It feels like a no-brainer to bring the art of musicals into gaming.

Sure, we’ve had beat and rhythm games aplenty, but the idea of a dialogue driven back-and-forth sing off is a compelling, intriguing idea on paper. And works mostly well in execution.

Stray Gods is a fascinating experiment from Humble Games and Summerfall Studios. As someone who adores musicals – from Hamilton to Wicked – this game was right up my street and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

It boasts an all-star acting and production cast and looks absolutely stunning with its distinct visual style. But there’s just this feeling the deeper you get into Stray Gods that there’s more style than actual substance.

Essentially, it plays like a visual novel with choice-based decision-making behind the lines you sing back within the song and the type of character you want lead character Grace to be, whether she’s a bad ass with a fiery temper or a thinker who can work her way out of any situation.

But as the game progresses, you just find yourself more confused than compelled. Where is this story going? What impact is the singing actually having? How integral is your decision-making?

There’s some great songs in here and some interesting twists and turns in the story, but the premise very much stays in the one lane, and following completion, a second run-through doesn’t really seem to change things too drastically.

So it’s very much an RPG-lite. But with the ability to change and adapt a song to your personality and liking. I loved choosing a left-field response from Grace which completely changed the complexion of a slow ballad into a rock off.

The premise, naturally, is about Gods. Specifically, the lead character, Grace, becoming one after inheriting the soul and voice of Calliope who has been mysteriously and brutally murdered following a one-off meeting with you. She turns up on your apartment door step, dying in Grace’s arms, now it’s up to you to solve the mystery of her death through Grace before the Gods pass judgment on you.

It’s a bare-bones way to get to the meat of the game – the singing – and it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that is absolutely the best part of the entire game. Despite none of the songs being particularly catchy or memorable, the performances are exceptional and are typically full of energy.

The voice actors are absolutely the stars of the show here, and are clearly having the best time recording their lines and verses. Just as well as the gameplay flow itself is pretty substandard with Grace completing her song and investigations, then moving from one location to the next via a scaled-back, simplistic map.

Playing on Xbox, I also found some issues with save files being overrun if I quit out of the game and hadn’t reached a certain point. Quick Resume did also cause some issues, such as not playing any audio during musical numbers.

But there’s no doubt about it, Stray Gods is a clever, well designed, beautifully built game with some solid foundations and an intriguing enough story you’ll want to see through. The songs are well produced, the voice acting is first rate and you may even be compelled to do another run through.

Simplistic mechanics and gameplay aside, there’s no experience like Stray Gods in the gaming world right now. And that alone should encourage you to take a chance on it if you’re craving something completely new and different.

Verdict

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is one of the most creative, original and interesting games to come along in a long time. The voice acting is world class, and its cast are clearly having the time of their lives. The comic book artstyle is beautiful, the story is compelling enough to keep you hooked, but unfortunately it is hindered somewhat by its limited gameplay and simplified mechanics. Beyond its save issues on Xbox, however, if you’re looking for a different kind of gaming experience from anything else out there, this one won’t lead you astray.