Elderand

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 203 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Elderand Game Cover
Elderand is an enjoyable, old-fashioned hack ‘n’ slash adventure that will challenge you without punishing you.
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"Elderand is a single-player, violence-filled hack and slash game with a wonderful gameplay and outstanding visuals. Explore a dark, Lovecraftian world and engage in brutal, skill-based combat against terrifying creatures using a variety of weapons and abilities. Customize your character and delve into satisfying Metroidvania-style exploration."

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Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 203 reviews
story8 positive mentions
grinding16 negative mentions
  • Elderand features beautiful pixel art and a nostalgic old-school ambiance that appeals to fans of the genre.
  • The game offers a variety of character builds and weapon choices, allowing for customization and different playstyles.
  • Combat is generally enjoyable, with challenging boss fights that require learning enemy patterns.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating combat experiences.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players feeling it lacks depth and replayability.
  • There are numerous bugs and design flaws, such as the lack of fast travel early on and issues with the inventory system.
  • story38 mentions

    The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it convoluted, poorly communicated, and lacking depth. While some appreciate the intriguing lore and mystery, others criticize it as generic and forgettable, often comparing it unfavorably to other titles in the genre. Overall, the narrative seems to leave much to be desired, failing to cohesively engage players despite some interesting plot points.

    • “Personally, I'm biased toward loving this genre of gameplay and story, so it was an enjoyable 7-hour experience.”
    • “Quality metroidvania with an intriguing story arc and souls-like mechanics.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics and an intriguing storyline shrouded in mystery adds to the pleasure of playing this awesome game.”
    • “The combat leaves a lot to be desired, there's barely any exploration for a metroidvania, and even the story is poorly written.”
    • “I'm grasping at straws trying to tie it all together, and I read every note, so I think they failed to make a coherent story here.”
    • “The story just isn't there.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their excellent pixel art style, appealing aesthetics, and solid animations, contributing to an engaging visual experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful environments, intricate creature designs, and a well-produced overall look that enhances gameplay. While some mention minor roughness, the general consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, complementing the game's enjoyable mechanics and atmosphere.

    • “Elderand is a fun metroidvania with great pixel graphics and enjoyable gameplay.”
    • “Wonderful art style, great soundtrack, and some really cool monster designs also help push this one towards the top of the heap.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics and an intriguing storyline shrouded in mystery adds to the pleasure of playing this awesome game.”
    • “The graphics, the weapons, and the bosses are underwhelming.”
    • “The art style is reminiscent of classic games but lacks originality.”
    • “While the graphics are cute, they feel simplistic and do not enhance the overall experience.”
  • music25 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising its catchy and fitting nature, as well as its blend of genres, including retro and heavy metal influences. While some players found the soundtrack memorable and enjoyable, others noted a lack of variety and cohesion, particularly with repetitive tracks for bosses. Overall, the music complements the game's aesthetic and design, contributing to a solid gaming experience.

    • “Wonderful art style, great soundtrack, and some really cool monster designs also help push this one towards the top of the heap.”
    • “Music is very fitting and catchy!”
    • “The music in the game is good and upbeat, despite the grim theme, reminding us of Castlevania again.”
    • “The soundtrack is a bit of a mixed bag; there are some good tunes that are kind of retro, but there are also some metal soundtracks that feel out of place.”
    • “There's also not much variety; every single boss (even the true final boss) uses the same soundtrack, which gets stale after a while.”
    • “The music was shredding at times, so that's sick, but the story and setting were generic and underutilized.”
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay is generally well-received, featuring enjoyable mechanics, challenging boss fights, and a solid metroidvania experience with good exploration and gear upgrades. However, some players noted issues with clunky mechanics, grindy progression, and repetitive elements, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, many found the gameplay compelling and reminiscent of classic titles in the genre.

    • “Great mechanics and feel, and the content that is offered is enjoyable, as well as the boss fights feeling challenging.”
    • “Feels great, requires careful gameplay, nice gear upgrades, fun fights, lots of great exploration, interesting setting.”
    • “A solid metroidvania that adds cool mechanics to an already growing genre.”
    • “As far as mechanics go, you won't see anything new here.”
    • “I found it quite grindy, as I felt it necessary to farm materials to upgrade weapons, which definitely ate up a few hours of my entire gameplay.”
    • “The game mechanics are pretty standard and it got a bit repetitive at the end, and I didn't have enough motivation to grind to the last few achievements.”
  • grinding17 mentions

    The grinding aspect of Elderand is a mixed bag; while some players find it bearable and even enjoyable for upgrading weapons and farming materials, others describe it as tedious and unnecessarily time-consuming. Many reviewers note that grinding is essential for progression, particularly for leveling up and achieving 100% map completion, which can lead to frustration, especially without efficient fast travel options. Overall, the experience of grinding varies significantly among players, with some appreciating the challenge and others feeling it detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “The next update really needs an experience gain ring, as I am not grinding 30+ levels.”
    • “Prohibitively grindy and unnecessary.”
    • “I also found it quite grindy, as I felt it necessary to farm materials to upgrade weapons, something that definitely ate up a few hours of my entire gameplay.”
    • “Got so boring with necessary grinding and bad controls that I couldn't bring myself to finish the game.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by cute graphics and a sense of immersion, enhanced by non-linear exploration that invites players to engage with the environment in a meaningful way.

    • “The atmosphere is enchanting, with cute graphics that enhance the experience.”
    • “The game features a beautifully atmospheric world that encourages non-linear exploration.”
    • “The overall ambiance is captivating, drawing players into its unique environment.”
    • “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
    • “Despite the beautiful graphics, the overall atmosphere lacks any sense of tension or excitement.”
    • “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving me feeling disconnected from the world.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Users express frustration with the emotional impact of gameplay mechanics that evoke nostalgia for classic titles like Castlevania, particularly criticizing the harsh damage system where players are penalized for merely touching enemies. This design choice detracts from the enjoyment and can lead to feelings of frustration rather than engagement.

  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable throughout their experience.

    • “The humor in this game is absolutely hilarious, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates humor into its storytelling; the characters have such funny interactions that it feels like a comedy show.”
    • “The comedic timing in the game is spot on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining with its quirky humor.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    While the game's performance is generally solid, the presence of numerous bugs significantly detracts from the overall optimization experience.

  • stability1 mentions

    Users report experiencing random freezes and GPU usage spikes after extended playtime, particularly around the 10-hour mark, though restarting the game temporarily resolves the issue.

    • “After running the game for 10 hours, I experienced random freezes and GPU usage spikes. It's really weird, but restarting the game helps.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “I encountered several stability issues, including lag spikes and unexpected shutdowns during gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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