Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has the potential to be an excellent game with intriguing storytelling and unique characters but it gets dragged down by a tedious combat system and a world that offers little substance.

57%Game Brain Score

story, music

gameplay, graphics

75% User Score Based on 28 reviews

Critic Score 56%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards" is an action-packed game set in 16th century Colombia, where players follow the journey of Aluna, a warrior daughter of a Spanish conquistador and South American nature goddess Pachamama. Explore vast landscapes and battle mythological creatures while mastering various weapons and abilities to fulfill Aluna's destiny in restoring her mother's amulet. Immerse yourself in Inca mythology and rich, historical culture.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards screenshot

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a unique setting in 16th century Latin America, providing a fresh take on the hack and slash genre.
The art style and comic book cutscenes are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience.
The gameplay includes a variety of combat styles (Melee, Ranged, Magic) and a well-balanced loot system, making character progression enjoyable.

The game suffers from significant difficulty spikes, particularly in the final boss fight, which can lead to frustration.
There are issues with balance and AI behavior, causing combat to feel clunky and unrefined at times.
The game has been abandoned by developers, leading to concerns about future updates and support.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The story of "Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards" is generally viewed as mediocre, with some players appreciating its unique Latin American superhero theme and rich lore derived from the Aluna comic books. However, many reviewers find the narrative to be bland or amateurish, often overshadowed by tedious combat mechanics and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While younger audiences might find the story more engaging, it ultimately fails to stand out in the action RPG genre.
- “Been playing for a while and it's a cool story which has a very different take for ARPGs.”
- “This title is based on the Aluna comic books, so the story is rich with lore and the cutscenes use animated stills from the comics.”
- “The story is great with interesting old gods, and the game allows you to explore the areas for chests for extra loot.”
- “Finally, in a begrudging moment of I don't really care anymore, as I'd put as much into this game as I was prepared to, I dropped the difficulty to easy so that I could at least get some closure to this story's mediocre narrative. It's not a AAA title, so no judgment there, as I wasn't expecting much to begin with, and then during the 3rd form of the final fight, my game crashed... the result of which is my finally dropping a review.”
- “I switched to story mode to not deal with it, but they all take an enormous time to die and it makes it super tedious to skip through enemies just to check out the story, which was my first interest for the game, but so far everything seems too bland.”
- “The story and starting cutscenes make no sense; they should not even be in the game because it's silly and totally ruined the immersion.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay is generally well-received, featuring a standard yet well-implemented experience set in a unique environment, with a playtime of 8-20 hours that suits the game's style. While there are minor bugs and some unclear mechanics, the overall gameplay is considered decent, especially for fans of eurojank style, despite criticisms of the dialogue and voice acting. Familiar mechanics such as skills, loot, and crafting contribute to a solid gameplay foundation.
- “Standard gameplay in a rare setting with excellent implementation.”
- “The gameplay length is probably around 8 - 20 hours depending on difficulty level and thoroughness for one playthrough, which is perfect for this type of game as longer is not always better.”
- “There's no way I'm suffering through terrible gameplay on top of cringey cringe.”
- “The dialogue and voice acting is beyond trash and the gameplay is decent.”
- “Has familiar mechanics, skills, loot, and crafting.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics are generally well-received, featuring a unique comic book art style that enhances the cutscenes, while animations and sound are considered on par with the visuals. Although the overall aesthetic is described as "okay," it effectively supports the game's appeal as a casual action RPG experience. Players appreciate the graphics for their charm, but caution that the game lacks depth compared to more robust titles in the genre.
- “Animations and sound are on par with the visuals.”
- “The cutscenes have a really nice feel to them, mainly due to the comic book art style.”
- “Graphics are not bad, and the music is fitting.”
- “It's just a nice little pastime for in between without great depth; don't expect a direct Diablo clone but a very slimmed-down ARPG, which can still be a lot of fun if you can get involved with the setting and the graphic style.”
- “The cutscenes have a really nice feel to them, different mainly because of the comic book art style.”
- “Graphics seem okay; sound and movement all seem normal for an ARPG.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding in "Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards" to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly in combat, which detracts from the game's potential for engaging storytelling and character development. While some appreciate the option to switch to story mode, the lengthy battles can make it difficult to enjoy the narrative without frustration. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant drawback that hampers the overall experience.
- “I switched to story mode to avoid grinding, but enemies take an enormous time to die, making it super tedious to skip through them just to check out the story, which was my initial interest in the game. So far, everything seems bland.”
- “Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has the potential to be an excellent game with intriguing storytelling and unique characters, but it gets dragged down by a tedious combat system and a world that offers little substance.”
- “Without the multi-stage grindy corporate nonsense you find pretty much everywhere else.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as fitting and contributes positively to the overall experience, complementing the storyline and gameplay effectively.
- “The music is fitting and enhances the overall experience.”
- “Overall, the storyline, the music, and gameplay are excellent!”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game offers some replayability through higher difficulty levels and tougher opponents after completion, but many players feel that the lack of depth may limit the overall interest in replaying it.
- “The game has significant replay value, allowing players to tackle higher difficulty levels after completing it, which introduces tougher opponents and new challenges.”
- “Each playthrough offers a unique experience, encouraging players to explore different strategies and choices that can lead to varied outcomes.”
- “The diverse character builds and multiple endings provide a compelling reason to replay the game, ensuring that no two experiences are the same.”
- “The game has some replay value by allowing it to be replayed on a higher difficulty level once beaten with higher level opponents, although the degree of game depth might not make replays all that interesting for most.”
- “After completing the game, I found little motivation to replay it. The story doesn't change much, and the gameplay feels repetitive.”
- “While there are different modes to try, the core experience remains the same, making it hard to stay engaged for multiple playthroughs.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players have reported performance issues in certain areas of the game, indicating that optimization could be improved.
- “Some areas in the game seem to have performance issues.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops.”
- “I experienced significant lag during intense gameplay moments.”

56%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

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