Elypse
- May 17, 2023
- Hot Chili Games
- 13h median play time
Get on SteamEmbark upon a tragic tale and discover the ravaged world of Elypse! Fight your destiny in an arduous 2D adventure, story rich platformer, in a mesmerising and mysterious world.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features beautiful visuals and a unique art style that stands out.
- The movement mechanics are fluid and satisfying, allowing for creative level design and fast-paced gameplay.
- Accessibility options are available, making the game more manageable for players who may struggle with its challenging mechanics.
- The one-hit death mechanic can feel frustrating and unfair, especially in sections with tricky platforming and enemy placements.
- The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in around 5-7 hours, which may not justify its price for some.
- The level design can lead to cheap deaths, with enemies blending into the environment and limited visibility in certain areas.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its fluid mechanics and creative level design, while others find the one-hit death mechanic and challenging platforming sections frustrating. Many comparisons are drawn to titles like "Hollow Knight" and "Ori," highlighting both the game's artistic influences and its difficulty, which may deter casual players. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging and enjoyable for platformer enthusiasts, it may not appeal to everyone due to its steep learning curve and limited variety in mechanics as the game progresses.
“Elypse is a great platformer with a solid art style and fun movement mechanics that, despite its short length, is an easy recommendation for any platformer enthusiast.”
“All in all, the combination of fun and smooth gameplay, with creative level designs and a gorgeous art style, made this game into something that I actually really enjoyed in the 5 or so hours that I spent with it.”
“The atmosphere is great, the gameplay is challenging but (mostly) not frustrating, combat (including bosses) feels satisfying, and the mechanics are overall pretty creative and unique.”
“This game feels like the one-hit mechanic was added in very late into development because you often have sections where you have to platform carefully, evade or kill enemies, and pay attention to the shifting environments.”
“The one-hit death mechanic and very sparsely placed checkpoints definitely made you desperate to see them.”
“Depending on the checkpoints, which range from awful to fine, you can be set back quite far because you mess up a platforming section where you had 0.1 seconds to react to an instant death mechanic.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique art style, featuring a striking contrast between blacks and reds that enhances its visual appeal. While some reviews note that the visuals are not necessarily groundbreaking, they are described as solid and distinctive, contributing positively to the overall experience. The combination of beautiful artwork and engaging gameplay makes the game enjoyable, particularly for platformer enthusiasts.
“Great game with a satisfying art style.”
“The stark contrast between the blacks and reds of this game gives it quite a unique art style that makes it easily recognizable.”
“The graphics are really good in my opinion, and each layer/level is clearly distinctive from the others while keeping an overall feeling for the world.”
- story6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is considered intriguing but somewhat underdeveloped, with a bare-bones narrative that leaves room for expansion in potential sequels. While not groundbreaking, it effectively propels players forward and hints at a larger lore that could be explored in future entries. Overall, the story has potential, but it requires more depth and development to fully engage players.
“The game itself is appealing and the plot somewhat intriguing.”
“Despite all my criticisms, I do still feel this game needs to be supported as the visual design is still unique. What plot is there seems interesting and has the potential to expand into something greater.”
“While the story isn't necessarily amazing, it does a good job pushing you forward without ever being distracting.”
“The story is kind of bare bones.”
“The story does have an open end, which is clearly meant to be continued (presumably subject to the game's success).”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its seamless integration and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, despite not being the standout feature. While some feel it could benefit from more rewards for exploration, the soundtrack and sound effects are described as satisfying and beautiful, complementing the game's graphics and challenges effectively. Overall, the music contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“The beauty is emphasized by the music which adds so much to the feel.”
“The music, as well as the graphics, are beautiful to enjoy, and that in conjunction with the ever-changing challenges, I do recommend the game a lot!”
“Nice graphics, background music is awesome.”
“Like the Ori games, when you restart, the soundtrack just keeps going and I never felt like it was looping.”
“I feel going off the beaten path could've been rewarded more with things like challenge rooms that give you access to concept art, music to listen to, bits of lore to ponder over, and maybe special upgrades that aren't plot-related.”
“The beauty is emphasized by the music, which adds so much to the feel.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is widely praised for its beauty and uniqueness, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience that balances challenge with creativity. Players note similarities to other games, particularly in tone and certain platforming elements, enhancing the overall immersive quality.
“The atmosphere is great, the gameplay is challenging but (mostly) not frustrating, combat (including bosses) feels satisfying, and the mechanics are overall pretty creative and unique.”
“I have only played Hollow Knight, but I can confirm that there are similarities; most notably the tone and atmosphere, but some of the platforming sections also gave me Path of Pain flashbacks.”
“I have only played HK, but I can confirm that there are similarities; most notably the tone and atmosphere. However, some of the platforming sections also gave me flashbacks to Path of Pain.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability primarily for players interested in speedrunning or achieving 100% completion, despite its linear structure and relatively short playtime. While the gameplay is fluid, the limited length may restrict replay value for those seeking a more expansive experience.
“Just finished the game, short but fluid gameplay with a bit of replayability if you like 100%ing or speedrunning.”
“Also, as you can tell by my playtime, the game is not long at all, which kind of hurts any replay value outside of going for that speedrun achievement.”
“That being said, I'd say it has moderate replay value - while it is very linear, you can choose getting the 2-hour achievement as your goal.”
“Just finished the game; it's short but has fluid gameplay with a bit of replayability if you enjoy 100%ing or speedrunning.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's performance is solid, but some users report issues with optimization, particularly experiencing choppy playback in 4K high-quality settings despite having adequate hardware. Typos were also noted, indicating room for improvement.
“The game runs smoothly with minimal lag, showcasing excellent optimization.”
“I appreciate how well the game is optimized for different hardware configurations.”
“The developers have done a fantastic job ensuring a solid performance across various platforms.”
“There are some typos and the game could use some more optimization; certain areas had choppy playback in 4K high-quality settings on a computer that should be more than enough for it.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly towards the end, which detracts from the overall experience and enjoyment.
“The game is close to being really good, but the tedious difficulty (mostly near the end) really ruined it for me.”
“Grinding feels like a chore rather than a rewarding experience, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game, turning it into a slog.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game features designs and cutscene art that evoke a sense of nostalgia similar to "Hollow Knight," while the movement mechanics draw comparisons to "Ori" and "Celeste," albeit with a more obscured view of the environment. This blend creates a unique experience that enhances player engagement with the characters.
“The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully throughout the game.”
“I love how the characters evolve not just in abilities but also in their personalities, making every interaction feel meaningful.”
“The depth of character arcs is impressive, and I found myself genuinely invested in their journeys and growth.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me disengaged from their journeys.”
“The lack of depth in character backstories makes it difficult to care about their fates throughout the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game's emotional impact is undermined by its frustratingly low difficulty, which detracts from the overall experience and emotional engagement.
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck and providing a fantastic experience reminiscent of Metroidvania titles.
“Runs great on deck, and a fantastic Ori-like Metroidvania.”
“The game maintains a smooth frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a seamless gaming experience.”
