Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Seven Spirits of Ra blends top-down exploration with side-scrolling action, offering a varied gameplay loop that keeps you engaged from start to finish. You guide the spirit (ka) of Osiris through deserts, temples and tombs in search of scattered body parts, switching seamlessly between overhead navigation and platform-style combat. Defeating enemies is straightforward—press your sword or spell button to clear hordes of scarabs, jackals and undead guardians—but absorbing the seven animal spirits you encounter along the way adds a welcome layer of strategy.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

Each spirit grants Osiris a unique ability that changes how you approach challenges. The vulture spirit lets you glide over gaps and reach hidden ledges, the bull spirit grants extra strength to move obstacles, and the cat spirit enhances stealth and evasion. These powers are essential not only for combat but also for puzzle-solving—whether it’s lifting statues to open a sealed door or sneaking past fierce crocodiles in a flooded chamber.

Controls and user interface borrow heavily from its predecessor, ICON: Quest for the RING, but have been refined to suit a faster-paced adventure. Inventory management is minimal—your focus remains on exploration and using your abilities creatively. The game strikes a good balance between challenge and accessibility: boss fights against ancient deities demand pattern recognition and spirit-switching, while optional side areas reward thorough explorers with secret relics and lore tidbits.

Graphics

The visual design of The Seven Spirits of Ra evokes the grandeur of Old Egypt with warm sand dunes, torchlit corridors and ornate hieroglyphic textures. Environments are richly detailed, from cracked obelisk walls to dense oasis foliage, creating a strong sense of place. Sprite animations for Osiris and his foes are fluid, with distinct movement cues that help you anticipate enemy attacks or environmental hazards.

Color palettes shift organically as you journey deeper—sun-bleached browns give way to dank purples in underworld caverns, while shafts of light illuminate hidden treasures in burial chambers. Though the game runs on modest hardware, clever use of parallax scrolling and sprite layering lends depth to each scene. Occasional palette swaps do make certain areas feel repetitive, but the sheer variety of set-pieces—from temple rooftops to flooded catacombs—keeps the experience fresh.

Special effects are modest but effective: dust kicks up when you strike the ground, spectral wisps herald the approach of a guardian spirit, and simple but atmospheric cutscenes underscore key story beats. Overall, the graphical presentation never outshines the gameplay, but it consistently supports the mood, drawing you ever deeper into the mythic struggle between Osiris and Set.

Story

The Seven Spirits of Ra opens with the tragic tale of Osiris, once a benevolent pharaoh whose envious brother Set murdered him and scattered his body across the land. Stripped of form and shackled to the mortal coil, Osiris’s ka stands at the gates of the underworld, desperate to reclaim his flesh and put his restless spirit to peace. This mythological premise infuses your quest with emotional weight from the very first screen.

As you locate each piece of Osiris’s body, the narrative unfolds through brief in-game text and environmental storytelling—hieroglyphic murals, crumbling shrines and whispered echoes in hidden chambers. Each animal spirit you absorb ties directly into Egypt’s sacred bestiary, revealing snippets of folklore that enrich the world without slowing the action. Collecting relics and deciphering ancient inscriptions also rewards curious players with background on deities like Anubis and Thoth.

Although The Seven Spirits of Ra places more emphasis on action and exploration than on traditional role-playing dialogue, it never feels hollow. The looming confrontation with Set hangs over every combat arena and puzzle room, driving you forward. The final battle, staged in a storm-lashed necropolis, delivers a satisfying culmination of the game’s thematic threads—resurrection, revenge and the restoration of cosmic order.

Overall Experience

The Seven Spirits of Ra stands out as a polished blend of action, puzzle and light role-playing elements wrapped in an evocative Egyptian setting. While it streamlines many RPG mechanics from ICON: Quest for the RING, the trade-off is a more focused adventure that rarely stalls for inventory tedium or convoluted skill trees. Exploration remains the centerpiece, with hidden routes and spirit-enhanced shortcuts rewarding those who pay attention to their surroundings.

Difficulty is well calibrated: early sections ease you into basic combat and spirit use, while mid-game tombs demand clever ability combinations and precise timing. Boss encounters serve as memorable milestones, testing both reflexes and strategic spirit-swapping. Even after completing the main quest, optional rooms and secret temples offer additional challenges for completionists.

For buyers seeking a game that marries engaging combat, inventive puzzles and a rich mythological backdrop, The Seven Spirits of Ra delivers. Its approachable controls, atmospheric graphics and emotionally charged storyline make it a standout title for fans of action-adventure games, especially those intrigued by ancient Egyptian lore. Whether you’re unearthing Osiris’s body parts for the first time or revisiting to uncover every hidden chamber, this journey through sun-scorched sands and shadowed underworlds promises an adventure worth undertaking.

Retro Replay Score

null/10