4 The Elements

About

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a unique character-switching mechanic that allows for fluid gameplay and diverse strategies, reminiscent of classic platformers like Mega Man.
The writing and character interactions are well-crafted, providing humor and distinct personalities that enhance the overall experience.
The level design is visually appealing, with each stage creatively combining elemental themes, and the boss battles are challenging yet rewarding.

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 not saving, which can disrupt gameplay.
The controls can feel clunky and cumbersome due to the frequent character switching, making some gameplay moments frustrating and less intuitive.

graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
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 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
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay features a non-linear stage order with similar mechanics enhanced by collectible upgrades, reminiscent of Mega Man. While generally decent, it presents challenges, particularly with bosses that require understanding their mechanics and may vary in difficulty based on the chosen stage order. Overall, it has some standout moments but is rated 7/10.
- “The gameplay features some really cool moments and mechanics.”
- “Bosses can be tricky, but it may be partly due to the order in which you face them and understanding their mechanics.”
- “The order of the stages doesn't matter, and they are similar in their progression and mechanics, with only minor additions from collectible upgrades.”
- “The gameplay is much closer to Mega Man.”
- “The actual gameplay is pretty decent but standard.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its engaging story and lively character interactions, featuring witty dialogues and amusing banter among the four main characters. Players appreciate the comedic elements that enhance the narrative and make the characters memorable.
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to certain character abilities that feel counterintuitive, such as Earth’s inability to jump while having a mid-air ground pound ability. This design choice detracts from the overall enjoyment and uniqueness of the characters.
- “I understand the devs wanted the characters to feel unique, but some of it is just plain tedious, like Earth not being able to jump while 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 put into character development, but the amount of grinding required to unlock abilities is exhausting.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
100%
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%
Users report issues with screen tearing in the game, which can be mitigated by adjusting settings in the NVIDIA control panel to enable adaptive vertical sync. However, selecting the "on" option leads to stuttering and performance problems.
- “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).”