Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists
- September 26, 2024
- Neckbolt
Get on Steam"Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists" is a Metroidvania game with a compact, interconnected world and 200+ rooms. The game encourages exploration and creativity, allowing players to discover secrets, exploits, and alternate paths. As Alruna, a dryad in a dying world, players will navigate through the Sprawl, a land of necro-industrialists, and uncover the story as they progress through the game. With various abilities and weapons, players can choose their own path and approach to defeating bosses and exploring the world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Exploration is highly rewarding with numerous secrets and non-linear progression, allowing players to tackle challenges in various ways.
- The gameplay strikes a good balance between challenge and accessibility, making it enjoyable for both casual players and those seeking a more intense experience.
- There are several bugs and control issues, including getting stuck in walls and finicky mechanics that can disrupt gameplay.
- Completing one of the endings locks the save file, preventing players from going back to explore or achieve the other ending without restarting the game.
- The combat can feel simplistic and easy, especially after acquiring certain upgrades, which may detract from the overall challenge.
- music18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its nostalgic 8-bit style, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. The soundtrack is described as top-notch, engaging, and well-suited to the game's aesthetic, although some noted it can be a bit repetitive. Overall, the combination of fantastic music and stunning pixel art contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“The soundtrack is straight fire and the art direction is phenomenal and unique while still having that nostalgic feel.”
“The pixel art is stunning, and the soundtrack is top-notch, really setting the mood as you make your way through this mysterious, decaying world.”
“Good ol’ retro style platformer with stunning pixel art and a rad soundtrack that’s just perfect for the vibe and the story (don’t miss the story!).”
“There's a way to get into the title screen with the character, and I'm not sure if that is an easter egg, an unimplemented feature, or just a bug, since there is nothing you can do in there other than quit the game (and the music gets stuck when you get there).”
“The music is decent 8-bit, albeit a little repetitive.”
“The music really is something worth mentioning here.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their charming pixel art style that effectively captures a retro aesthetic, complemented by a mesmerizing atmosphere and a fitting chiptune soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the blend of modern design elements with nostalgic visuals, enhancing the overall exploration and platforming experience.
“Magical mesmerizing graphics and gorgeous atmospheric OST!”
“The graphics are charming and have a good mix of modern designs and retro vibes.”
“The 8-bit aesthetic is very nice looking and the soundtrack is pretty good too.”
- story7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as bleak yet cathartic, with an interesting quest that engages players despite some minor polish issues. While the narrative is compelling and complements the retro aesthetic, some players found the overall experience frustrating enough to deter them from replaying. Overall, the combination of music, art, and storyline creates a captivating atmosphere, though opinions on enjoyment vary.
“It's story is bleak to the point of being cathartic, and I love it.”
“The story was interesting and I followed it for the most part.”
“Good ol’ retro style platformer with stunning pixel art and a rad soundtrack that’s just perfect for the vibe and the story (don’t miss the story!).”
“The story is bleak to the point of being cathartic, and I love it.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Alruna is praised for its smooth controls, engaging mechanics, and well-designed world, making it a solid metroidvania experience. While some find the gameplay a bit simple, the atmosphere, exploration, and rewarding power-up mechanics enhance the overall enjoyment. Players recommend using a controller for the best experience, highlighting the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic Game Boy Color games.
“Absolutely recommending this to everyone who likes metroidvanias. Very professionally done, very smooth controls, great mapping, great atmosphere, great mechanics, and more.”
“The world/level design is interesting and fun to traverse, and the power-up mechanics allow for some neat experimentation.”
“The game isn't perfect, but the atmosphere, exploration, and rewarding gameplay make it a solid choice for fans of the genre.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its magical graphics, mesmerizing soundtrack, and clever design, creating an immersive experience that enhances exploration and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the professional execution and smooth controls, making it a standout choice for metroidvania enthusiasts despite some imperfections.
“Extremely cool game with some clever areas, secrets, and dripping with atmosphere.”
“Magical, mesmerizing graphics and gorgeous atmospheric soundtrack!”
“Absolutely recommending this to everyone who likes metroidvanias. Very professionally done, very smooth controls, great mapping, great atmosphere, great mechanics, and more.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its engaging design, numerous secrets, and extra abilities that encourage exploration of different walkthroughs. Players find it enjoyable for both casual play and speedrunning, highlighting it as the developer's best work in terms of replay value.
“It has a lot of really interesting design with its secrets and extra abilities that make for high replayability, which is great for this genre.”
“This is easily the developer's best-designed game, making for a fun casual experience and a very rewarding speedrun experience for those looking to get extra replay value out of it.”
“The game has a decent replay value, and figuring out all the possible walkthroughs is fun.”
“This is easily the developer's best designed game, making for a fun casual experience and a very rewarding speedrun experience for those looking to get extra replay value out of it.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is characterized by some minor bugs that can be resolved with troubleshooting, but these issues are not game-breaking and are manageable for players who know how to address them.
“I managed to find my way out through some troubleshooting, but none of these issues are game-breaking or terribly tricky to deal with once you know what to do.”
“A bit buggy.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's humor, particularly noting its ability to deliver unexpected and amusing outcomes, such as funny endings resulting from accidental actions.
“I did an odd jump into the game's -1 y coordinate by accident, and the game gave me a funny ending for doing so.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by engaging dialogue and thought-provoking themes; however, its brevity limits the overall emotional impact on players.
“The dialogue is engaging and thought-provoking, but the overall experience feels brief, limiting the emotional impact to the themes it directly addresses.”
“The game masterfully evokes a range of emotions, leaving players reflecting on their experiences long after the credits roll.”
“I was deeply moved by the character arcs and the emotional depth of the story, making it a memorable journey.”
