Aaru's Awakening

60%
Game Brain Score Based on 61 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Aaru's Awakening Game Cover
Aaru’s Awakening is a beautiful frolic into a world of nightmares and imbalance: championed by its hand-drawn art style, compulsive level of difficulty and thrilling sense of achievement.
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Aaru's Awakening is a hand-drawn 2D action platformer, where you play as a mythical creature named Aaru. Using Aaru's abilities of teleportation and charging, navigate through the dangerous world of Lumenox to defeat an evil entity. Expect fast-paced puzzles and challenging level design that requires quick decision-making.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

60%
Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • Aaru's Awakening features stunning hand-drawn graphics and a unique art style that captivates players.
  • The teleportation mechanic adds an innovative twist to the platforming experience, allowing for creative level navigation.
  • The game offers a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience, appealing to those who enjoy high-precision platformers.
  • The controls are often frustrating and can make the game feel unplayable, especially for those using a joypad.
  • The difficulty curve is inconsistent, with some levels feeling overly punishing and tedious rather than challenging.
  • The art style can sometimes blend gameplay elements into the background, making it difficult to distinguish hazards and platforms.
  • gameplay35 mentions

    The gameplay is centered around a unique teleportation mechanic that adds depth and puzzle-like elements to the platforming experience, complemented by impressive level design and a fair progression in difficulty. While the game is visually appealing and offers speedrun features with leaderboards, some players have criticized the controls and animations, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite its flaws, the innovative mechanics and artistic presentation make it a noteworthy title in the platforming genre.

    • “The gameplay is original, and the level design is amazing.”
    • “Teleportation mechanics open so many possibilities, and the game does a great job implementing sections of a level to seem like mini puzzles as one tries to clear each level as quickly as possible.”
    • “Still, the progression comes organically, with the steady rise in gameplay difficulty and players' skill requirement.”
    • “Nice art, sound and gameplay, but the controls are garbage and make the game almost unplayable.”
    • “[gameplay objects blend into the backgrounds, far too many blind leaps, poor controls and erratic animations don't suit the score-chasing structure]”
    • “Gameplay wise it's probably not the best 2D platformer on Steam, but its teleport gimmicks make it quite unique.”
  • story24 mentions

    The game's story, centered around the tale of four gods, is presented through storybook cut-scenes and is described as intriguing yet lacking depth, often taking a back seat to gameplay. While the hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the experience, many players feel the narrative fails to engage fully, leaving a sense of emptiness and a desire for more collectible lore elements to boost replayability. Overall, the storytelling is seen as simple and beautiful but ultimately mediocre in execution.

    • “Stunning hand-drawn graphics, a simple yet beautiful storyline full of symbolic elements, and an awesome soundtrack.”
    • “The story of Aaru's Awakening is a tale of four gods.”
    • “This makes for a pretty interesting story which is narrated through storybook cut-scenes between each realm.”
    • “The game consists of levels, within chapters, and a story in the passenger seat.”
    • “The story didn't appeal to me.”
    • “The story isn't relayed all that well.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of Aaru's Awakening are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and unique visuals, which create an attractive and immersive experience. However, some players note that the art can blend elements together, making it difficult to identify obstacles, which detracts from gameplay. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are accompanied by frustrations related to controls and gameplay mechanics.

    • “Stunning hand-drawn graphics, a simple yet beautiful storyline full of symbolic elements, and an awesome soundtrack.”
    • “Also, absolutely beautiful graphics.”
    • “It's artwork and visuals are amazing, and the music goes nicely with them.”
    • “I'm giving this game 1/10 because of the art style and I still feel like a generous god.”
    • “The art style is unique and okay, but it also makes spotting certain obstacles really difficult, like lava or tar pits are drawn in the same colors as the surroundings, so you take it for solid ground.”
    • “Aaru's Awakening has a serious difficulty curve, but when you combine the twitch-based controls, the confusing art style, or the camera zoom, you end up with an experience that, once completed, doesn't offer a feeling of joy or accomplishment.”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for complementing the stunning hand-drawn graphics and enhancing the atmosphere, though it often takes a back seat to gameplay. While some players appreciate the original soundtrack, others find it repetitive and feel that the intense focus on survival detracts from their ability to fully enjoy the music. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a solid addition that aligns well with the game's artistic elements.

    • “Stunning hand-drawn graphics, a simple yet beautiful storyline full of symbolic stuff and an awesome soundtrack.”
    • “My favorite part is still the wonderful art and original soundtrack.”
    • “It's artwork and visuals are amazing, and the music goes nicely with them.”
    • “The music takes a back seat, much like the story, and while it sets the atmosphere well, it doesn't stand out.”
    • “The repetitive soundtrack becomes grueling, adding to the cluttered levels and trial-and-error gameplay.”
    • “The music is forgettable and fails to enhance the overall experience, making it feel like an afterthought.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is effectively supported by the sound design, with music playing a subtle yet impactful role in enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers note that while the music may not be the focal point, it successfully contributes to the game's ambiance.

    • “The sound, much like the story, takes a back seat; still, it does its job of setting the atmosphere well.”
    • “Atmosphere: b+”
    • “The atmosphere is lacking; it feels empty and uninspired.”
    • “The sound design fails to create an immersive experience, leaving the atmosphere feeling flat.”
    • “While the music attempts to set the mood, it ultimately falls short and doesn't enhance the atmosphere.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game is primarily story-driven, but players find it has potential for replayability, particularly if it included collectibles or hidden items to enhance the experience. Many users express a desire for optional lore-related content, such as notes or monster encyclopedia pages, which could cater to completionists and increase overall replay value. However, opinions vary, as some players may not appreciate these additional elements.

    • “The game is primarily story-driven, which limits its replayability. I wish there were some form of collectibles or hidden items, as I enjoy achieving 100%. This would enhance the replayability for me, although I know some players dislike that kind of content. Optional items, like lore notes or monster encyclopedia pages, could be a great addition.”
    • “The game is mostly focused on its story, making it somewhat replayable. However, I would have liked to see collectibles or hidden items to pursue, as I enjoy completing everything. This would significantly boost the game's replayability for me, even if it was just optional lore or monster entries.”
    • “While the game has a story-driven approach, I feel it lacks in replayability. Adding collectibles or hidden items would have made it more engaging for players like me who enjoy completing every aspect. Optional lore notes or monster encyclopedia entries could have provided that extra incentive.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find that while the game is designed to be challenging, it often crosses the line into tedium, particularly during boss fights, leading to a sense of frustration rather than satisfaction upon completion of tasks.

    • “The game is intended to be challenging, but at some points it stops being challenging and simply becomes tedious, with the boss fights being the main culprits.”
    • “You just feel like you've finally completed a tedious task.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

52% average critic score

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