Alwa's Legacy

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 230 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Alwa's Legacy Game Cover
A great Metroidvania with clever puzzles and maybe just a little bit too much obtuseness.
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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.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 230 reviews
gameplay23 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • Alwa's Legacy features clever puzzles and a variety of abilities that enhance exploration and gameplay, making players feel smart and accomplished.
  • The game boasts beautiful 16-bit graphics and a charming soundtrack, creating an engaging atmosphere that draws players in.
  • Improvements over its predecessor include a more forgiving difficulty curve, better controls, and a robust upgrade system that allows for customization of abilities.
  • Some players found the boss fights to be too easy and lacking in challenge, which detracted from the overall experience.
  • The game can suffer from tedious backtracking, especially when trying to collect all items and secrets, which may frustrate some players.
  • The story and character development are considered weak, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the narrative and characters.
  • gameplay66 mentions

    The gameplay is praised for its blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and platforming, with many reviewers noting its engaging mechanics and well-designed dungeons. While some players found the difficulty to be manageable and enjoyable, others criticized certain mechanics as unnecessary or clunky, leading to a feeling of linearity in progression. Overall, the game is recognized for its charming visuals, catchy music, and a satisfying metroidvania experience that balances challenge with accessibility.

    • “Fun puzzle-oriented gameplay, cute art style, tricky difficulty but never frustrating from my own experience.”
    • “The gameplay focuses more on puzzle solving and platforming than combat.”
    • “A fantastic metroidvania with gorgeous visuals (especially the backgrounds!), great music, and fun gameplay.”
    • “The biggest issue in terms of the gameplay is that it feels that even though you gain new abilities that open up new paths and new gameplay, it feels as if there is only one correct order to complete the game.”
    • “The game has a needlessly annoying warp mechanic where rather than just finding the warp zone and being able to use it, you also need to find specific items before you can even activate the warp zone.”
    • “However, the introduction to new elements of the game can be a little clunky; picking up a new ability, but then not having to use it immediately after seems like a wasted opportunity to teach the player the mechanics of the game.”
  • music61 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy chiptune soundtrack and nostalgic 8-bit style reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man. While some players found the music to be atmospheric and enjoyable, others felt it lacked the memorable quality of the previous installment. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered solid and complements the game's vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay.

    • “Alwa's Legacy is a fun metroidvania with great art and fantastic music done by chiptune composer rushjet1, who I suspect was heavily influenced by Capcom/Mega Man style music.”
    • “The chiptune soundtrack is atmospheric and rife with catchy melodies.”
    • “The pixel art is wonderful, the music is sublime, and the world that has been crafted is one I want to visit time and time again.”
    • “The music is fine, not fantastic, but it's really not that bad; some tracks are memorable.”
    • “My only complaint about the music is that it's much more like NES than SNES in terms of the audio quality.”
    • “The soundtrack is still stuck in 8-bit land and doesn't have as many catchy tunes as the awakening one.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant and colorful 16-bit style, which marks a significant upgrade from the previous 8-bit visuals. Players appreciate the charming artwork and smooth animations, noting that the visuals enhance the overall experience of exploration and puzzle-solving. While some minor graphical bugs were mentioned, the overall aesthetic is considered beautiful and engaging, contributing to the game's nostalgic yet modern appeal.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and colorful.”
    • “A fantastic metroidvania with gorgeous visuals (especially the backgrounds!), great music and fun gameplay.”
    • “It controls well, it plays well, the music is excellent, the graphics are gorgeous and the animations are smooth.”
    • “Presentation and first impression could be better: 16-bit visuals and 8-bit music (or a style that mimics these without the limitations) is a bit dissonant combo at first. The pixel art backgrounds are sometimes very pretty but largely generic in themes.”
    • “Frustratingly hard gameplay with floaty jumping, slow motion, and pretty graphics.”
    • “Graphically, it's antiquated... but that adds to the charm!”
  • story51 mentions

    The story of "Alwa's Legacy" is generally viewed as mediocre and forgettable, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and connection to the previous game. While some appreciate the attempt at thematic exploration, particularly in the necromancy side quest, the overall narrative is criticized for being poorly written, lacking engaging characters, and failing to provide a meaningful or surprising plot. Many players feel that the story is secondary to the gameplay experience, with little investment required to enjoy the game.

    • “The story remains open-ended again, alluding to, but not solving, some background mysteries from both Alwa parts.”
    • “The new graphics and focus on story feels fresh.”
    • “The storytelling is excellent.”
    • “There is no lore; every interesting character is wasted on a pointless battle and a few lines that don't help flesh them out. All locations are left without a story, not even an implied one; every place is just another area to do tasks in.”
    • “The story is really forgettable, and even after finishing the game, I'm struggling to describe it in any way.”
    • “The only story-based reason to play Alwa's Awakening first is to learn the villain and his motives, which this game does a poor job explaining. Otherwise, that's the only real thing that carries over between games.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    The game features minimal grinding, as skill leveling is achieved through the finite collection of hidden orbs, requiring players to follow guides for optimal progression. While the emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving is appreciated, many players find the backtracking and repetitive mechanics, particularly in combat and movement, to be tedious and detracting from the overall 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!”
    • “The game is nice but very tedious and tiring back-tracking here and there.”
    • “What holds the game back are the worse fights (killing a monster with the standard attack is tedious, albeit not hard) and what feels like a far more vague guidance - e.g. why would I want to repair a house?”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring a captivating chiptune soundtrack filled with catchy melodies that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers note the game's wholesome vibe and clever dialogue, marking it as a significant improvement over its predecessor. Overall, it achieves a strong and engaging atmosphere, earning a score of 9/10.

    • “The chiptune soundtrack is atmospheric and rife with catchy melodies.”
    • “This game is wholesome, atmospheric, and a huge upgrade on the original.”
    • “It has great atmosphere and witty dialogue.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its chill and enjoyable nature, which may lead to a lack of significant emotional highs and lows that create lasting memories. However, players appreciate its wholesome and atmospheric qualities, viewing it as a substantial improvement over the original.

    • “This game is wholesome, atmospheric, and a huge upgrade on the original.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor, along with its engaging gameplay and artwork, contributes to a relaxing atmosphere that keeps players entertained for hours, particularly through its humorous characters.

    • “However, gameplay, artwork, and humor are enough to keep you entertained for a solid 9 hours if you want to 100% it.”
    • “Luckily, the game's art, soundtrack, and humorous characters make for a mostly relaxing environment.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers a unique unlockable pacifist mode that enhances its replay value, though some players feel that its puzzle-based design limits overall replayability. Despite being shorter than other titles in the genre, it remains enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “Has an unlockable pacifist mode for extra replay value.”
    • “Not the longest game in the genre, and the puzzle-based nature of the game limits replayability, but it still manages to be a ton of fun.”
    • “Not the longest game in the genre, and the puzzle-based nature of the game limits replayability, in my opinion. However, the game still manages to be a ton of fun.”
  • character development1 mentions

    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.

  • stability1 mentions

    Reviewers note a significant improvement in stability as the game transitioned from 8-bit to 16-bit, resulting in a smoother and more reliable performance.

    • “It went from 8-bit to 16-bit, and the game just runs great.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth frame rate even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I've experienced zero crashes or bugs since the last update, which is impressive.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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