Having spent most of my youth in the nineties, I remember spending summer days in a coastal town with my grandparents. It was there that I would spend some time every day in the local arcades, playing all kinds of video games. Aside from the arcade cabinets, there was something else that always drew me back: the pinball machines. All of them were so intricately designed, and there was this tactile element to it since this was a physical game. So how do you translate something like that to a video game setting? You do it like developer Apparition Games does with Pinball Spire.
Obviously, we have seen pinball games before, with Pokémon Pinball coming to mind immediately. But for a long time, it felt like what you could do with pinball in a video game was a bit… limited. Some developers have tried to move away from the straight-up recreating pinball machines to create something new, like Flight School Studio’s Creature in the Well or Frosty Pop’s The Pinball Wizard. While those are excellent games in their own right, they won’t scratch the itch for those of us who love actual pinball machines. In comes Apparition Games and their claim to have made the first pinballvania game. Basically, it boils down to one giant pinball machine, the titular spire, and your efforts to make it all the way to the top. Why are you a pinball? What makes you the unlikely hero of this story? Why did this spire appear all of a sudden? No idea, but we don’t need to know, really. It all just adds to the intrigue.
The setting for the game is immaculately presented. The visuals are reminiscent of your typical fantasy fare, and the music helps to set a certain mood from the get-go. There are torches lighting up the inside of the spire to give you that mediaeval feeling, but they’re not just there for aesthetic reasons. In fact, they become integral to the gameplay from a certain level forward. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Obviously, presentation is important, but there is only one way to correctly simulate a pinball machine: gameplay has to feel right. And I’m very happy to say that the developers nailed it. The game is incredibly responsive, with the triggers handling perfectly and the physics of your little pinball feeling natural as well. A feature related to this that I feel I have to mention is the camera work in this game. It would be easy to get this wrong, with the camera either being too static or moving around a bit too much. Apparition Games really found the perfect balance though, making sure you always keep track of where you are and where you are going.
So far, so good. How about the levels then? Excellent gameplay is nothing without the ability to use it in an interesting setting. Once again, the developers have created something special. You start at the bottom of the spire, trying to make your way up, with each level increasing in difficulty as you get higher and higher. Each level’s exit is locked though, so you have to figure out a way to open the gates to continue your progress. This means that every level is a puzzle, with all of them requiring pretty different solutions. One thing you need along the way is additional powers to solve these new puzzles. They can range from slow motion to becoming a fireball, and they get introduced at a perfect pace, always appearing just before you’ll need them. Using those powers is limited through a sort of mana bar, but the bar replenishes very generously, so that should never be a problem.
I really loved the addition of these powers, as it kind of elevates your traditional pinball experience. Especially since there is more to these powers than what you’d think at first. For example, the fireball power is supposed to help you crash through enemies you’d otherwise bounce off of, but at the same time, you have to use this ability to light the unlit torches in one level to be able to progress. It’s a neat little system, and I would have loved to see more of it.
Sadly though, by the time you get used to combining all of your different powers together, the game already ends. It’s probably my only real problem with this game: it was over a bit too soon. With only a couple of hours of gameplay, even with my limited pinball skills, it just left me wanting more. There is a lot of potential to work with here, as the developers show that they fully understand what it takes to make a wonderful pinball game. So here’s hoping that we get some DLC or a fully fledged sequel.
I haven’t even gotten to the customisation yet! It’s not something that really influences gameplay or anything, but there are ways to alter your little pinball’s looks, and it’s amazing. There are headwear options, and my pinball has these amazing sunglasses that give your character a subtle touch of personality. Well, as much personality as a literal ball can have, anyway.
If you like pinball, there is literally no reason not to give Pinball Spire a chance. It can easily be beaten in a single sitting, although the game does offer regular save points if you want to savour your experience a bit more. The game feels incredibly responsive to play, and having tested this on my Steam Deck, I can definitely recommend playing it that way. It is one of those games that you will start playing while watching TV in the background, only to realise halfway through that the game has taken up all of your attention as you attempt to advance to the next level. The claim that it’s Metroidvaina-adjacent might be taking things a little far, but I’m convinced that whether you’re a pinball wizard or a novice, there will be something for you here.
Release date: October 2nd, 2024
Platforms: PC
Price: £12.79
Version tested: PC (on Steam Deck)
Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
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