Selfloss [Review]
Explore a dark, enchanting ocean-worshiping world in the emotional journey of Selfloss.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
Selfloss is a dark fantasy action-adventure game inspired by Slavic folklore and Icelandic landscapes. It’s an emotional journey that favors exploration and puzzles over combat and has a beautiful, melancholy atmosphere, which I lost myself in while playing. Alex Goodwin and Goodwin Games have made a wonderful game, but it isn’t without flaws.
Kazimir is an old man burdened with sadness and loss. As he is about to end things, a deity discovers him and sends him on a quest—if he travels to a place where he can find an Orca, the deity will perform a ritual that will make Kazimir feel whole. On the way, he must help others who are mourning by performing the Selfloss ritual for them and discover the root of the miasma plaguing the world. The deity gifts him a magic staff able to create and focus light, then sends him on his way.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
Each of the game’s chapters takes place in a different environment as Kazimir travels, with the common thread that he’ll spend as much time in his boat on the water as on land. The world that Kazimir explores is rich with history, full of magic, mystery, and wonder. The land is populated by humans, giants, elfurs, and more, who worship the sea and whale gods; you’ll encounter these people and creatures on Kazimir’s journey.
On land, Kazimir is unwieldy. His physics weighs heavily on him; he’s slow to get to a run, and reversing direction looks like it takes him some effort, as you can see with the animation that plays. If you sprint, you can see that he sweats profusely. He’s just not very nimble, as you might expect from an old man. Using his staff, he can shine a light on runes to activate them or focus light on enemies that he must destroy. Combat is mostly about avoidance; you need to shine the beam on an enemy long enough to freeze it, then hit it with your sickle as much as you can before the shell cracks and the enemy can lunge at you. Likewise, most of the game’s boss fights are about shining light on weak spots to destroy them while avoiding attacks, including blasts that will instantly kill you unless you hide behind cover in time. Thankfully, enemies stay dead permanently most of the time, which helps put most of the game’s focus on exploration and environmental puzzles.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
It took some time to get accustomed to controlling Kazimir. It’s clear that his movement is intended to put you in his shoes, to feel his age, and it wasn’t until halfway through the game that I really appreciated this and accepted it as intentional rather than unrefined design. In the end, it’s an essential element for the player’s experience with the game.
On the water, Kazimir is more agile on his boat. You can use his staff to generate a magic sail to move quickly or shine your light in any direction while rowing for more controlled, precise movement. Early in the game, you gain a dash ability for the boat that you can use to ram enemies or obstacles. The boat feels far better to control than Kazimir himself.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
At several points in the game, you must capture a fish’s spirit, an action encapsulated in a fishing minigame that I found frustrating. You have to row your boat towards the fish, then shine your light on it long enough to “hook” it. Once it’s hooked, you must steer your boat as the fish drags you along so you don’t lose it. At the same time, you have to wait for a sound and for your line to glow to precisely time the push of a button to weaken the fish. If you miss the timing, the fish gets stronger until it eventually escapes. It was too easy to mess this up and I just didn’t think this part of the game was much fun.
The game’s puzzles are all reasonable, and I solved them with careful thought and trial and error, with one exception. There’s a maze in the style of the Lost Woods puzzle in the original Legend of Zelda, where you have to pick the correct exits on a series of identical or nearly identical screens. I gave up and consulted a walkthrough; I was hopelessly lost even with the clues the game provided. Aside from that moment of frustration, I thought the puzzles were fun.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
Selfloss has a striking visual design. The 3D graphics are in a low poly style, with smooth textures and soft colors. Kazimir is small on the screen, so you see much of the world around him in the camera’s most common perspective, a 3/4 downward view. It makes you feel the scale of Kazimir’s journey, as he must travel on foot and his tiny boat. The game’s water is very well executed, whether still or in movement. If the water isn’t shallow enough to wade in, its color is solid, communicating a murky depth. When Kazimir is in his boat, it has a wake subtly shaped like a fish, a nice visual touch.
You have no control of the camera in Selfloss. It floats to new angles as you move around and trigger camera movement. This works for the most part, but the camera’s movement is slow and deliberate, and sometimes, it will cause your view to be obstructed at inopportune moments as the camera readjusts. The lack of camera control somehow helped the game feel more like a fairy tale.
Selfloss. Credit: Goodwin Games / Maximum Entertainment
I had a great time with Selfloss. It took me around nine hours to finish the game as I hunted for most of the optional pieces of lore, and it felt like the perfect length for the experience. It was an enchanting experience in a world with just enough mystery to always keep it compelling. At times, I was pleasantly reminded of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker; to be clear, this game is entirely different, but it hits some of the same notes. I’d recommend this one; just be prepared for how it will feel to control Kazimir and don’t get discouraged.
Selfloss is available now for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
Overall Score: 7/10
Played on: Steam Deck
