Written yesteryear Patrick Orquia
Title: Alwa’s Awakening
Developer: Elden Pixels
Publisher: Elden Pixels
Genre: Metroidvania, Platformer, Action, Adventure
Number of Players: 1 player
Release Date: September 27, 2018
Price: $9.99
Also Available On: Steam
Retro 8-bit pixel fine art aesthetics as well as indie games go mitt as well as hand. There are hundreds of games utilizing this style, as well as who tin blame their developers? It was loved yesteryear millions inwards the golden historic menstruation of gaming 20-30 years ago, as well as if worked then, it would run now.
Enter Alwa’s Awakening, to a greater extent than or less other 1 of these games. But dissimilar the others, this game seems to aim to resemble 8-bit games as closely as it can. From the means everything looks to the iffy in-game physics as well as questionable striking boxes, this game has it all. And of course, what expert is a good-looking game without an as expert soundtrack? Yes, this game has it as well. The chiptune music sounds authentically 80s, as well as they are all catchy as hell.
So it looks expert as well as sounds good. Does it play good? The response is yes, the game is of the metroidvania platforming multifariousness (another typical indie game checkbox, checked!). It’s nearly a piddling daughter named Zoe who has to move across the many interconnected areas of the nation of Alwa to salve it from an imminent danger brought upon to a greater extent than or less evil beingness called Vicar, out to enslave everyone. In other words, the most clichéd plot ever. Nonetheless, the story is only at that topographic point to give you lot a background on why you lot receive got to play as Zoe as well as exercise all the materials that you lot receive got to exercise inwards the game. You’d in all probability forget the primary protagonist’s call correct away 1 time you lot foremost the game. It is that unimportant.
But let’s go to the of import part: gameplay. The game play similar whatsoever of your typical platformer games. If at that topographic point is a platform, you lot outflow to it. If at that topographic point is a ladder, climb it, defeat enemies, rinse as well as repeat. But of course, this is also a metroidvania game, therefore you lot volition come across to a greater extent than or less dead ends: a platform that at that topographic point is no means to endure reached, a gate that requires a weapon or ability you lot don’t receive got yet, or an undefeatable enemy that volition kill most probable kill you lot because, again, you lot are likewise ill-equipped to progress further. So you lot receive got to go dorsum the other means as well as explore alternate paths. Rinse as well as repeat.
One (probably not-too-unique) unique aspect of the game is its focus on solving surface area puzzles. And inwards club to solve these puzzles, you lot volition receive got to teach different magical powers to endure added to your magic wand. You volition as well as therefore receive got to usage these powers interchangeably, depending on the situation. You tin either exercise a light-green crystal block that you lot tin usage to safely traverse spikes or as an added superlative to accomplish platforms; or a floating blueish bubble that you lot tin stand upward on to avoid enemy attacks or to accomplish high places; or an orangish electrical bolt to shoot distant enemies or opened upward sure gates. You volition receive got to teach these powers 1 at a fourth dimension as you lot progress inwards the game as well as you lot receive got to retrieve as well as rightly determine when to usage each of them.
As mentioned earlier, the finish is to halt the game’s large boss, Vicar. But before reaching him, you lot volition receive got to defeat his Protectors, 4 of them, to teach Ornaments to opened upward Vicar’s lair. These protectors are the bosses inwards this game. The boss fights inwards this game expect similar your typical old timey boss fights wherein you lot receive got to endeavor your hardest to evade attacks piece also attacking when the chance opens. These boss fights rely heavily on memorizing assault patterns as well as where the boss volition endure next, again, typical of the olden games. Attacks as well as movements are telegraphed inwards advanced, as usual, but of course of educational activity it could receive got fourth dimension to ambit off everything inwards mind. Upon defeating the bosses, you lot current of air that exceptional Protector’s Ornament as well as you’re off to the side yesteryear side one.
This game’s interconnected areas receive got salve zones inwards strategic areas, where you lot would respawn afterward getting your donkey kicked yesteryear to a greater extent than or less enemy or you lot drown or teach striking yesteryear a spike. You receive got at 3 striking points which teach diminished upon every striking you lot receive got from an enemy (except when you lot striking a exceptional type of spike or you lot drown on water/acid/lava). Some enemies would drib hearts upon defeat, as well as each pump replenish 1 striking point. Saving replenishes all 3 striking points. Once you lot receive got acquired magic, you lot volition also receive got a magic meter, as well as each usage of magic depletes it, but it regenerates correct away, varying inwards speed depending on which magic you lot used. Aside from magic, you lot tin also collect blueish orbs scattered everywhere. These blueish orbs grade upward your orb power, amongst the sole usage of depleting the striking points of a boss before fifty-fifty the struggle starts. You exclusively teach to receive got out a striking indicate per level. It’s amend than nothing, because boss fights tend to go actually tough without proper preparation.
Overall, Alwa’s Awakening looks, sounds, as well as plays similar an authentic 8-bit video game from the 80s-90s, as well as the awesome people at Elden Pixels receive got pride of this, as well as they receive got the correct to exercise therefore because the game is actually expert as well as enjoyable to play. So lay your old schoolhouse gaming chapeau on as well as explore the nation of Alwa for an 8-bit jeopardy to nostalgia.
REPLAY VALUE: High
PROS
- Looks, sounds, as well as plays similar an authentic 8-bit video game
- Subtle but effective usage of hard disk Rumble which signals a clandestine surface area or passage is nearby
- Has a warp organisation that aids inwards backtracking
- Easy-to-follow map that marks all salve points as well as warp points
- Has an Assist Mode which enables an easier gaming experience: items are marked on the map as well as you lot teach to speedily respawn where you lot are when you lot die
- Has a expiry count, which tallies the publish of times you lot overstep inwards the game. This either encourage you lot to endeavor harder or receive anxiety, because dying is no fun. But it’s cool to know how many times you lot messed upward inwards the game
CONS
- Bland story
- The visuals expect 8-bit but zip special nearly it; it surely could receive got looked better
- The game allows you lot to exercise a “low jump” yesteryear speedily tapping the outflow push (a longer press does a long or high jump)… this is non clearly explained inwards the game. There are portions inwards the game where you lot receive got to outflow from 1 platform to to a greater extent than or less other but at that topographic point are spikes on the ceiling that one-hit kills you. You receive got to exercise a depression outflow to avoid this. Took me quite a piece to realize this (i.e., I had to search on YouTube how to exercise it)
RATING: 4/5 8-bit Magic as well as Nostalgia
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