There’s no denying that Empyreal makes a strong first impression. From the moment you step into its fractured, floating world, it’s clear that this is a game with vision. The skybound setting — all shimmering islands, ancient ruins, and celestial light — is striking, and on Xbox Series X it looks the part. But, while Empyreal reaches for the stars, it doesn’t always manage to hold onto them. It’s full of bold ideas, some of which land beautifully, and others that feel like they’re still circling the launch pad.
Rather than sprawling open landscapes or bustling cities, Empyreal roots its entire experience within a towering, alien monolith — a vast, mysterious edifice suspended in the void. This isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the heart of the game. Each expedition begins at a teleportation portal, where players select a “Cartogram” — a procedurally generated floor plan that determines the enemies, elemental hazards, and loot they’ll encounter.
Every Cartogram is a self-contained challenge, and the deeper you go, the stranger and more dangerous the Monolith becomes. Of course, the monolith is visually striking, all brutalist architecture, glowing conduits, and shifting geometry, but it’s also cold and isolating.
While the environments of Empyreal are richly detailed, the hub areas between expeditions feel a bit sterile and underpopulated, offering little in the way of interaction or narrative momentum. It’s probably a deliberate design choice meant to emphasise the alien nature of the world, but it can make the game feel emotionally distant. The people you do meet are often harsh or uninterested anyway, but not in an especially compelling “From Software” kind of way.
Still, the sense of mystery of the monolith and why it’s there was enough to keep me pressing on for the main part. The Monolith isn’t just a dungeon — it’s a puzzle box, filled with secrets that hint at a much larger story about humanity’s place in the cosmos, and I really do like the Cartogram idea, which mechanically is just a way of seeding your run — but locked behind a collectible.
On that note, each run into the monolith is a tense, tactical affair. With only a limited number of Reset Charges to revive yourself, every encounter carries weight. Boss fights cap off each Cartogram run, offering a satisfying crescendo to each expedition. It’s a structure that encourages mastery and experimentation, and while it can feel repetitive over time, the variety of layouts and elemental modifiers keeps things fresh, at least for a while.
Where Empyreal really shines is in its combat. It’s been described as “Dark Souls in space,” and that’s not far off — although it also borrows heavily from Monster Hunter in its weapon set design. Melee weapons feel weighty and distinct, each with its own rhythm, reach, and learning curve. Ranged weapons, meanwhile, offer a completely different experience, with a focus on positioning, cooldowns, and timing. Switching between weapon types isn’t just a stylistic choice — it fundamentally changes how you approach each encounter.
The enemy design is solid, if not especially varied, and the boss fights are a highlight — challenging, cinematic, and often requiring a bit of trial and error. Empyreal’s stamina-based combat system rewards patience and precision, and while it can be punishing at times, it rarely feels unfair.
That said, Empyreal’s combat isn’t without its quirks. The lock-on system can be finicky, and the camera occasionally struggles in tight spaces. But overall, it’s one of the game’s strongest elements — a system that feels satisfying to master and rewarding to experiment with no matter how deep into the monolith you’re able to go.
Empyreal leans heavily into loot-RPG territory, and for players who enjoy collecting gear, tweaking builds, and chasing rare drops, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. Weapons, armour, and relics all come with unique stats and modifiers, and there’s a real sense of progression as you refine your loadout and learn how different items interact.
However, the game’s systems are dense — sometimes to a fault. There’s a lot of in-game jargon, and the tutorials don’t always do a great job of explaining how everything fits together. Terms like “Resonance Flux” and “Echo Modulation” are thrown around with little context, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of stats, currencies, and upgrade paths. For players who enjoy deep systems, this complexity can be a draw — but for others, it may feel like a barrier to enjoyment.
The menus, too, are a bit of a chore. Navigating your inventory, comparing gear, and managing upgrades can be clunky, and the UI doesn’t always make it easy to find what you’re looking for. It’s the kind of friction that adds up over time, especially in a game that wants you to spend a lot of time in its systems.
On Xbox Series X, Empyreal runs well. Load times are short, frame rates are stable, and the game makes good use of the hardware’s power. Quick Resume works reliably, and the HDR implementation adds depth and vibrancy to the game’s already striking – albeit stark – visuals.
That said, there are still some rough edges. Occasional bugs — floating NPCs, quest triggers that don’t activate, and the odd crash – can break immersion. None of these are deal breakers, but they do serve as reminders that Empyreal is a game that’s still finding its footing.
Its full of ambition – sometimes to its own detriment. It offers a unique setting, a deep and rewarding combat system, and a loot-driven progression loop that can be genuinely addictive. But it also struggles with pacing, clarity, and cohesion. The world is beautiful but often empty. The systems are deep but poorly explained. The combat is excellent, but the surrounding structure doesn’t always support it well enough to make things feel fun.
For players willing to push through the confusion and embrace the complexity, Empyreal offers a rich and rewarding experience. But it’s not a game that holds your hand, and it’s not always as polished as it needs to be. Still, there’s something compelling here — a sense of scale and style that sets it apart from more conventional action RPGs.
Empyreal is available now for PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
Comments are closed.