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Aaru's Awakening

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.
Aaru's Awakening Game Cover
61%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
replayability, grinding
70% User Score Based on 90 reviews
Critic Score 52%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3LinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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Aaru's Awakening Game Cover

About

Aaru's Awakening is a single player platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Lumenox ehf and was released on July 9, 2013. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Aaru's Awakening" is a challenging, fast-paced indie platformer with unique locomotion mechanics. Players control Aaru, a mythical creature on a quest to save his world from destruction. Using a combination of dash and teleport abilities, players navigate through intricate levels, solving puzzles and battling enemies in a vibrant, hand-drawn world. The game offers a satisfying difficulty curve and a captivating story, making it a must-play for platformer fans.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
Aaru's Awakening screenshot
+6
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70%
Audience ScoreBased on 90 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Aaru's Awakening features stunning hand-drawn graphics that create a captivating visual experience.
  • The teleportation mechanic adds a unique twist to the platforming gameplay, allowing for creative level navigation.
  • The game offers a challenging experience with a fair number of checkpoints, making it rewarding for players who enjoy precision platformers.
  • The controls are often clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially in more difficult sections.
  • The level design can be punishing, with many blind jumps and hazards that blend into the background, resulting in cheap deaths.
  • The soundtrack lacks variety and can become monotonous, failing to enhance the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the platformer is characterized by a unique teleportation mechanic that adds a dynamic element to level design, appealing to speedrunners and puzzle enthusiasts alike. However, the experience is marred by imprecise controls and frustrating mechanics, which detract from the otherwise stunning visuals and artistic presentation. While some players appreciate the challenge and originality, others find the gameplay inconsistent and hindered by poor design choices.

    • “The gameplay was pretty solid as well, with tight controls and well thought-out levels.”
    • “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.”
    • “It's an interesting platformer, with a nice art style and some new mechanics that make the gameplay really dynamic and exciting.”
    • “The stunning hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music are commendable, but the core gameplay experience suffers due to imprecise and frustrating controls.”
    • “Awesome art style completely ruined by terrible mechanics and level design.”
    • “Nice art, sound and gameplay, but the controls are garbage and make the game almost unplayable.”
  • graphics
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and detailed animations, which many reviewers consider one of its strongest features. However, some players feel that the visuals can be undermined by clunky controls and confusing design elements that detract from the overall gameplay experience. While the aesthetic is appealing, it often clashes with the mechanics, leading to frustration for some players.

    • “The hand-drawn graphics are absolutely beautiful and stand out as one of the game's strongest features.”
    • “Stunning hand-drawn graphics, a simple yet beautiful storyline full of symbolic elements, and an awesome soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are astoundingly beautiful.”
    • “I'm giving this game 1/10 because of the art style, and I still feel like a generous god.”
    • “The graphics are woeful - they look like they were scribbled with an art major's biro in his spare time after he was kicked out of university for not being very good at art.”
    • “The art style is unique and okay, but it also makes spotting certain obstacles really difficult, like lava or tar pits that are drawn in the same colors as the surroundings, so you take it for solid ground.”
  • story
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as beautiful and intriguing, featuring a mythico-primitive narrative that is enhanced by stunning hand-drawn graphics and effective narration. However, many reviewers note that while the story has potential, it often feels predictable, basic, or overshadowed by the challenging gameplay, leading to a sense of emptiness. Overall, the storytelling is appreciated for its artistic presentation, but it may not fully engage players due to its simplicity and the game's punishing difficulty.

    • “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 is predictable and basic, but the narration makes it very enjoyable to listen to.”
    • “The story is utter nonsense as well, but hey, a platformer can do just fine without one.”
  • music
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and decent, providing a soothing backdrop that complements the stunning visuals. While it enhances the ambiance, many reviewers feel it lacks memorability and can be overshadowed by gameplay frustrations. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its light and upbeat qualities, but it doesn't significantly elevate the gaming experience.

    • “Stunning hand-drawn graphics, a simple yet beautiful storyline full of symbolic elements, and an awesome soundtrack.”
    • “The enchanting hand drawings as well as the stunning soundtrack are hugely appealing and really add another dimension to this platformer, making it a satisfying experience.”
    • “Music and sounds are wonderful, atmospheric, and totally add to the game experience.”
    • “The music, while atmospheric, tends to be a bit dull.”
    • “The soundtrack is serviceable, but it doesn't elevate the game in a memorable way.”
    • “-sound; much like the story, the music takes a back seat. Still, it does its thing of setting the atmosphere well.”
  • atmosphere
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by stunning hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music, which effectively set the mood despite some critiques of the music being dull or secondary to the gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the art and sound design, noting that they contribute positively to the overall experience, even if the controls can be frustrating at times.

    • “The stunning hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music are commendable, but the core gameplay experience suffers due to imprecise and frustrating controls.”
    • “I just tried this game and I really enjoy it; love the art, feel, atmosphere - the controls aren't too bad overall.”
    • “Music and sounds are wonderful, atmospheric and totally add to the game experience.”
    • “The sound, much like the story, takes a back seat; still, it does its job of setting the atmosphere well.”
    • “Atmosphere: B+”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers a hardcore mode and achievement challenges that can extend playtime, the lack of collectibles or hidden items limits its appeal for completionists. Players express a desire for additional content, such as lore notes or an encyclopedia, to enhance the replay experience, particularly for those who enjoy exploring every aspect of the game. Overall, the story-driven nature of the game may deter some from replaying it extensively.

    • “The game is basically story-driven but can be replayable. I wish there were some form of collectibles or hidden items, as I enjoy getting 100%. This would increase the replayability for me, though I know some people dislike those types of things. Optional items like lore notes or monster encyclopedia pages could enhance the experience.”
    • “The game offers a solid replayability factor with its various modes and challenges, encouraging players to return and improve their skills.”
    • “For completionists, this is a significant drawback and detracts from the game's replayability and overall satisfaction.”
    • “I should mention the game is basically story-driven but can be replayable. I just wish there were some form of collectibles or hidden items, as I enjoyed getting 100%. This would increase the replayability of the game for me. Though I know there are those who dislike such things, it could just be optional items, like notes on the lore of previous events of the war or monster encyclopedia pages.”
    • “+Replayability - not only does it have a hardcore mode, but in order to get certain achievements, you have to get gold on some maps, which adds hours to the game.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while checkpoints alleviate some frustration, certain sections, particularly boss fights, can shift from challenging to tedious, leading to a sense of relief rather than satisfaction upon completion.

    • “The game's intended to be challenging, but at some points it stops being challenging and simply becomes tedious, with the boss fights being the main culprits.”
    • “It isn't ridiculously hard thanks to fairly spaced checkpoints, but it does come close to being a bit teeth-grinding.”
    • “You just feel like you've finally completed a tedious task.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is primarily tailored for keyboard and mouse controls, resulting in smooth performance at 4K resolution, thanks to the Unity engine. However, there is a growing concern among players about the overall quality of games developed with this engine, suggesting a trend towards mediocrity in indie titles.

    • “Technically, the game runs smoothly in 4K because it's backed by the Unity engine.”
    • “However, it seems like this game was optimized for keyboard and mouse.”
    • “The performance issues make it hard to enjoy the game, as it feels poorly optimized.”
    • “I experienced frequent frame drops, indicating that the game is not well optimized for my system.”
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52%Critics’ scoreBased on 11 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Aaru's Awakening is a platformer game with fantasy theme.

Aaru's Awakening is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

Aaru's Awakening was released on July 9, 2013.

Aaru's Awakening was developed by Lumenox ehf.

Aaru's Awakening has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Aaru's Awakening is a single player game.

Similar games include Ori and the Blind Forest, Nihilumbra, Unbound:Worlds Apart, Seasons After Fall, DeadCore and others.