4 The Elements

About

4 The Elements is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Mito Games and was released on August 25, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

4 The Elements is a 2D Action Platformer inspired by the best games of this genre from the 90s. Switch in real time between the four elements of nature to overcome challenges, acquire new abilities and defeat powerful bosses in beautifully crafted thematic stages.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a unique character-switching mechanic that allows for fluid gameplay and diverse strategies, making it engaging and fun.
The writing and character interactions are well-crafted, providing humor and personality that enhance the overall experience.
The level design is visually appealing, with distinct elemental themes and challenging boss battles that require players to adapt their strategies.

The game is misclassified as a metroidvania, as it features linear levels and lacks the exploration and interconnected world typical of the genre.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including graphical glitches and problems with checkpoints that can disrupt gameplay.
Some character abilities feel awkward and tedious to use, particularly with the Earth character, which can detract from the overall fluidity of the gameplay.

graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they lack cohesion and suffer from bugs that can disrupt gameplay. While some character designs are praised for their uniqueness, overall, the visuals are described as cartoony but not well-integrated, leading to a low score of 4/10. Additionally, the absence of graphics options has been highlighted as a significant drawback.
- “Character graphics for their speech portions are very well drawn and offer a unique take on the elements.”
- “Finally, the visuals are cartoony and nice.”
- “It's worth playing it if this genre or art style is to your liking.”
- “The graphics could be better as they don't feel like they blend in well enough.”
- “Furthermore, there are some graphical bugs, and at times you can get 'locked' and be unable to move or go to the menu or anything.”
- “I don't think any of the graphics are particularly bad (okay, a couple of things come to mind like the 'mud flow'), but the main issue is that a lot of the graphics don't mesh well.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay features a non-linear stage order with similar mechanics enhanced by collectible upgrades, drawing comparisons to Mega Man. While generally decent, it includes challenging bosses that may vary in difficulty based on the player's chosen progression and understanding of their mechanics. Overall, it has been rated 7/10 for its engaging moments and solid mechanics.
- “The order of the stages doesn't matter, and they are similar in their progression and mechanics with additions from collectible upgrades.”
- “It has some really cool moments and mechanics.”
- “Bosses can be tricky, but it may be in part to the order in which you do them as well as understanding the boss mechanics.”
- “The order of the stages doesn't matter, and they are similar in their progression and mechanics, with additions from collectible upgrades.”
- “The gameplay is much closer to Mega Man.”
- “Bosses can be tricky, but it may be partly due to the order in which you face them, as well as understanding the boss mechanics.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its engaging story and lively characters, whose witty dialogues and amusing interactions add a delightful charm to the narrative. Players appreciate the entertaining banter among the four main characters, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “We get introduced to the characters via a funny and interesting story.”
- “Add to this the funny, full of spark and life characters!”
- “The characters are funny, and I like reading their banter.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is introduced through a humorous and engaging narrative, although it is ultimately considered basic, with a starting point centered around the shattering of a crystal. Overall, it received a moderate rating of 7/10 for its writing.
- “We get introduced to the characters via a funny and interesting story.”
- “The story is very basic.”
- “The story begins with the shattering of a crystal.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to inconsistencies in character abilities, such as Earth’s inability to jump while having a mid-air ground pound move. This design choice detracts from the overall enjoyment and uniqueness intended by the developers.
- “I understand the devs wanted the characters to feel unique, but some of it is plain tedious, like Earth not being able to jump yet one of Earth's abilities is a ground pound that can only be activated mid-air.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I appreciate the effort to create a rich world, but the amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
Players note that while replayability may not be a primary focus, it still offers added value for those who seek it, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The variety of choices and outcomes makes me want to play through the game multiple times.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies available.”
- “While that wasn't a goal of mine, it does add replay value for those who seek it.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is hindered by noticeable screen tearing, which can be mitigated by adjusting settings in the NVIDIA control panel to enable adaptive vertical sync; however, selecting the standard vertical sync option may lead to stuttering and performance issues.
- “There is some rather annoying screen tearing which can be fixed by opening up the NVIDIA Control Panel, selecting this game, choosing vertical sync, and then selecting adaptive as the option for vertical sync (do not select 'on' as it creates stutter and performance issues).”