Echoes of Aetheria
- January 14, 2016
- Dancing Dragon Games
Get on SteamIn Echoes of Aetheria, play as heroes pursuing a kidnapped bride, which escalates into a grand saga of war, love, and betrayal. Your decisions will shape the fate of entire nations as you navigate treason, rebellion, and even the formation of a new nation. The game's rich narrative revolves around relatable characters with distinct dreams, goals, and flaws, creating an immersive and engaging RPG experience.
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Reviews
- Engaging and memorable story that evokes nostalgia for classic JRPGs.
- Fun and rewarding combat system with a variety of skills and tactical elements.
- Well-developed characters and a vibrant world that enhances the overall experience.
- Significant difficulty spikes, especially during the final boss battle, can lead to frustration.
- Crafting and equipment management systems lack clarity and can be cumbersome.
- Labyrinthine dungeon designs can be tedious and may lead to players getting lost.
- story206 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring a compelling narrative with engaging characters and a mix of familiar tropes and unexpected twists. While some players appreciate the depth and mature themes, others criticize the pacing and lack of character development, particularly in the early stages. Overall, it offers a solid JRPG experience, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking extensive world-building or player choice.
“Great storytelling by a committed developer; I enjoy the mature themes and excellent writing.”
“The story is compelling, the characters have depth, and the overall theme is magnificent if you are into this genre.”
“The intriguing storyline, addictive turn-based combat, and highly memorable cast of endearing characters make for a gaming experience that should not be missed for a true fan of the roleplaying game genre.”
“Writing is very weak, story and characters are not well written at all and it had little emotional weight.”
“The plot is too fast-paced in the beginning and barely gives any time for the characters to breathe, and when it eventually does, it leaves the player unsatisfied with how little character growth is happening.”
“The main story itself was nothing original and kind of a bore.”
- gameplay74 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging mechanics, tactical battle system, and enjoyable exploration, while others criticize repetitive elements and frustrating design choices, such as losing dungeon progress. Many players appreciate the balance and depth of the RPG mechanics, though some feel that certain aspects are underdeveloped or poorly executed. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for RPG enthusiasts, despite some notable flaws.
“Great game with an interesting story, great gameplay, and challenging fights that never get boring.”
“I really enjoyed the gameplay and puzzles that you experience at every level.”
“Addendum: After playing this for over 34 hours, I have to say this is really well balanced, the storyline is interesting, and the gameplay is very good. This game is better than many games that are much more expensive.”
“Combat is average and many mechanics are rarely useful.”
“The only downside in the gameplay is that you may get lost on some of the maps as you try to backtrack or make sure you explore every area before leaving or moving the story forward, which can be frustrating for someone who doesn't want to spend the extra time walking around in circles.”
“One final mechanic to note: leaving a dungeon erases all progress you made in that dungeon! A confusing mechanic I haven't seen in many (if any) RPGs, and it just seems anti-player with no real added challenge.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics in this RPG Maker title are generally praised for their bright and colorful art style, impressive hand-drawn character visuals, and well-executed battle sequences that stand out compared to typical RPG Maker games. While some reviewers noted a mix of generic RPG graphics with custom assets, the overall presentation is considered polished and visually appealing, particularly in battle. However, there are mentions of resolution issues and a lack of standout elements in the graphics, suggesting that while they are good, they may not be groundbreaking.
“The artwork on the main characters during dialogue is superb with very impressive fantasy-inspired hand-drawn images that noticeably change facial expressions as they speak.”
“Equally of note are the fantastic visuals for the battle sequences, of which you will fight many during the course of the game.”
“As a RPG Maker title, I found this game to be quite impressive graphically.”
“Not the story, not the graphics, not the gameplay.”
“The resolution isn't great and isn't meant to be played in widescreen (unless you like stretched graphics).”
“Even at 4:3 the graphics look a bit off.”
- music38 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its charm and quality, often being compared favorably to soundtracks from larger RPG projects. Reviewers highlight the orchestral score as particularly impressive, enhancing combat, exploration, and emotional moments within the narrative. Despite some technical issues, such as music occasionally cutting out, the overall aural presentation is considered excellent and a significant strength of the game.
“Boasting a wonderful orchestral soundtrack, Echoes of Aetheria presents a terrific musical score with tracks appropriate for combat, exploration, and emotionally tense moments in the narrative.”
“The soundtrack is incredible, especially the main battle theme; I will never tire of hearing it.”
“Echoes of Aetheria falls under the 'great' category for me, in large part due to the excellent soundtrack by the creator, and the original art that goes along with it.”
“The in-game music randomly goes away, which is quite frustrating.”
“While this game is superior in almost every way to its predecessor, it does re-use some of the music assets from Skyborn.”
“There's still no voice work which is disappointing, and the music has a distinct charm and energy to it that makes it fit right in among games with good/great soundtracks.”
- grinding24 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about grinding in the game, noting that while some grinding is necessary for top-tier gear, it can become tedious and frustrating, especially with the maze-like dungeons and challenging boss encounters. Many reviewers criticize the game's scaling system, which they feel contradicts the developers' stance against grinding, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction and even prompting some to lower the difficulty. However, there are also positive remarks about the rewarding nature of combat and the absence of random encounters, suggesting that while grinding exists, it is not as pervasive as in other JRPGs.
“This grinding and crafting trial and error shouldn't be a requirement to beat normal difficulty.”
“It was a huge struggle and frustration that I had to make lots of time for grinding, though.”
“Frankly, the scaling makes no sense, and it's a questionable design choice from the devs. The scaling is truly unlike any RPG I've played, and I've played nearly all of the big titles and classics alike over the last 20 years. I could continue to rant about this, as it ultimately led me to quit the game right before the final boss out of frustration. I was very disappointed and don't understand why this kind of scaling exists if the devs are against grinding, because it heavily encourages grinding.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews on the humor aspect of the game are mixed; while some players find the character banter hilarious and endearing, contributing to their emotional investment in the story, others feel that the humor has become stale and unbalanced over time. Overall, the effectiveness of the humor seems to vary significantly among players.
“The banter between characters is hilarious and endearing, and their personalities really made me care about them as a group.”
“Humor, romance, conflict, betrayal, and loss are just some of the many aspects of this intriguing fantasy adventure.”
- character development6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features commendable character development that enhances its engaging JRPG narrative, complemented by appealing character design and a solid combat system. While the plot is likened to a "B movie," the character arcs provide enough depth and flavor to maintain player interest. Overall, character development is highlighted as a notable aspect, especially in a genre where it can often be lacking.
“At its heart, this game is a JRPG with a solid B-movie (a compliment for a video game) plot and just enough character development and flavor to keep it interesting.”
“Character development (okay, really a part of the above, but it's so rare these days I wanted to mention it separately).”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized due to weak writing and poorly developed characters, resulting in minimal emotional impact. However, the orchestral soundtrack is praised for enhancing the experience during combat, exploration, and emotionally charged moments.
“Boasting a wonderful orchestral soundtrack, 'Echoes of Aetheria' presents a terrific musical score with tracks appropriate for combat, exploration, and emotionally tense moments in the narrative.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Replayability is considered adequate, particularly for players interested in obtaining all achievements, suggesting that while the game may not offer extensive replay value, there are incentives for returning to complete additional challenges.
“Replayability is excellent, especially if you're aiming to unlock all the achievements.”
“The game offers great replayability, making it fun to explore different strategies and outcomes.”
“There are numerous paths and choices that enhance the replayability, keeping the experience fresh each time.”
“With that said, replayability is adequate, especially if you want to procure all the achievements.”
