Naught | Nintendo Switch Review
Updated: Nov 19, 2021
Developed and published by Wild Sphere, Naught is a platform game with a twist. It is currently available on Windows PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. For the purposes of this review I was playing the standard edition of the game on the Nintendo Switch and in handheld mode. There is also an extended version of Naught available which adds an additional 30 levels, or you can buy these levels on the Nintendo Switch via 2 DLC packs.
You take control of the world as you rotate the environment to change gravity and guide your character, Naught, through a dark underworld full of deadly obstacles. There is a picture book which can be accessed from the main menu, which tells the story of Naught and his adventure, however you must play through the game and reach certain goals in order to unlock more pages so you can see how the story unfolds. I found it very challenging to get to grips with how Naught falls through each different section as I tried to predict his trajectory. You will gather blue seeds of light as you are making your way through the environment that will help him access blocked areas, these also act as your life source. If this gets depleted and you “vanish”, you will get sent back to the start of the level; however, if you have any seeds of light left, you will restart at a checkpoint partly through the level. Each level also has 3 diamonds to collect which helps to unlock the full story in the form of a nicely drawn picture book.
Naught has a mainly black and white colour scheme with just a splash of colour here and there which in my opinion makes this game look stunning. The techno, drum and bass style soundtrack is not to my taste but it does fit the style of the game very well.
Naught had me extremely frustrated at times but I could never bring myself to put the game down. Level 19 in particular took me over 1.5 hours to get through. There are 40 levels to complete in total with the option to go back and replay each to collect any diamonds you might have missed so there is a decent amount of playtime here. I think this would really be a great game for any speedrunners out there with the unlockable “Time Trial” mode.
I really enjoyed this game and would have given this an even higher rating had it not been for the fact you have to achieve milestones or get collectables to unlock more of the story. This was a big down point in my opinion. For me the story should be intertwined with the gameplay which would help you get more immersed in the whole experience. However, this may well have been done on purpose to encourage 100% completion and to keep players coming back for more. With its unique gameplay mechanics, addictive gameplay and lovely visuals, Naught really sank its claws into me and I struggled to put this one down.
PaultheBrave09's Rating: 4 seeds of light out of 5.
For more information on Naught please use the following links...
Wild Sphere - Developer | Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Many thanks to Wild Sphere for the Review Key.
Naught | Steam Store | PlayStation Store | Nintendo eShop