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Alwa's Legacy

A great Metroidvania with clever puzzles and maybe just a little bit too much obtuseness.
Alwa's Legacy Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
grinding, stability
87% User Score Based on 372 reviews
Critic Score 78%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxPCMac OSPlaystation 4XboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Alwa's Legacy Game Cover

About

Alwa's Legacy is a single player platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Elden Pixels and was released on June 17, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, magical items and ancient secrets. By upgrading your magic, any way forward is right in this non-linear adventure game full of exploration.

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87%
Audience ScoreBased on 372 reviews
music77 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions

  • Massive improvement from Alwa's Awakening with faster movement and more engaging gameplay.
  • Beautiful pixel art and a catchy chiptune soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
  • Clever puzzles and a rewarding exploration system keep players engaged throughout the game.
  • Lackluster story that fails to provide satisfying answers or depth.
  • Some frustrating backtracking and unclear progression paths can lead to confusion.
  • Boss fights are generally easy and may not provide the challenge some players expect.
  • music
    111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a mixed response, with many praising its nostalgic chiptune style and catchy melodies that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature, others note that it can feel repetitive or mismatched with the game's more modern visuals. Overall, the music is generally regarded as enjoyable and fitting for the retro aesthetic, contributing positively to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “Its colorful pixel art and chiptune soundtrack give it a nostalgic yet fresh feel.”
    • “The music is amazing, the art style and the conversations you have with the NPCs, I can only recommend the game.”
    • “The soundtrack fits perfectly to the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music was honestly underwhelming; it didn't coincide with the graphical leap from 8-bit to 16-bit. I wouldn't have minded if some of the original tracks made a return to this game; all were great.”
    • “The chiptune soundtrack was solid, but I didn't really like it all that much.”
    • “Feels more like a YouTube VGM playlist than actual music made specifically to fit the game.”
  • gameplay
    103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in this title is characterized by a blend of puzzle-solving, platforming, and exploration, with a focus on unique mechanics and abilities that enhance player interaction with the environment. While many players appreciate the tight controls and rewarding exploration, some criticize the lack of enemy variety, clunky mechanics, and occasional confusion regarding ability usage. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with a charming aesthetic, though it may not fully innovate within the metroidvania genre.

    • “Gameplay is built around three magical abilities: creating blocks, bubble platforms, and using lightning.”
    • “The gameplay feels pretty tight, and while some parts are a little bit harder than I'd prefer, the game has a few 'assist mode' settings which help with the most frustrating aspects of it.”
    • “The best part for me was really that the metroidvania-style adventuring was at its core really fun and the new abilities opened up really fun gameplay.”
    • “Cute look but clunky mechanics, poor platforming, low enemy variety, repetitive and unfun use of spells.”
    • “Where it falls short is in the gameplay progression: the map not tracking blue orbs, the constant need to downgrade and swap abilities to advance in specific areas, blue-green switch with character color mechanics not explained, and needing to traverse every single map room again and again to find specific character for advancement without any hints or indication.”
    • “It adds nothing to the genre of platformers, nothing to the genre of metroidvanias, but manages to make changes that are completely unnecessary (there is a reason double jump is a staple, and this bubble mechanic is just a worse version of it).”
  • graphics
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their charming and refined pixel art, transitioning from an 8-bit to a vibrant 16-bit style that enhances the overall aesthetic. Players appreciate the colorful visuals, smooth animations, and the nostalgic retro feel, which contribute to an engaging metroidvania experience. While some critiques mention the simplicity of the graphics, the overall consensus highlights their beauty and the effective integration with the game's music and gameplay.

    • “I'm constantly surprised how refined and charming the pixel art is in this game.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics, a very nice soundtrack, tight and addictive platformer gameplay.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and colorful.”
    • “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
    • “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
    • “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
  • story
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lackluster, generic, and forgettable, often describing it as an excuse for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some appreciated the simplicity and charm of the story, others criticized the shallow character development and minimal NPC interactions, leading to a sense of disconnection from the plot. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, with many players indicating that it does not significantly enhance the gaming experience.

    • “It's very worth it and the story is simple and sweet.”
    • “I liked the story and the unique abilities and how they tied into each other.”
    • “Alwa's Legacy is a sequel that improves everything that the first game was, larger map to explore, better visuals, great soundtrack, and a story that is told in a more interesting way.”
    • “The NPCs are all boring, and the story is so light that I don't even know why she is collecting anything, and that isn't the kind of mystery that hooks me.”
    • “The story is forgettable, and boss battles aren't all that engaging.”
    • “The story is really forgettable, and even after finishing the game, I'm struggling to describe it in any way.”
  • grinding
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is minimal, with no traditional combat grinding required for character upgrades, as skills are leveled up through finite collectible orbs. However, players find the exploration and backtracking tedious, with some puzzle sequences and movement mechanics contributing to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the game emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving, it suffers from repetitive tasks that can detract from the experience.

    • “The emphasis is on exploration, and the combat really adds a bit of excitement and challenge to it without getting in the way; no tedious and superfluous RPG mechanics here!”
    • “If you want to max out every skill, you will most likely need a guide. There is no grinding; leveling up your skills is done through the collection of orbs, which are finite. Many are completely hidden, and there's only the exact amount you need to max everything out.”
    • “So far it has been boring and slow with too much tedious backtracking (and the very limited number of warp points that you can drop barely help). It hasn't felt very inspired.”
    • “The game is nice but very tedious and tiring with backtracking here and there.”
    • “Too many scenarios rely on going through the same motions again and again; using the bubble can be annoying, and re-traversing areas gets tedious.”
  • humor
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted as a strong point, featuring a mix of dark wit and charming character interactions that enhance the overall experience. While some dialogue may fall flat, the engaging visuals and entertaining characters contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, making it a delightful addition to the metroidvania genre. Overall, players appreciate the humor as a key element that complements the gameplay and art style.

    • “Very polished metroidvania with nice visuals and animation, fantastic dungeon and map design, and interesting and funny characters.”
    • “Luckily, the game's art, soundtrack, and humorous characters make for a mostly relaxing environment.”
    • “Another quality, funny and charming metroidvania from Elden Pixels!”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, featuring a captivating chiptune soundtrack that complements its wholesome and engaging environment. Reviewers consistently rate the atmosphere highly, noting its significant improvement over the original. Overall, it creates an immersive experience enhanced by witty dialogue and catchy melodies.

    • “The chiptune soundtrack is atmospheric and rife with catchy melodies.”
    • “The soundtrack fits perfectly to the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “This game is wholesome, atmospheric, and a huge upgrade on the original.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers moderate replayability, appealing to players who enjoy exploration and unlocking features like a pacifist mode, though its puzzle-based design may limit replay value for some. While not the longest in its genre, it provides ample opportunities to revisit areas and collect secrets, ensuring a fun experience for those seeking to explore further.

    • “Has an unlockable pacifist mode for extra replay value.”
    • “Replayability is just as strong, so many areas to revisit to collect all the secrets in the game.”
    • “The game also has replayability value for those who like that, but the game is worth it if you just want to play to explore and enjoy it once.”
    • “Not the longest game in the genre, and the puzzle-based nature of the game limits replayability in my opinion, but the game still manages to be a ton of fun.”
    • “Replayability is just as strong; there are so many areas to revisit to collect all the secrets in the game.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its chill and enjoyable nature, which may limit the intensity of emotional highs and lows typically associated with memorable experiences. However, players appreciate its wholesome atmosphere and entertaining challenges, making it a delightful and engaging experience overall.

    • “This game is wholesome, atmospheric, and a huge upgrade on the original.”
    • “The game is really wholesome and a pleasure to play; there are some fun challenges and a lot of entertaining references in the game!”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with smooth performance noted after the transition from 8-bit to 16-bit graphics. However, some users experienced initial bugs with joypad support, which have since been addressed in a patch. The music quality, while not as strong as the first game, does not significantly impact stability.

    • “It went from 8-bit to 16-bit, and the game just runs great.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't experienced any crashes or glitches.”
    • “The performance is smooth, and I can play for hours without any issues.”
    • “The main downside is that the support for joypads was kind of buggy, which has been addressed in the first patch.”
    • “The game frequently crashes during gameplay, making it frustrating to progress.”
    • “I experienced several instances of lag and stuttering, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While some users express dissatisfaction with certain character designs, the overall experience of character development is viewed positively, indicating that the narrative and growth of characters contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Alwa's Legacy is a platformer game with fantasy theme.

Alwa's Legacy is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

Alwa's Legacy was released on June 17, 2020.

Alwa's Legacy was developed by Elden Pixels.

Alwa's Legacy has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its grinding.

Alwa's Legacy is a single player game.

Similar games include Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Alwa's Awakening, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Haiku, the Robot, Vernal Edge and others.