Dungeons of Aether
- February 27, 2023
- ampersandbear
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Dungeons of Aether" is a turn-based dungeon crawler with a dice draft system, offering challenging combat and unique battles. The game features four new heroes, including Fleet, a clumsy but well-meaning self-proclaimed protector of her hometown. Every decision made can lead to treasure or an early demise, adding an extra layer of challenge to the dungeon exploration.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The combat system is unique and strategic, requiring players to think critically about their moves and resource management.
- The characters are well-designed and have distinct playstyles, adding variety to the gameplay.
- The game can become tedious, with battles often dragging on due to stalemates and reliance on RNG for dice rolls.
- Certain characters, particularly Hamir and Artemis, feel underpowered and less enjoyable to play compared to others.
- The story, while charming, can be predictable and lacks depth, leading to a less engaging narrative experience.
- story246 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Dungeons of Aether" is generally described as engaging yet predictable, with a charming cast of characters and a lighthearted narrative that expands on the existing lore of the Aether universe. While some players appreciate the character interactions and world-building, others find the pacing uneven and the plot lacking depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall impact. The game offers a straightforward campaign that lasts around 9-10 hours, but many reviewers express a desire for more character development and interaction throughout the story.
“The story is charming, the gameplay has a wealth of depth to it, and of course the music and art style is a 10/10.”
“Just completed the story mode, and this game is an absolute treat. Beautiful pixel art, fun and engaging characters, an interesting story, and wonderfully crafted combat.”
“The story was a very fun romp, and while it had some predictable twists and turns, I honestly feel like they used them in the best way possible, and really helped make the transition into focusing on the other characters satisfying to see unfold.”
“The format of the game ultimately creates an incredibly rushed story that really could have benefitted from some workshopping, and it stands out as the weakest element of this game by a large margin.”
“The story is charming, but the gameplay has a wealth of depth to it, and of course the music and art style is a 10/10.”
“The character designs and story are charming, but there is virtually no reason to spend your currency on anything other than the chapter in which you cannot prepare or be ready for until after it essentially forces you to restart the whole story to pad out play times.”
- gameplay227 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Dungeons of Aether" is characterized by its unique dice-drafting mechanics, which offer a blend of strategy and randomness, making encounters feel like mini-puzzles. While many players appreciate the innovative combat system and charming aesthetics, there are notable criticisms regarding the game's balance, repetitiveness, and occasional over-explanation of mechanics, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Despite its engaging elements, some players find the gameplay can become tedious and lacks depth as the game progresses, suggesting a need for more variety and refinement in character mechanics and enemy interactions.
“The gameplay is unique and interesting.”
“The gorgeous pixel art, boppin' soundtrack, clever writing, and fun gameplay are all a testament to that.”
“Gameplay: the gameplay has a surprising amount of depth and strategy with how you're able to approach a lot of the fights.”
“Main complaints come down to certain gameplay elements being over-explained while others are under-explained.”
“Honestly heavily disappointed, which is a shame because it is clear a lot of effort went into this game, just like all the others from Aether Studio, but sadly on this one, the gameplay and the amount of content simply don't follow that same level of quality.”
“The gameplay is a very simplified take on a turn-based dungeon crawler.”
- music119 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, catchiness, and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, featuring a mix of engaging chiptune tracks that evoke nostalgia and complement the game's charming visuals. While some players noted that the music can be repetitive, the majority found it to be a highlight, often recommending the soundtrack as a worthy purchase on platforms like Bandcamp.
“The pixel art is superb, the music is beyond incredible, one of the best chiptune soundtracks ever in a video game and worth the price alone.”
“The music is top tier.”
“The music, the animations, the art-style are all great which is expected considering the previous games in the series have all had these elements to their favor.”
“The game music is fine but it’s a little short and repetitive, so I ended up muting it. However, the voiceover is also linked to the same slider for some reason, so I wasn’t able to listen to the conversations.”
“It has like 5 looping music tracks whenever you enter a combat.”
“The music doesn't really have any zingers, but it all fits.”
- graphics48 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and beautifully crafted art style, with many reviewers highlighting the appealing pixel art and character designs. The visuals, combined with an impressive soundtrack, significantly enhance the overall experience, making the game visually delightful despite some gameplay flaws. Overall, the aesthetic quality is a major draw for players, contributing to the game's immersive and enjoyable atmosphere.
“The graphics are excellent, the music is amazing, and the dice drafting system is nice and snappy.”
“Aesthetically, the game is delightful both on a visual and sound standpoint; everything looks great from characters to buildings to animations.”
“The art style is fantastic, and I love the design of all of the characters - playable, townsfolk, plot-relevant folks, and enemies all look great!”
“The visuals generally are not involved in the core gameplay.”
“This all kind of sucks even more with the fact that the artwork and music are amazing, and I love all the character and enemy designs (outside of fleets' weird pencil-thin waist in dialogue scenes).”
“It's at the point where if it were not such a charming game with an amazing OST, I'd probably not recommend it, but the graphics and soundtrack are doing the heavy lifting.”
- grinding23 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly during combat encounters that often devolve into repetitive blocking and minimal attacking. The lack of gameplay variety and the reliance on luck can make battles feel like a slog, detracting from the overall enjoyment and exploration of the game. While some appreciate the strategic elements, many find the grinding necessary for progress to be draining and unfun.
“This game is intensely tedious even in the first level.”
“Without significant upgrades to your stats, or reliable items, each battle can be a tedious slog to eventually overcoming the enemy... or being worn down to defeat.”
“There is zero gameplay variety and it gets tedious fast... it's an absolute shame because I really feel like the universe of Aether is ripe for the picking for a dungeon crawler but the systems they put in place are quite simply not fun.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily through its challenge dungeons mode, which some players find unbalanced and lacking depth. While the main story is engaging and well-executed, the overall experience is relatively short, with many reviewers suggesting that the game may not sustain long-term interest. Players recommend it for its quality but advise potential buyers to consider waiting for additional content or improvements before diving in for replay value.
“Great game that doesn't overstay its welcome and has replay value along with post-game content.”
“While the game has a main story, it also has a challenge mode that can be used for replayability.”
“Overall, great game that I would recommend, with a fun story mode and replayability from the challenge dungeons.”
“Judging by upgrade progress, I'm guessing 10 hours before replay value evaporates, which seems reasonable for what I paid.”
“So even though I haven't played much of it, the execution of challenge dungeons just feels poor, which I feel like is because the devs focused more on story mode than it. I think that's alright since the quality is there in story mode, but that could also be the reason the game lacks replayability.”
“It's pretty easy to get into, but the simplified nature of the game hurts the game's replayability and depth a bit too much for my taste.”
- character development14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the distinct and fantastic character designs that effectively reflect each character's unique personality. The art style and music also contribute positively to the overall appeal, making character design a standout feature of the game. However, some players express a desire for more variety in enemy types to match the high quality of character designs.
“The character designs are absolutely fantastic and are easily the highlight of this game.”
“The character design is absolutely superb; the artists have done an amazing job.”
“The character designs and story are charming, but there is virtually no reason to spend your currency on anything other than the chapter in which you cannot prepare or be ready for until after it essentially forces you to restart the whole story to pad out play times.”
“I think it was probably difficult to come up with good and unique gimmicks for enemies in this type of battle system, but I really would have appreciated reskins of the same enemy types for each of the biomes, especially when the character design is one of Aether's biggest strong points.”
“All of the character designs really reflect their unique personalities.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky characters and amusing dialogue, with players finding the critters and overall presentation charming and entertaining. While the story may be lacking, the comedic elements and funny interactions contribute to a lighthearted experience, making it enjoyable despite some gameplay frustrations. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the game, appealing to those who appreciate a whimsical touch in their roguelike adventures.
“Story's fun, music's amazing, art's good, funny critters cute and whatnot.”
“Haha funny furry dungeon rogue-like.”
“The funny thing is that every enemy does attack every other character even if their defense is high.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that while they have successfully optimized their gameplay, rushing through the final chapter without managing resources effectively can lead to significant challenges, suggesting that careful resource management is crucial for success.
“I optimized the game so much that I can't really tell you how it goes, but I think that if you rush to the final chapter burning every resource and having 0 gold to spend, then you are screwed.”
“The optimization options in this game are fantastic, allowing for a tailored experience that suits my playstyle perfectly.”
“I love how the game encourages players to optimize their strategies, making each decision feel impactful and rewarding.”
“I optimized the game so much that I can't really tell you how it goes, but I think that if you rush to the final chapter burning every resource and have 0 gold to spend, then you are screwed.”
“The optimization in this game is a mess; it feels like the developers didn't even bother to balance the resource management.”
“I spent hours trying to optimize my strategy, but the game still feels unbalanced and punishing for those who don't know the exact path to take.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly through moments of triumph and resilience, such as overcoming challenges while on the brink of defeat, which fosters a sense of empowerment and excitement.
“I loved Artemis; rolling through enemies in a single turn while at 1 HP made me feel like a total badass.”
