Vigil The Longest Night (Steam) Review

A GOTHIC ADVENTURE FULL OF SURPRISES

The twisted writings of Gothic literature have always been a fascination of mine. Foreboding architecture, elaborate clothing, twisted monsters all make for a perfect backdrop to engaging stories. From developer Glass Heart Games comes Vigil: The Longest Night, a 2D action-adventure that uses elements found in the soulslike genre to craft a dark and twisted journey through a world full of secrets that is being assaulted by plague and monstrosities. Vigil was published by Another Indie, a studio we’ve covered extensively on Forever Classic Games, and this may be one of my favorites out of their library. Although, I admit that I have yet to tackle Yuppie Psycho, a pixelated horror game that anyone who plays raves about. That detail aside, Vigil is able to push beyond its limitations through amazing sound design and a captivating art direction. 

Aesthetically, Vigil: The Longest Night reminds me of Bloodborne and even the developer I talked with at PAX West mentioned the game as an inspiration. The bosses of Vigil are grotesque and awesome; they are typically towering, hand-drawn sprites with multiple parts. Each track in the soundtrack captures that epic and mysterious feeling I so often seek. Combat utilizes a stamina system and even some of the weapons like the Saw Blade and the armor and clothing echo Bloodborne’s designs. If Salt & Sanctuary brought Dark Souls to 2D, Vigil brings Bloodborne to 2D while still charting a path for its own identity. 

Players take up the blade of Leila, a Vigilant that returns to her hometown only to find the villagers rife with terrible sickness and monsters around every corner. Leila quickly reunites with her sweet sister Daisy, who is helping the town’s doctor treat patients. Following the game’s first act though, it is clear that in Vigil, not everything is as it seems. In this game, players will experience pocket dimensions, time loops, and more maddening themes through lots of both main quests and optional quests. There are even major decisions to make that alter the game’s overall story and the appearance of certain areas. I am not quite sure the exact details of the plot (I have some questions I would like answered) but the journey is one that is unforgettable with powerful imagery and amazing creature design. 

The world of Vigil: The Longest Night is foreboding. Yet, it sparks curiosity to press the player forward.

Going through the game blind was a ton of fun but once I cleared the final boss, I knew there were other endings to pursue. After getting four special items and fighting the final boss once again, I got a different, more satisfying ending. Even though I beat the game, I know there were still secrets to find. There’s at least one boss I’d like to go back and fight and there is even a special DLC that grants items from Salt & Sanctuary, a perfect crossover.  

I would also like to play the game again using only bows and heavy weapons as I stuck to swords for most of the game. I will say that once the dash attack is available with swords, most of the game’s bosses were trivial, whereas at the start of the game they were much harder to overcome. I also put a ton of points into defense and health, meaning I could mash through almost every fight. The only thing that scared me in Vigil was fall damage and even that I could survive in some areas thanks to an instant revive skill that refreshes after hitting a save point. 

There are some subtleties in the combat to discover even though it may seem overly simple. Some weapons have input commands similar to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night but these commands are easy to find on the weapon’s description. I also didn’t play much with throwing skills or magic, both of which could have interesting playstyle implications. The skill trees are mostly full of useful improvements and leveling up is constant and fun. 

NPCs like Hugh provide interesting quests and dialogue.

For more damage and defense, Leila can improve her weapons and armor at a smithy. This system will feel familiar to soulslike players and I ended up having plenty of items to upgrade a pile of items. I was free to experiment, beefing up weapons at will just to see how they felt. Many weapons and armor are teased in loading screens, of which there are plenty of short ones, and it was fun to finally get a weapon I had been reading about for hours. 

Speaking of reading, there is a lot of lore to pour through in Vigil. Unfortunately, the translation to English is rough around the edges, meaning some story elements are unclear. Glass Heart Games has been improving the English script since launch and they seem committed to making it the best it can be. I was playing before the game launched and the writing has gotten so much better since then. 

They also openly admitted that they are always improving the game’s performance on Switch, a version I have not played but I would buy if we ever got a physical release. On Steam, the game ran great although sometimes inputs seemed to drop while using an Xbox One controller.  

There are lots of items, spells, weapons, and armor to find in Vigil.

Another criticism I have of Vigil is the game’s map system, which is a shame because the world map is much larger than expected. Most secret areas and paths simply do not appear on the map once discovered. That and it is hard to tell which areas have been explored and to what extent. Having a more defined line would help tremendously. Thankfully, the checkpoints are plentiful and one can immediately teleport from checkpoint to checkpoint. 

Where Vigil truly stands out is the art style and the sound design. 

The beautiful, almost paper puppet designs pair perfectly with the haunting setting and background art. Again, the bosses are the stars of the show and it is always fun to see what evils lie around each corner. Vigil also likes to hide monsters to surprise the player. The best example of this is the stick bug monsters and the moths which look exactly like branches until they start moving. I actually jumped at a few monsters because they were so well hidden. 

Yes, that’s a monster above Leila.

Each song fits the mood well with crisp guitar work and epic soundscapes. The soundtrack was composed by Jouni Valjakka, who plays guitar and sings for the metal band Whispered. Some tracks would fit perfectly on a metal album so Valjakka definitely played to his strengths here on Vigil. Sound effects like footsteps are matched to the type of floor being walked on and effects like storms and waterfalls creep in the closer one is to them. Monsters squelch disgustingly and weapons sounds have impact. Definitely play Vigil with a good pair of headphones for optimal effect. 

Gameplay in Vigil is not perfect but it is elevated by these elements and it is clear that the developers put a lot of soul into the game. In a world where we have played practically perfect metroidvania and soulslike games, it is hard not to wish for certain elements in Vigil. However, taking in what this game has makes it stand out as one worth playing, releasing at a perfect time for horror-themed games, and not being overly difficult to the point of me not being able to finish it.  

In case it wasn’t obvious, I really enjoyed my time with Vigil: The Longest Night, and I hope to further explore the secrets of this dark world. This game punches above its weight class and I think as the game is improved with patches and hopefully more DLC it will become a genre favorite. Again, this is the most memorable game so far in the Another Indie library for me. My mind may change when I get to Yuppie Psycho but for now, know that Vigil is absolutely worth playing. 

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 7/10

VISUALS - 9/10

SOUND - 9/10

CONTROLS - 7/10

REPLAY VALUE - 8/10

OVERALL - 8/10

Learn more about Vigil: The Longest Night on the official Steam listing. Screenshots were captured using Steam functionality. A digital Steam copy was provided for the purpose of review. 

For more 2D action-adventure reviews, read our thoughts on Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Switch or check out the recently ported Prinny 1&2: Exploded and Reloaded, also on Switch.