Imp of the Sun basically just looked like another indie platformer on the surface. Going in, it was hard to expect anything that wasn’t just another average game that would probably be fun to play for a handful of hours, only to be forgotten afterwards. What wasn’t expected was something a little more similar to that of Ori and the Blind Forest, or anything akin to that (ultra appealing) style. Imp of the Sun basically drops you into the world and tells you what the end goal is; how you reach that point is entirely up to you.

This was the first aspect that can either be adored or hated in games like this one. Imp of the Sun has four main bosses, plus the final boss. Each of the four main bosses have to be defeated to go up against the last boss, with each area granting a new power that can help in exploring. This is where I made my first mistake, the first area I decided to go to may have been the worst direction to attack first, the boss of the area was a massive pain. I do appreciate the lenience to allow me to choose any level right from the getgo, though. I couldn’t even be that mad. The good news is Imp of the Sun does feature fast travel, so you can jump over to a different area before heading back.

The advantage of travelling around is that as you defeat enemies, you earn experience and can level up your magic, health, and damage. That allows you to stack up on stats in order to give yourself a higher degree of success against bosses later down the line, unlike games like Mega Man, for instance. With that said, Imp of the Sun isn’t particularly long, only taking about 4 hours to tackle altogether; maybe less if you’re not as stubborn as me and don’t persistently fight the same boss over and over again instead of travelling to a different area.

After finishing the game, Eclipse+ mode will be unlocked, in which you’re able to tackle it game again, but starting with all the abilities from the getgo, as opposed to having to find everything all over again. The downside being that you’re not able to just restore magic anymore; instead, you’ll have to light torches throughout the levels. Only then will you be able to restore your stats during this particular mode.

Imp of the Sun is very reminiscent of Guacamelee in its style, the main difference being that instead of being inspired on Mexican culture, this one is clearly inspired by Peruvian (and by that, Incan) culture and imagery. The art feels very smooth. Its earthly, occasionally a bit too dark, but never not pleasing to the eyes. I also need to point out that the introduction for each of the bosses felt nice and fitting for its respective environment. The music, on the other hand, may not stand out exceptionally in the way that the art style does, but it still worked out at the end. It just wasn’t very memorable. I would have hoped for something more intense or exciting during boss fights, but all in all, I was pleased with the soundtrack. It didn’t make me want to turn the volume down, so there’s that.

Imp of the Sun was a pretty enjoyable little play from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the fact it didn’t even remotely try to hold my hand, telling me to figure my path out right from the getgo. I also really enjoyed its postgame offerings, with a pretty decent (and challenging) NG+ mode which made things a lot more tense on my second run. The replayability of Imp of the Sun is above and beyond what most games of its size and scope offer. If this genre clicks with you, the content is there to entertain you, so this is an easy recommendation.

Graphics: 9.0 The art style in Imp of the Sun is great. The heavily Peruvian/Incan inspired artwork and level design make everything feel earthly, but pleasing to the eyes.	Gameplay: 7.5 Imp of the Sun is a pretty standard action platformer. While it isn’t anything exceptional, the fact they just drop you in and let you get on your way makes it better than most games that spend an hour coddling you.
Sound: 6.0 The music isn’t out of this world or anything. Some sections could use with music a touch more fitting, but all in all, it is still good. No tracks in the game’s soundtrack made me want to turn the sound off.	Fun Factor: 7.5 Imp of the Sun is a well rounded action platforming game. It’s a great introduction to the genre for anyone who may be new to video games, but it’s also a solid game for veterans and enthusiasts alike.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Imp of the Sun is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Imp of the Sun was provided by the publisher.