Pseudoregalia is a PS1-styled 3D-Metroidvania-Platformer that quickly gained popularity shortly after its initial release in 2023, thanks to its old-school style take on the Metroidvania genre, its unique PS1-esque graphical style, and appealing protagonist character design. While the title has been on my radar for some time, I only recently had the opportunity to sit down and experience it. Upon doing so, I immediately discovered something interesting.
My journey began with a struggle against the game's lighting. Finding the opening environments too dim for my liking, I headed into the settings to adjust the brightness—only to find the menus remarkably minimalist. In a humorous twist, the only notable toggle under Accessibility was an option to "Give Sybil pants." Realizing I would simply have to embrace the darkness, I dived in.
So, what is it that makes Pseudoregalia what it isl?
Gameplay:
Pseudoregalia is as classic a 3D Metroidvania as they come. It tasks you with exploring maps, navigating platforming challenges, and defeating enemies to gain new abilities and power-ups. This, in turn, allows you to access new areas with little to no hand-holding. In this game, if you don’t know what to do, it simply means you haven’t explored everywhere you can.
Platforming
As a platformer, Pseudoregalia is remarkably creative. You won't find staples like a double jump here; instead, the game achieves impressive feats with intentionally limited abilities. This allows skilled players to reach a very high skill ceiling, though I felt the "skill floor" was equally low—meaning it can be difficult for beginners to find their footing.
In my experience, the controls—especially on a controller—can feel quite clunky. For example, one of the abilities Sybil acquires is a wall jump. Not only does it feel significantly different from other games, but it often forces the player to fight with the camera just to see where Sybil is actually jumping.
Another ability is the wall slide, which allows Sybil to run across walls in an arching path. While this is easy enough to control, if you jump at the wall at an angle that isn't wide enough, Sybil will simply fall off. There were several moments during my playthrough where I felt my failure was due to the mechanics rather than my own mistake.
Furthermore, the game offers very little guidance. While the lack of quest markers is understandable for the genre, several mechanics are not well-explained. It isn't always clear if you are failing a challenge because of skill or because you lack a specific ability. For instance, there is a "bubble" mechanic where jumping out of a bubble allows you to perform a massive forward dash. You can repeat this dash until you touch the ground. I was stumped for a while because the game never clarifies that climbing a pole does not count as "touching the ground." While these instances are relatively rare, they did detract from my experience.
That said, the maps themselves were a joy to explore. Each area is unique and feels almost surreal, providing a backdrop for strange and fun platforming challenges. Even when I was fighting the controls, the core platforming felt solid once I understood it. The creativity of the abilities kept me engaged enough to see the journey through to the end.
Combat
The second pillar of gameplay is combat, which is quite simplistic and mostly non-intrusive. Enemies are sparsely distributed throughout the maps, each with its own attack patterns and health pools. For the most part, you can simply avoid them.
Sybil wields a cross-shaped weapon called "The Dream Breaker," which she uses for a basic three-hit combo. A unique quirk is that if Sybil is hit by certain attacks, she will drop the Dream Breaker and must retrieve it before she can strike again.
Combat is clearly not Pseudoregalia's strong suit; it feels like an afterthought, and the game seems to lean into this. Outside of two specific boss battles, enemies are obstacles to be bypassed rather than foes to be tackled head-on. The system is serviceable, but I would not recommend this game to someone looking for a combat-heavy experience.
Graphics:
We usually don't talk much about graphics here in Netto's Game Room reviews, unless a game does something truly special with them. And boy, does this game do something special.
Putting aside how dark the lighting is, Pseudoregalia's style is heavily reminiscent of the PS1 era, featuring low-poly models, crunchy textures, and a simplistic UI. Beyond the nostalgia factor that provides much of the game's appeal, this aesthetic actually complements the game's final theme—which, unfortunately, is only revealed at the very end. This style leaves a lot of room for the player's imagination to run wild as they play.
The crunchy textures and low-poly models allow players to mentally fill in the details of the world, letting them explore the environment in their mind's eye. This works incredibly well for the direction the game ultimately takes. I might be reading too much into it, but I feel there is a genuine connection between the game's themes and its chosen art style, rather than it being a case of plain old nostalgia. That level of intentionality is truly commendable.
The Story:
Pseudoregalia does have a story, albeit a simplistic one about saving a princess. By talking to NPCs or reading the books scattered throughout the bookshelves, you can gather bits and pieces of lore; however, it isn't until you beat the final boss that your questions are actually answered. There is nothing inherently wrong with a simple narrative, but the problem with Pseudoregalia is that it wants so badly to emulate the storytelling style of Hollow Knight or Dark Souls.
In games like Hollow Knight or Dark Souls, you are thrown into the world with no context, slowly piecing together the history of your surroundings. How much you choose to interact with the narrative is up to you, but those who do are often rewarded with some of the best lore in gaming. Pseudoregalia, on the other hand, doesn't pack the same punch. It utilizes the same minimalist method—where the story is sparsely told and the player remains confused until the end—but the payoff feels lopsided.
The core issue is that the plot is too simplistic to be told in such a cryptic fashion. The player is left constantly wondering what is truly going on, only for the final answer to leave them feeling like they are missing something more. Unfortunately, there isn't anything more to find. I feel like much more could have been done; without venturing into spoiler territory, the game’s themes and lore could have been better integrated into the map design and intractable objects to flesh out the world. As it stands, the story feels like a missed opportunity and is, frankly, disappointing.
Should you play it?
Pseudoregalia is a really strange game for me, and I have plenty of gripes with it. The controls can be difficult to get used to, the story tries to be deeper than it actually is, and the game sometimes requires playing in a dark room just to see what is happening. Furthermore, it can feel unnecessarily cryptic regarding your next objective.
But, in the end, I did happily beat it. The limited but varied abilities Sybil acquires set the stage for unique platforming challenges that provide a genuine sense of accomplishment. The maps are fun to explore, and the game is short enough that its problems never become truly overbearing. I can see this being enjoyed by people who miss the "good old days" of Metroidvanias—those who prefer a game that doesn't constantly feel the need to tell the player where to go for fear they might get bored.
There is also a lot here for fans of pure platformers, though internet guidance might be advisable for those with little patience for exploration. Ultimately, if you can see past the game's issues, there is something truly special waiting for you.
With a creative set of abilities facilitating fun platforming, beautiful graphics reminiscent of the PS1 era, and an old-school experience that refuses to hold the player’s hand, the specific niche Pseudoregalia aims for will really love this game.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PC (Played on ROG Ally X)
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