
The world reflects that tone beautifully. From the decaying ruins of the Gray City to the surreal depths beneath it, every environment feels imbued with cosmic horror. There’s a constant sense that you are trespassing in a world that existed long before you—and may not tolerate your presence for long.
Lore is delivered in fragments: environmental details, item descriptions, and fleeting encounters. It’s deliberately opaque, encouraging interpretation rather than explanation. For players willing to delve, there’s a rich tapestry of myth and decay lurking beneath the surface.
Movement That Feels Alive
If Voidwrought borrows anything directly from its inspirations, it’s the importance of movement—and it absolutely excels at it.
Traversal is swift, smooth, and immensely satisfying. The Simulacrum moves with precision, whether you’re dashing through narrow corridors, wall-jumping across vertical shafts, or navigating hazard-filled arenas.
What enhances the experience is how movement evolves. New abilities don’t just unlock new areas—they change how you engage with the world. Returning to earlier zones with improved mobility feels rewarding, revealing shortcuts, secrets, and previously inaccessible routes.
Platforming challenges are tough but fair. The game rarely feels like it’s against you; instead, it encourages you to refine your timing and understanding of its systems.
Combat: Sharp, But Familiar
Combat in Voidwrought is responsive and deliberate. Attacks feel weighty, dodges are precise, and encounters demand attention.
Boss fights stand out as a real highlight. Each one feels unique, both in mechanics and visuals, often forcing you to change your approach rather than stick to a single tactic. There’s a satisfying feeling of progression as you learn patterns, perfect your timing, and finally defeat seemingly impossible foes.
That said, combat doesn’t stray too far from genre norms. While polished, it can feel familiar—especially for players experienced in Metroidvanias. The real depth isn’t in the core mechanics but in how you customise your abilities.
Relics, Souls, and Build Crafting
Customization in Voidwrought centres on Relics and Souls—equipable items that alter your abilities, increase stats, or introduce entirely new effects.
With over 30 options to discover, there’s plenty of scope for experimentation. You might prefer aggressive, high-damage builds, or opt for defensive setups that prioritise survivability. Some combinations even change how you approach traversal or combat entirely.
It’s not the most complex system in the genre, but it’s flexible enough to support various playstyles. More importantly, it seamlessly links to exploration—encouraging you to seek out hidden areas and undertake optional challenges.
The Shrine: Where Voidwrought Sets Itself Apart
The most distinctive feature of Voidwrought is its shrine-building system.
As you explore and progress, you gather followers—devotees who help expand your base within the ruins. What begins as a modest refuge gradually develops into a sprawling hub filled with new امکانات, secrets, and narrative threads.
This system introduces an unexpected layer of management to the experience. Expanding your shrine unlocks new abilities, upgrades, and interactions, providing a tangible sense of progression beyond combat and exploration.
It also reinforces the game’s themes. You’re not just surviving in this world—you’re shaping it, building a cult around your actions, and delving deeper into its mysteries.
However, the system isn’t without its flaws. Progression can feel somewhat uneven, with certain upgrades locked behind obscure requirements. At times, it lacks the clarity needed to fully engage players who prefer more structured systems.
Atmosphere That Lingers
Where Voidwrought truly excels is in its atmosphere.
The hand-drawn art style is striking, blending beauty with grotesque detail. Environments feel alive—if not entirely welcoming—while enemy designs emphasise the bizarre and otherworldly.
Sound design plays an equally vital role. Ambient audio, distant echoes, and a haunting score foster a sense of isolation that permeates every moment. Silence is utilised just as effectively as music, enhancing tension during exploration and combat.
It’s a world that stays with you, even after you’ve stepped away.
Where It Falters
Despite its many strengths, Voidwrought has some flaws.
The most noticeable issue is the pacing. The game’s structure can feel uneven, with certain sections dragging while others pass swiftly. Backtracking, although common in the genre, sometimes feels more like a requirement than a rewarding part.
There’s also a sense that some systems—particularly the shrine-building—don’t quite reach their full potential. They are intriguing ideas that could have been expanded further, with more depth or clearer connections to the main gameplay loop.
And although the comparison to Hollow Knight is unavoidable, it can sometimes work against the game. Voidwrought is at its best when it embraces its own identity rather than simply copying familiar patterns.
A Cosmic Identity of Its Own
Despite these flaws, Voidwrought stands out in a crowded genre.
It doesn’t reinvent the Metroidvania formula, but it imbues it with a distinctive tone and several clever ideas. The shrine system, the cosmic horror aesthetic, and the focus on atmosphere give it a personality that’s hard to overlook.
It’s a game that rewards patience and curiosity—one that invites you to explore not just its world but also its underlying themes.
Final Verdict
Voidwrought is a haunting, beautifully crafted Metroidvania that combines tight platforming, satisfying combat, and a unique shrine-building system into an engaging experience. While it sometimes relies heavily on genre conventions and struggles with pacing, its atmosphere and ambition keep it captivating.
For fans of the genre, it’s an easy recommendation—especially for those attracted to darker, more surreal worlds. For newcomers, it provides a strong, albeit somewhat challenging, entry point.
It may not surpass its inspirations, but it certainly makes its mark in the void.
