Xbox Game Pass continues to prove itself to be the best deal in gaming. With a host of games from Xbox’s back catalog, as well as a decent supply of newer games, and even a sprinkling of day-one releases, Game Pass is hard to resist for anyone who owns one of Microsoft’s consoles. This month has already seen the likes ofMass Effect: Legendary Edition, theHitman Trilogy, andDeath’s Door.The latest day-one release,Nobody Saves the World, might just join those upper echelons of Game Pass entries.
Originally slated for release in 2021, but needing a few more months in the oven,Nobody Saves the Worldis a top-down RPG that boasts a few truly unique gameplay mechanics and features. As the game was only released on January 18, it’s taken a little while for everyone to form their opinion on the game, but reviews are out, andNobody Saves the Worldlooks as though it’s certainly a game that’sworth the player’s time.
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Nobody Saves the World’s Influences
Nobody Saves the Worldwas developed byDrinkBox Studios, the same developer that released the incredibly popularGuacamelee!series. And while those games are widely considered to be superb brawlers, DrinkBox has gone in an entirely new direction for its new title.
Rather than using hand-to-hand brawler mechanics on a 2D plane,Nobody Saves the Worldinstead takes inspiration from top-down RPGs. With regard to exploration, the game resembles the earlyLegend of Zeldatitles. When it comes to combat, the developer is said to have taken inspiration fromFinal Fantasy Tactics. And it all shows, with each inspiration combining to make a unique game.
Nobody Saves the World’s Gameplay
At the heart ofNobody Saves the World’s gameplay is its core, unique idea. The player-character is called “Nobody,” and appears as a blank slate, just a pale-white body with hollow expressions. The main character appears like this as they can swap between different “forms” in the game, similarly to the recentSouls-likeMortal Shell.
Nobody’s magical wand gives them the ability to transform into a total of 15 different “forms,” each with its own unique powers. These forms range fromdragons to horses to slugs. Human forms can also be unlocked during the game, with monks, rogues, magicians, and necromancers all being available via Nobody’s main skill tree.
Each of these forms starts with two unique abilities but can be leveled up over the course of the game to gain more powerful and varied attacks. As the player progresses throughNobody Saves the World, they’lllearn how to fluidly link these forms together, creating devastatingly powerful combos.
The general gameplay loop ofNobody Saves the Worldsees the playercrawling through dungeon after dungeonto complete various quests and level their character up. These dungeons are procedurally generated, but the game does have set objectives that it requires the player to complete before they can progress through the story. Upon completing enough quests, the player will be rewarded with a “Star,” which can then be used to unlock the game’s “Legendary” dungeons. Those Legendary dungeons hold some of the game’s best loot.
Nobody Saves the Worldcanalso be played in co-op, much like DrinkBox’s previous gameGuacamelee! 2. So if there are any co-op fans looking for a new experience on Game Pass, then this might be a safe bet.
How Nobody Saves the World Is Reviewing
WithNobody Saves the Worldreleasing day one on Xbox Game Pass, some critics have had to wait to publish their reviews. But the game is finally out, and the vast majority of outlets seem to have really enjoyed their time with the game.
Currently, the game sits at a more-than-healthy 79 on Metacritic, with reviews ranging from as high as Windows Central’s 100 to as low asGame Rant’s own reviewof 3.5/5, which translates to a 70 on Metacritic. Generally, the game’s eye-catching cartoony art style has been praised by the majority of critics, as has the gameplay variety given in the number of forms available to the player. But the game’s repetitive objectives and gameplay seem to be its biggest weakness.
Nobody Save the Worldis available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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