Aeternum Vale
- October 5, 2022
- Boris Cerdan
Get on SteamIn "Aeternum Vale," players must save their soul after falling into unknown limbos, facing challenges and upgrading skills to navigate the intricate maze-like world. With a pixel-art open-world and original orchestral soundtrack, players explore, encounter weird locals, and uncover the story in this retro-inspired indie adventure. Overcoming obstacles and forging your own path is key to saving your soul in this bittersweet afterlife exploration.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features great art and a nostalgic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers many hours of gameplay with various game modes, missions, and attention to detail in level design.
- The retro feel and exploration aspects provide a unique challenge that some players may find rewarding.
- The game suffers from major collision glitches, janky combat, and game-breaking bugs that hinder the experience.
- It is not well optimized, requiring a graphic card and leading to performance issues during gameplay.
- The platforming design can be frustrating, with save points placed far apart and a lack of guidance for players.
- music14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and originality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and nostalgia of the experience. Players appreciate the combination of the soundtrack with the artwork, although some express a desire for more unique soundtracks for different areas. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersive qualities.
“The background music and sound effects are a great addition to the experience; try to enjoy the small details and you will love the game.”
“Plus, the soundtrack and ambiance are beautiful and original.”
“The music combined with the artwork gives it a really nostalgic feel; since it's still in early access, I can't imagine how much more fun content is going to be added in the future.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game require a dedicated graphic card, leading to performance issues during combat for some players. However, the combination of music and artwork creates a nostalgic atmosphere, and there is anticipation for further improvements and content as the game is still in early access.
“The music combined with the artwork gives it a really nostalgic feel. Since it's still in early access, I can't imagine how much more fun content is going to be added in the future.”
“You cannot play without a graphics card (unlike Hollow Knight, for instance, which one would expect to be more demanding): I got to the point where fights become completely impossible due to slowness.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story of Aeternum Vale is described as interesting and dramatic, with players expressing surprise at the depth and engagement it offers. The game features a variety of missions and game modes that contribute to an immersive experience, enhancing the overall narrative.
“It's an interesting game and dramatic in the story.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, particularly in the starting zone, where players encounter major collision glitches and poorly designed platforming mechanics within the first half hour of gameplay.
“I didn't even play for half an hour and all the main rooms in the starting zone have major collision glitches or just plain awful platforming design.”
“I didn't even play for half an hour and all the main rooms in the starting zone have major collision glitches or just plain awful platforming design.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring excellent level design, captivating music, and engaging narration that collectively enhance the overall experience.
“A nice game with many of the great metroidvania aspects, particularly a good level design, great music, narration, and a captivating atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a lack of complexity, with users noting that it does not feature intricate fighting mechanics or diverse enemy combat patterns.
“Don't expect elaborate fighting gameplay with diverse enemy combat patterns.”
“The gameplay lacks depth and variety, making battles feel repetitive.”
“Combat mechanics are simplistic and fail to engage the player.”
