Elowen's Light
- March 15, 2023
- Douglas Terhune
Get on Steam"Elowen's Light" is a charming game with a procedurally generated world, featuring beautiful pixel art and a calming soundtrack. The story follows Elowen's journey to restore her companion by collecting magical orbs and helping quirky characters and creatures. With hours of post-story exploration, critter avoidance, ability upgrades, and plant collection, this game offers a relaxing and accessible experience.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
- The soundtrack is soothing and complements the game's relaxing atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play.
- The avoidance mechanic adds a unique twist to the platforming genre, encouraging players to interact with the environment in a non-combative way.
- The controls are frustrating, particularly the jump mechanics, which can lead to unintended actions and hinder gameplay.
- The game suffers from bugs and glitches, including issues with terrain disappearing and a confusing menu system.
- The overall structure feels repetitive and lacks depth, with a short main story and limited post-game content.
- story23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as cute, charming, and well-suited to its "cottage-core" aesthetic, providing a light-hearted narrative experience that complements the gameplay. While some players found the story minimal and occasionally confusing, many appreciated the calming atmosphere created by the soundtrack and visuals. Overall, it offers a satisfying, albeit brief, journey that enhances the game's relaxing nature.
“The story is well written and suits the overall 'cottage-core' vibe of the game.”
“It is a sweet and endearing story that, while the main narrative can be completed quickly, there is still a world narrative to explore.”
“If you're looking for a quick and relaxing game with a charming story, this is it.”
“The storyline was very minimal and doesn't impact gameplay.”
“It wasn't a bad storyline, just that there wasn't much there.”
“My only gripe is that it only took me an hour to finish the story, while the other two (and some change) were to complete the last achievement (which is to jump 10,000 times).”
- music18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and mood of the story. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a perfect accompaniment for relaxation and enjoyment, contributing to the game's cozy and nostalgic feel. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the beautiful art and light-hearted gameplay.
“The soundtrack really brings the mood to the story and is great to just chill to.”
“This game is a nice escape into beautiful art, music, and overall atmosphere.”
“The music for the game is very soothing, fitting quite well with the theme.”
“This is a really chill side scroller with calm background music and a little twist.”
“Overall, Elowen's Light is a unique take on platformers that's worth checking out if you enjoy light-hearted storytelling with art and music to match.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming character design, adorable artwork, and unique pixel art style, which contribute to a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere. Players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and the effective use of lighting, enhancing the overall experience of the game. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, making it a recommended choice for fans of aesthetically pleasing platformers.
“Graphically it's super pretty, I love the character design, and the cutscene art is really nice too.”
“The use of lighting in areas along with a pixel art style gives the game a uniqueness that adds to the feel of the world.”
“Love the art style and music, it's a cozy game with a nostalgic feel.”
“I wish this wasn't the case, and I hope the developer makes some improvements to the graphics, as I love the two characters and their art style.”
“The story is cute, but the graphics leave much to be desired.”
“While the art style has potential, the overall graphics feel outdated and lack detail.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally smooth with minor bugs that are being quickly addressed, and the avoidance mechanic adds a unique twist to the platforming experience. While the game follows a straightforward approach, the integration of unlockables enhances the overall flow and enjoyment, allowing players to engage more deeply with the mechanics.
“The avoidance mechanic is a neat twist on the genre, and the story is sweet.”
“Once you understand how each of the mechanics come together, you end up in an interesting flow and can just vibe with the game.”
“From a gameplay perspective, it is a straightforward platformer that plays it safe, but the unlockables really change the flow of the game.”
“There are a couple of small bugs here and there, but it looks like the developers are patching those quickly, and they don't really affect the main gameplay.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report minor stability issues such as falling through terrain and occasional glitches, particularly after restarting the game. While these bugs can be distracting, they are generally not severe enough to significantly impact the overall experience.
“There are some instances of falling through terrain and other minor glitches, but they aren't significant enough to be a major issue.”
“I restarted the game, and it became really buggy, showing me collecting plants while Briony was standing on the porch even though she wasn't alive yet.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character design and visual aesthetics, particularly praising the fae styling and the quality of cutscene art, which enhances the overall appeal of character development in the game.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character's unique backstory and growth throughout the game.”
“I appreciate how the characters evolve based on player choices, making each decision feel impactful and personal.”
“The depth of the characters is impressive; their arcs are well-written and resonate emotionally, enhancing the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is tied to the player's connection with the environment and its creatures, as it emphasizes a gentle approach to interaction—collecting magic without harming animals fosters a sense of empathy and care. This mechanic encourages players to engage thoughtfully with the world, enhancing the emotional experience through a rewarding cycle of collection and growth.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its captivating art and music, providing players with a delightful escape into a beautifully crafted world.
“This game is a nice escape into beautiful art, music, and overall atmosphere.”
