AETHERIS

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 92 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
AETHERIS Game Cover
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"Aetheris" is a tactical, artistic Role Playing Game offering both single and multiplayer options, including co-op. Embark on a unique adventure through the seven regions of the Wilderness, each with its own atmosphere, soundtrack, and storyline. Engage in strategic turn-based battles against wild creatures using skills and power to emerge victorious. The game features excellent visuals, good music, and promises a thrilling experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews
graphics22 positive mentions
stability2 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that captivates players.
  • Gameplay offers deep strategic turn-based combat with a variety of character builds and abilities, enhancing replayability.
  • The cooperative multiplayer mode is enjoyable, allowing friends to strategize together and tackle challenges.
  • The game suffers from significant bugs, particularly in co-op mode, leading to crashes and soft locks during gameplay.
  • Balancing issues and reliance on RNG can lead to frustrating experiences, especially in character development and event outcomes.
  • The game lacks sufficient content and variety, making runs feel repetitive and diminishing long-term engagement.
  • graphics44 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, reminiscent of ancient Chinese paintings with a pastel-like quality, which captivates players and enhances the overall atmosphere. While the visuals are described as exceptional and colorful, some users note that the graphical quality is generally low and lacks options for increased fidelity. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork and a haunting soundtrack creates an engaging and immersive experience, despite some performance concerns.

    • “The artwork is exceptional throughout, a very vivid and distinct style.”
    • “The visuals are striking and colorful.”
    • “First of all, the art style absolutely speaks for itself and is consistently incredible and makes the game worth playing on its own.”
    • “Quality: graphical quality is generally fairly low overall, and there are no options to increase fidelity.”
    • “The art looks like something out of an ancient Chinese painting, but with none of the typical Chinese style. It's difficult to describe, and I’m definitely no artist, but this is one of the few games I’ve played that has an almost pastel-type art style.”
    • “Love the aesthetic and the gameplay, especially level ups, but the GPU is running hot way too fast, so I can't currently recommend it.”
  • gameplay40 mentions

    The gameplay in Aetheris is a blend of turn-based tactics and roguelite elements, offering a unique experience that emphasizes strategic planning and adaptability. While the mechanics encourage experimentation and feature a satisfying level-up system, some players may find the reliance on RNG and repetitive gameplay off-putting. Overall, the game is visually captivating and provides a challenging yet enjoyable experience, though it may benefit from further balancing and refinement before its full release.

    • “Aetheris combines tactical depth with roguelite unpredictability, offering a unique gameplay experience that requires both strategic planning and adaptability.”
    • “The gameplay loop feels satisfying and the builds you can go for are very different each time!”
    • “Stunning visuals, great style of gameplay, and a roguelike that forces you to think twice before making a move.”
    • “However, it may not be for everyone, particularly those who dislike repetitive gameplay or heavy reliance on RNG.”
    • “The gameplay itself is quite standard, but the style, atmosphere, and the strangeness of what is happening clearly deserves attention.”
    • “The gameplay: battles are turn-based with initiative rolled every round; if you find the game slow, you can speed it up, but it lacks vital details/information about gameplay, enemies, and events in general.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere across the seven distinct regions, with each chapter featuring a unique soundtrack that complements the visuals. While some reviewers noted that the sound effects and overall audio quality were average, the soundtrack itself is described as excellent, engaging, and responsive to gameplay events, creating a vivid and immersive experience. However, a few comments pointed out that the music can become repetitive over time.

    • “You'll find yourself navigating through seven distinct regions, each with its own unique atmosphere, soundtrack, and mini-storyline.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, changing with each chapter to maintain a fresh and engaging atmosphere.”
    • “The art style and music fit the atmosphere and are pretty enjoyable.”
    • “There is no voice acting at all and the sound effects/music are very mid.”
    • “As for the sound, I found the music that accompanies us to be just right, pleasant without being much more than that.”
    • “The soundtrack is a little repetitive though.”
  • story19 mentions

    The story of Aetheris is centered around a journey through seven distinct regions, each with its own atmosphere and mini-storylines, while players navigate the challenges posed by a dark force known as the Shade. Although the game emphasizes player choices and random events that shape the narrative, many reviewers noted a lack of depth and coherence in the overarching plot, leading to a repetitive experience with limited replayability. Overall, while the art style and worldbuilding are praised, the narrative is criticized for being shallow and plagued by bugs.

    • “The art style is unique and captivating, the game mechanics are familiar yet unique and challenging, and the story/worldbuilding is refreshing and fun.”
    • “The overarching plot revolves around surviving the wilderness and staying ahead of the relentless shade, a dark force that pursues you throughout your adventure.”
    • “Your decisions, the random events you encounter, and the influence of mysterious entities all shape your unique narrative, making every playthrough kind of a new story to tell.”
    • “However, there is limited replayability, the game is littered with bugs, and worst of all, the event outcomes, random or story, often make no sense.”
    • “Narrative: there is no real story here.”
    • “There is also only one 'path' you can take for the final decision because one of them just leads to the game ending, and there will be no more continuation of the story afterwards.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of builds and random elements that enhance replayability, others note limitations due to repetitive enemy encounters and bugs. The predefined maps and characters can detract from the experience, but the potential for different playstyles and memorable moments keeps some players engaged.

    • “Fun and short with a good replayability thanks to the variety of builds.”
    • “The map and starting characters are somewhat predefined, but the random elements give it a ton of replayability.”
    • “There are so many possible builds and it adds to replayability.”
    • “However, there is limited replayability; the game is littered with bugs, and worst of all, the event outcomes, whether random or story-driven, often make no sense.”
    • “However, you pretty much fight the same enemies in the same order each run, which reduces the replayability a little.”
    • “The game is high on style but low on content, and doesn't have the level of replayability it ought to.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game features seven distinct regions, each boasting a unique atmosphere, visual style, and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The beautifully crafted environments and complementary music create a captivating and immersive atmosphere, making the gameplay feel fresh and enjoyable despite its standard mechanics. Overall, the art style and sound design work harmoniously to establish a memorable and enchanting ambiance.

    • “You'll find yourself navigating through seven distinct regions, each with its own unique atmosphere, soundtrack, and mini-storyline.”
    • “Each of the seven regions is beautifully crafted with a distinct visual style and atmospheric soundtrack that pull you into the game’s world.”
    • “The art style and music fit the atmosphere and are pretty enjoyable.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some report no performance or stability issues, others have rated the graphics quality and animations poorly, indicating a lack of polish in certain areas.

    • “No issues with performance.”
    • “Contrary to other negative reviews, I've had no issues with stability or performance at all.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game experiences significant stability issues, particularly during the second encounter with the boss known as the Eyeless One, where players report consistent freezing regardless of their actions. This problem persists even after successfully defeating the boss multiple times, leading to frustration among users who primarily purchased the game for its multiplayer features.

    • “Well, if you try to fight the mist for the second time, you are screwed (the boss - the eyeless one) - the game freezes no matter what you do.”
    • “I bought this specifically for the multiplayer, and my friend and I have beaten this boss 4 times now, even unlocked the achievement and in-game item for doing it, and yet it soft-freezes every time.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is often seen as frustrating and lacking depth, which detracts from the overall experience despite the game's beautiful visuals and varied combat mechanics.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep and engaging, allowing players to truly connect with their characters.”
    • “I love how the character development evolves throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
    • “The way characters grow and change based on player choices adds a rich layer to the storytelling experience.”
    • “It really is a shame too because it is beautiful and the combat is variable, but often frustrating, as is character development, which is everything to this game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game received a mixed review, scoring 5 out of 10, indicating that while there are elements of the game world and narrative that are engaging, the presence of microtransactions may detract from the overall experience.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to complete it.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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