Aeterna Noctis

If a challenge is what you’re after, you’ll find it within Aeterna Noctis. There’s still plenty to appreciate and enjoy if that’s up your alley, but it doesn’t do enough to allow its concept to stand out from the competition.

73%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

grinding, stability

77% User Score Based on 1,047 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

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About

Aeterna Noctis is a single player and multiplayer platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Aeternum Game Studios S.L and was released on December 14, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Aeterna Noctis" is a single-player fantasy Metroidvania game with excellent storytelling, stellar mechanics, outstanding graphics, and a good soundtrack. As the King of Darkness, players explore 16 connected areas in a challenging journey to regain powers, battling enemies and overcoming treacherous platform sections. The game's unique atmosphere and wholesome story stem from an epic creation myth, where two rebellious leaders are cursed to fight for eternity by the all-powerful Chaos.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+14

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,047 reviews

gameplay112 positive mentions

grinding71 negative mentions

A sprawling Metroidvania with fantastic platforming and diverse, original biomes.
Challenging gameplay that rewards skill and perseverance, with a satisfying sense of progression.
Beautiful hand-drawn art style and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.

The game can feel overly punishing, especially in later platforming sections that require pixel-perfect precision.
Visual clutter and poor hitbox design can lead to frustrating moments where players are unsure of what is a hazard.
Some quests and mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and unnecessary backtracking.

gameplay
372 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay of "Aeterna Noctis" is a blend of challenging platforming and combat mechanics typical of the metroidvania genre, featuring a variety of unique abilities and progression systems that keep the experience engaging. While many players appreciate the fluid controls and intricate level design, some criticize the reliance on specific mechanics, such as the teleport arrow, which can lead to frustrating gameplay moments. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy precision platforming and exploration, despite some design flaws and a steep difficulty curve.
- “Aeterna Noctis is a non-linear metroidvania with good combat mechanics, challenging platforming, and RPG-like leveling and skill assignment.”
- “The controls are responsive, and the combat mechanics encourage strategic thinking rather than button-mashing, rewarding skill and timing.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, it has a ton of content (50+ hours for completionists), satisfying and unique bosses, and good customization (different skill builds, gems), while not being overly complex.”
- “The platforming mechanics expand later on in the game, very satisfying to play.”
- “The movement and platforming feel too loose for the expected requirements, and that part of the game is a large portion of the overall gameplay.”
- “The dash mechanic is very annoying - you have to precisely time when to stop a dash by moving in the direction opposite of the dash - and this dash-cancel timing is required often for all the precise platforming you will need to do.”
story
299 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
61%
6%
The story of "Aeterna Noctis" is a mixed bag, with players noting its intriguing premise and world-building, but also criticizing its execution and clarity. While some found the narrative engaging and well-integrated with gameplay, others described it as generic or overly complicated, with a tendency for exposition dumps and vague quest objectives. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the challenging platforming, with varying opinions on its depth and memorability.
- “Players step into the role of the king of darkness, embarking on a quest to regain lost powers and restore balance in a realm shrouded in mystery and ancient lore.”
- “Narratively, the game weaves its story through environmental storytelling and beautifully crafted voice-acted cutscenes, supported by eight language options that broaden its accessibility.”
- “Aeterna Noctis is a very challenging and vast metroidvania full of precision platforming, explosive boss fights, and a surprisingly interesting story which kept my attention until the end.”
- “The story is mostly an excuse to move you from place to place.”
- “The story isn't anything to write home about either; there's a story for sure, and the main character is quite chatty in both exposition of the story as well as telling you how to use each tool.”
- “The story is a little vague and the progression is sometimes non-obvious, but it's fun hack/slash/jump.”
graphics
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The graphics of "Aeterna Noctis" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning hand-drawn visuals and fluid animations that create a captivating atmosphere. However, some players find the art style inconsistent and occasionally overwhelming, making it difficult to discern gameplay elements against the busy backgrounds. Overall, while the visuals are often described as beautiful and immersive, they can also detract from gameplay clarity in certain areas.
- “The hand-drawn art style is striking, featuring fluid frame-by-frame animations that breathe life into the characters and environments, evoking a timeless fantasy aesthetic that complements the dark narrative.”
- “Beautiful graphics, gameplay with a bunch of different abilities that will open up as you go through the game.”
- “Aeterna noctis offers captivating hand-drawn visuals, smooth gameplay, and an engaging story in a masterfully crafted metroidvania experience.”
- “The art style is all over the place.”
- “The art style is such that it's often impossible to differentiate what is a platform and what isn't, what can actually damage me and what I don't need to avoid or even where I am on the screen.”
- “The main negative with the graphics is that one or two areas can be very graphically noisy which can make it hard to tell what is part of the foreground and what is part of the background.”
music
215 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
34%
4%
The music in the game has received a largely positive reception, with many players praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. While some found the piano-heavy soundtrack to be beautiful and fitting for the game's themes, others noted that it could become repetitive during extended play. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its immersive environment and emotional depth.
- “The atmospheric soundtrack further elevates the experience, with haunting melodies that underscore the game’s themes of loss, redemption, and power.”
- “The music perfectly captures the game's dark and atmospheric tone, adding to the overall immersive experience.”
- “The soundtrack sets the right atmosphere, enhancing the overall vibe.”
- “The music is just piano, so no memorable tracks for you, because they all sound alike.”
- “I played about 1/4 of the game without music and didn't notice the lack of it, to be honest.”
- “The great atmosphere turns unbearably depressing after 15-20 minutes - switching off the music helps.”
grinding
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to excessive backtracking, slow character progression, and repetitive boss fights. While some appreciate the expansive world and platforming challenges, others feel that the lack of meaningful rewards and the need for extensive grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is seen as overly long and filled with tedious elements that can make exploration and combat feel like a chore.
- “The best part is no tedious runbacks to the boss, something I really appreciated after playing Silksong.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game is simply too long and it's hard to justify spending so much time in tedious situations over and over again.”
- “Boss battles are seriously tedious (some bosses take like 15 minutes to beat since their damage windows are so small!) and the world building lacks personality and interesting characters.”
- “The platforming is needlessly tedious from the get-go and the obstacles don't really fit in with the areas at times.”
atmosphere
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
32%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting soundtrack and immersive visuals, which effectively create a dark and melancholic world that invites exploration. Many reviewers highlight the unique atmospheres of different areas, though some note technical issues that can detract from the experience. Overall, the combination of music, art, and level design contributes to a compelling and atmospheric gameplay experience, reminiscent of titles like Hollow Knight.
- “From the outset, the game sets a tone that is both atmospheric and foreboding, inviting exploration and demanding mastery of its intricate systems.”
- “The atmospheric soundtrack further elevates the experience, with haunting melodies that underscore the game’s themes of loss, redemption, and power.”
- “Each area has a meticulously-crafted atmosphere, from detailed assets to beautiful soundtracks.”
- “The game lacks the atmosphere, but technically it's nice and playable; high-impact movements deliver unless you get stuck with another spike room pipeline.”
- “The issue is that there are areas in the corners and edges of the arena where the foreground details used to create atmosphere actually obscure the view of the character and sprites.”
- “The story is a bit basic, technically ends on a cliffhanger, and even what did happen I'm not sure quite how to parse... the attempts at lore are alright but the game never really feels like a 'world' so much as a sequence of platforming levels; every area 'feels' different but I wouldn't say they have much 'atmosphere'?”
optimization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems like the Steam Deck, where frame rates can drop to 20fps or less. While some users with high-end GPUs experienced smoother gameplay, others noted persistent stuttering and frame rate drops in specific areas, leading to frustration. A few players praised the game's optimization and graphics, but overall, the consensus indicates that performance problems detract from the experience.
- “Well optimized and translated into several languages.”
- “An interesting 2D game with very good optimization and graphics.”
- “Extremely beautiful graphics of the game, it is made in a 2D style, I especially liked the explosion effects; in principle, the game is quite optimized, which is a big plus.”
- “I really liked this game, but it has many performance problems. My GPU should run this game smoothly, but sometimes the game gets stuck at 30fps.”
- “There are areas where performance plummets to 20fps or less, all because of background elements and details.”
- “Had to put most of the options to performance and still the game couldn't keep a locked fps.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its rich storytelling and immersive world, which deeply engages players and evokes a range of feelings, from hope and determination to frustration and sadness. While some players find the gameplay mechanics challenging and the story lacking, many appreciate the emotional depth and connection fostered through the game's non-linear narrative and atmospheric elements. Overall, the game successfully elicits strong emotional responses, making players feel invested in their journey and the challenges they face.
- “While the plot may take a backseat to gameplay for some, it enriches the world and provides emotional context to the king of darkness’s journey.”
- “The emotional story, non-linear gameplay, and immersive soundtrack left me enthralled.”
- “Rarely have I been so enthralled by a game and emotionally invested in its success.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting technical issues such as glitches and crashes, particularly on platforms like the Nintendo Switch. While some minor bugs are noted, they can significantly disrupt gameplay, especially in more challenging scenarios. However, there are also positive remarks about the game's overall performance and the developers' responsiveness in addressing these issues.
- “All in all, it's wonderful and very hard to put down. I'm so looking forward to Aeterna Lucis (which I don't think is too far away now ^_^) Great work on this game, devs! It's beautiful and runs great even on my bad computer; plus, there's a lot of game for your money, which I find hard to say about most games that I play.”
- “It is really pretty and runs great though.”
- “Some players have encountered technical hiccups, such as glitches and crashes, which can disrupt immersion, especially on certain platforms like the Nintendo Switch.”
- “The game's buggy, absolutely unplayable at parts, especially with the harder 'advanced' version of the bosses.”
- “There are a few glitches, some of which come up a lot, that lock you out of movement or give you weird animations.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
10%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find pop culture references awkward and unfunny, others appreciate the clever dialogue and well-timed comedic moments. The game's challenges and platforming are described as both frustratingly cruel and humorously engaging, contributing to a unique experience. Overall, humor plays a significant role, with varied opinions on its effectiveness throughout the gameplay.
- “Some of the platforming sections are hilariously cruel.”
- “The soundtrack is decent and while the story isn't anything special, I found the dialogue pretty well written and funny at times.”
- “Well, the most important thing in the game is a lot of humor.”
- “Pop culture references (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) feel out of place and painfully unfunny.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and ability to enhance gameplay, keeping players engaged throughout. While the main character is charming and the world-building is well-executed, opinions on character designs are mixed, with some feeling they don't fit the environment. Overall, the character development contributes positively to the game's narrative and experience.
- “The game's character development is also outstanding.”
- “You can add infinitely interesting gameplay with character development, which will not let you get bored for a minute.”
- “The character designs vary a lot; the guardian and the guy in the library look good, and the kings are also good looking.”
- “The character designs vary a lot; the guardian and the guy in the library look good, while the kings are also well-designed. However, the King of Darkness reminds me a little too much of Alucard, which is a bit of a mixed bag considering the state of Castlevania.”
- “Character design doesn't really fit the environment, and in some cases, it looks really out of place.”
- “The character designs aren't my favorite ever, but overall the art is solid.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game offers substantial replayability due to its 16 unique regions and varying difficulty levels, appealing to both newcomers and seasoned players. However, some critics note a lack of replay value, suggesting that while the game is enjoyable, it may not provide enough incentive for multiple playthroughs.
- “I checked out the 'easy' mode; it's more playable, yes.”
- “One of the only criticisms I have is that there isn't much replay value.”
- “The game includes 16 unique regions, of which 14 are playable.”
- “This variety adds significant replay value, catering both to newcomers and veterans of the genre who crave difficulty and depth.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have noted that the game features noticeable advertising, particularly on platforms like YouTube, which may influence their perception of its monetization strategy.
- “The monetization in this game feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending money.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases makes it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine gaming experience.”