![]() Bosses are even more problematic, as it's surprisingly easy to brute-force your way - including the final bosses.Įlderand's biggest problem is that it's well-made piece of software… that just never manages to be that fun, or stand out from any other of its kind, as it is way too formulaic, and afraid to do more than just the basics. There is also a lack of decent balancing in certain areas, like for example how the ammo drop rate for sub-weapons and bows is too low (or too high when wearing a certain ring), or how useless such weapons actually are. This is also one of those games where the main character should not be harmed when enemies touch them - this turns a great deal of the experience into pure aggravation. There's a fair bit of clunkiness when it comes to some moves small stuff like turning around after landing and so on, which don't necessarily break the game, but definitely make the action less fluid, and make it obvious that there's a lack of fine-tuning. The combat is fun, with mostly snappy controls, and there is a nice variety of enemies to fight against, but like with everything else in Elderand, there are a couple of issues to talk about. While it does revolve around exploration like all metroidvanias, that part is not that well-handled, thus all that remains is fighting with what stands between you and the next screen. It's important to note that this is mainly a combat-focused game. ![]() There are plenty of weapons, so one can pick and choose a variety of play styles, which is certainly a good thing but that's about it. ![]() The mercenary receives EXP through battle, which can be spent in four separate stats: Strength for higher damage with strength based weapons and better stamina, Dexterity for knives, whips, bows and a higher critical hit chance, Magic for magic-based weapons and MP, and Vitality for HP. Most will explore 90% of what's on offer in less than five hours(!)… which by the way means that the length of the whole adventure is way too short for the price tag this was released with.Ī short length can be counterbalanced by a high replay value, but the one in here is pretty low, mainly because of how underwhelming the character customisation options are. Sadly, it's one of the simplest metroidvania worlds ever crafted, with as little as possible interconnectivity, just a tiny amount of abilities to use, and almost no secrets to discover. Being a metroidvania, this is supposed to be a maze of interconnected biomes, where finding new tools permits exploring it further. The pixel art is top notch, but offers nothing that can be described as memorable. Generally, this is a game that can be described as adequate. The pixel art is great, it's just that few scenes stand out. It looks good, no doubt about that, if a little bit generic. You know the drill: caverns and serpentine monsters, moonlit, gargantuan cathedrals and undead knights, dying forests and giant bugs, and so on and forth. There's none of the feeling of dread and hopelessness expected.Īesthetically, this leans more towards the gothic style of the Castlevania series - less eldritch and otherworldly, and more like a heavy metal album cover. A Cthulhu-like statue here, some weird words there, and that's just about it. Plus, while this is supposed to be Lovecraftian it's really not. The unbelievably generic fantasy writing talks of a dangerous cult and incomprehensible terrors, but few will be engrossed to it all. Unfortunately, it's hard to care, and occasionally to even understand what's happening. This goes the "mysterious pieces of lore" route, with a few pages here and there semi-explaining what has gone wrong, with a little bit of dialogue thrown in to spice things up. ![]() Typical? Yes, but what has always mattered more in video game narratives is how one tells a story, and not what that story is. Players take the role of a mercenary, who must brave the monster-ravaged lands of Elderand and stop a great evil.
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