The Persistence
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for The Persistence
The Persistence is a unique and unsettling sci-fi horror roguelite that does an excellent job of transferring its tense atmosphere and absorbing gameplay loops from its original VR form to the Nintendo Switch. There are tons of weapons and toys to tool around with as you run the gauntlet, the permanent aspects of the gameplay are refreshingly generous and survival mode and New Game+ provide a properly stiff challenge for those who prefer their roguelites to be tough as nails. Firesprite Games has done a fantastic job of porting the entire ghoulish affair over to Switch, with flawless performance in both docked and handheld modes; overall, this is another very strong addition to the console's ever-expanding collection of excellent roguelite experiences.
The Persistence is still a good roguelite, but it is impossible to ignore to the absence of a fundamental element such as virtual reality in the new versions of the game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Persistence is worth playing overall, but the game is unfortunately plagued with artificial difficulty solely to pad out the length.
Our only criticism is that the gameplay hasn’t quite made the transition to pancake play perfectly; looking at objects made sense on PSVR, but is odd in a more traditional medium. You get used to it quickly, though, and from there the rewarding loop hooks you in.
Roguelikes aren't for everyone, but The Persistence manages to show that a few tweaks to the usual experience can make wonders for accessibility. With a great atmosphere, intriguing setting, and great mechanics that allow for a variety of play styles, The Persistence is a more than worthy game for both roguelike diehards and those looking to finally get into the genre.
Though The Persistence Enhanced represents the best non-VR version of what is a sizably satisfying stealth horror romp on PS5, the suite of upgrades, though welcome, is not roundly enough impressive enough to warrant previous players taking another run at the game. For the uninitiated that don't own a PSVR headset however, The Persistence Enhanced on PS5 is still a compelling proposition that unfurls into a taut stealth horror affair.
The Persistence is a good game for fans of space horror, which without PSVR lost a little effect of immersion. However, it is still interesting to play, especially if you get used to the monotonous generation of levels.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Still, this version of the game does have enough depth, strategy, and replayability to make it a solid, worthwhile addition to your game library.