The story is a bit of a mix between the real world, where you meet a kid who is a fan of Metroidvania games and has just learned that his mother has awoken from a coma, and a strange world called Infinitevania, where he suddenly ends up with very little explanation. Fortunately, there is also no need for much explanation about how to get out of this world.
As a platforming hero, you start with a jump that comes with a ledge grab, letting you pull yourself up, and a step back that barely gives you enough room to escape enemies. Shortly after, you find a sword that will carry you through the entire game because there are no other weapons. It has a basic attack that can be chained into combos by mashing the button, while pressing down and attacking lets you bounce off objects and enemies.
The rest of your abilities, such as the dash and double jump, are granted as you progress through the game. This might suggest a Metroidvania structure, especially considering the game's name, but the genre elements are so minimal that the game ultimately leans much more heavily toward action adventure.
There is a map that expands as you explore each location and shows the entire layout. You can place markers on it, usually when you spot an item you cannot reach yet, although markers are not really necessary for unexplored paths because they are clearly visible as gaps in the map. You travel through only three maps, or biomes, each with its own environments and enemies, although the overall feel remains similar between them.
In general, you make your way through long, mostly linear paths while dealing with enemies and environmental hazards such as spikes and lava. Eventually, you reach forks where one path continues the main quest while others lead to dead ends containing loot or areas you cannot reach yet because you lack the required ability. Interestingly, the kid will often comment that you do not have the necessary skill yet when you encounter one of these obstacles.
Enemies respawn whenever you change screens and do not drop any loot other than red orbs, which serve as the game's currency. The orbs fly toward you from anywhere, so you never have to worry about losing them. You can also earn smaller amounts by destroying objects, while larger amounts come from crystals.
There are also cracked walls that can be smashed, but their visual difference from regular walls is so subtle that you will probably end up hitting every suspicious-looking wall. Fortunately, the map helps here because these walls are displayed in the same way as unexplored paths, appearing as gaps in the map.
Besides the abilities required for progression, which are obtained from bosses, most of the game's customization comes from spirits. They are arguably the biggest incentive to explore every part of a map. Some spirits can also be purchased from a merchant back at the main hub. Finding a spirit is not enough, though, as you have to equip it at a save point.
There are plenty of spirits, but only a limited number of slots, so you have to prioritize what you want to use, especially early on when you have only one available slot. The spirits offer useful enough perks to make this an interesting choice every time you find something new. They can increase your movement speed, give your sword the ability to destroy projectiles, reveal items on the map, create a shockwave when healing, and much more. More powerful spirits require more slots, but there are no additional requirements.
Save points let you heal. Although the kid has a healing ability, it is so slow that it often leads to a situation where you start healing only to get hit during or immediately after the recovery. Fortunately, healing energy is recharged by attacking enemies, so you can generally heal even during difficult fights or boss battles if you find the right opportunity. The same energy is used for two important abilities later in the game, but it never becomes much of a concern because it recharges so quickly.
The final feature of save points is fast travel. Unlocking it costs a significant amount, but it is well worth it because it lets you teleport to any previously visited save point regardless of the biome, significantly reducing backtracking. If you also equip spirits that reveal collectibles, you can avoid wasting a lot of time searching for the items you are missing.
Enemy types change between environments and are added to a bestiary the first time you kill them, but most enemies are simply obstacles that you can often avoid. Flying enemies are the main exception because they can move through the environment, although at least they come toward you instead of staying permanently out of reach. There are also unavoidable ambushes, but these reward you with a chest containing useful stuff, including gems that permanently increase your health and energy.
Enemy variety is decent, although the game does not start particularly well, with too many exploding enemies that can easily catch you in their large blast radius. Bosses are also fine. They can seem dangerous the first time you encounter them, but they are not particularly difficult once you learn their attack patterns and get used to dodging. Some bosses are basic, while the major ones change their behavior after taking enough damage, but none of them are especially difficult to handle.
One major annoyance is that the dash does not let you pass through enemies or hazards. This is a bigger problem than it sounds because you often do not have much room to dodge, and contact damage is a constant threat. It becomes particularly frustrating when there is a hazard nearby, causing you to take damage, get knocked back, and then fall into something else.
Environmental hazards usually respawn you at the beginning of a sequence, so you do not lose much progress, but there are quite a few platforming sections that require several precise jumps and maneuvers in a row.
Fortunately, death is not punishing because the only thing you really lose is time. You keep everything you have collected when you respawn at the last save point. There is also no need to repeat steps you have already completed. If you opened a shortcut or activated something, it stays that way, so you do not have to go through the same sequence again.
As is often the case, many of the game's frustrations become less significant as you continue playing and unlock more abilities. The double jump, for example, opens up much more freedom for dodging when combined with the air dash. There is also a ghost spirit that essentially lets you fly, as well as a spirit that allows you to dash through enemies.
That last ability is especially useful, although it is somewhat frustrating that it is locked behind a spirit requiring three slots. Being able to dash through enemies feels like such an essential movement option that it would have been much better as a standard ability rather than something you have to sacrifice three spirit slots for.
