Enotria: The Last Song is a visually stunning souls-like based on Italian folklore. While the game has a lot of customization, certain areas lack the polish that keeps it from being the best, but if you are a fan of souls-likes you may enjoy it.
"Enotria: The Last Song" is a Soulsike game set in a sun-lit world inspired by Italian folklore, where a twisted eternal play, the Canovaccio, has put everything in stasis. As the Maskless One, you must defeat fearsome Authors and harness the power of Ardore to free the world. With 3 main regions, over 100 enemies, and 40+ hours of gameplay, uncover the dark secrets of this beautiful land. Remember to start a new run if you've played the demo.
The game features stunning visuals and a vibrant art style inspired by Italian folklore, creating a unique and captivating world.
The combat system is engaging, with a focus on parrying and a variety of build options through the mask and elemental systems.
Exploration is rewarding, with well-designed levels that encourage players to discover hidden paths and secrets.
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes, unresponsive NPCs, and broken quests.
Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, with inconsistent hit detection and enemy AI that can break during fights.
The lack of key rebinding options and unclear mechanics regarding status effects and weapon variety detracts from the overall experience.
gameplay
321 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The gameplay of "Enotria: The Last Song" features a mix of innovative mechanics, such as a unique elemental system and a multi-loadout mask system, which offer players a fresh approach to combat. However, many players find the parrying mechanic inconsistent and the overall execution of gameplay to be clunky and unpolished, leading to a mixed reception. While the game boasts stunning visuals and an engaging aesthetic, it struggles with performance issues and a lack of clarity in its mechanics, making it a hit-or-miss experience for fans of the soulslike genre.
“It's standout mechanics are its unique four status effects that all come with a benefit and drawback, both for you and enemies they are inflicted upon.”
“The combat mechanics, bolstered by a unique and well-crafted element system, provide fresh layers of strategy that make every encounter feel dynamic and rewarding.”
“The gameplay is solid and the world is beautiful.”
“None of this would be a greater issue if the game didn't so heavily encourage parrying as a central mechanic, akin to what you might be familiar with from 'Lies of P' or 'Sekiro'. The parrying in this game is inconsistent and unreliable, as well as having its own equipment slot for parrying with (seemingly) different effects that range from so minor to downright detrimental that it's hard to tell why you would ever switch off the melee parry gem.”
“The core gameplay feels unresponsive, with stiff animations and needs a lot of refining.”
“The tutorial is so tedious it gets ignored and core mechanics go unexplained and thus unexplored.”
music
221 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
46%
4%
The music in "Enotria: The Last Song" has received widespread acclaim for its captivating and immersive quality, particularly during boss battles, where it enhances the emotional intensity of encounters. While the soundtrack is praised for its beautiful compositions inspired by Italian folklore, some players noted issues with repetitiveness and a lack of ambient music in certain areas. Overall, the game's music significantly contributes to its aesthetic appeal, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms regarding its variety.
“One of Enotria’s most memorable elements is its music, especially during boss battles.”
“The soundtrack is not only catchy but also enhances the intensity and emotions of these encounters.”
“With diverse compositions, the music keeps players immersed, never becoming monotonous, and adds an emotional depth to the gameplay experience.”
“Music was repetitive and at points got so annoying that I eventually turned the music down and eventually off altogether.”
“It's unfortunate that outside Quinta, there is mostly no ambient music.”
“My only problem with this is that there wasn't enough OST to go around and half the time you are exploring in the open world there is no music.”
graphics
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics of "Enotria: The Last Song" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and unique art style, which effectively captures the vibrant landscapes inspired by Italian folklore. While many players appreciate the game's aesthetic and level design, some have reported performance issues, including frame rate drops and bugs that detract from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the game's graphics are often described as one of its standout features, making it visually appealing even if not on par with AAA titles.
“The graphic and visual elements are extremely polished, and fantastic visually.”
“Set in a world inspired by Italian folklore, the game transports players into a vibrant, meticulously crafted reality that breaks away from the gloomy aesthetics typical of many soulslike games.”
“Game is graphically stunning, visually one of the best soulslike games.”
“Cpu, an Nvidia 4070, and 32 GB of RAM, and I have to run at minimum graphics.”
“I find I often have significant frame sluggishness, even at the lowest graphics settings.”
“There are multiple locations that struggle to maintain their frame rate, and a certain boss fight that made my frame rate tank to the point where I had to play the rest of this game on the lowest graphical settings to get a smooth experience.”
story
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
71%
2%
The story of "Enotria: The Last Song" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its rich world-building and integration of Italian folklore, while others find it confusing and lacking depth. Many highlight the game's aesthetic and atmosphere as strong points, but note that the narrative can feel simplistic or unengaging, often reduced to typical "go to the place; stab the thing" tropes. Overall, while the game offers an interesting premise and beautiful environments, its storytelling may not resonate with all players, especially those seeking a more cohesive or innovative narrative experience.
“It took the basics of traditional souls and did so many new and unique things to make it stand out like the Italian folk stories and lore, a more sunny uplifting atmosphere instead of the dank that is in most souls, the rock/paper/scissors style elements in combat, changing classes at the press of a button, having different masks, passives etc. everything was so great and I loved every second while playing; so much so, that many times I found myself spending hours at my computer lost in the story and combat.”
“From a gorgeous Venetian city torn down by the very eldritch knowledge and insatiable avarice that raised it to a once grand coastal empire ravaged in the crossfire of feuding gods, each of the three major locations has a captivating story to tell, drip-fed paragraph by paragraph through scattered lore collectibles everywhere you look.”
“+ a beautiful story that uses famous Italian folklore's characters to weave a memorable tale greatly enhanced by the compendium you can fill up as you explore and defeat bosses, the major bosses in the game all have really good 'last words' after defeat that really enrich the experience of defeating them.”
“To be honest, pretty disappointing for a soulslike, and I was really excited about this one. The combat is janky, the story, at least where I left off, is pretty mild and lackluster with no depth to it.”
“Confusing storyline and questlines (at least to me).”
“The storyline honestly didn't really make 100% sense to me and didn't really seem like there was a coherent story throughout.”
optimization
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
60%
24%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frequent stuttering, FPS drops, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. While some users noted improvements following recent updates, others still found the game unplayable on their systems, particularly on lower-end hardware. Overall, it appears that while the game has potential, it currently suffers from optimization shortcomings typical of indie titles, leading to a recommendation for players to wait for further updates before diving in.
“It's a good game, don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the game; the soundtrack is very well done, and combat in the game is fluid and responsive. CPU optimization is a bit wonky, but they recently released an update that has helped improve stability.”
“Overall, I think most issues can be resolved, especially optimization and quality of life.”
“Performance is much better compared to the demo version.”
“The game doesn't really feel optimized with some bosses and enemy types.”
“I wanted to play this game and enjoy it, but the bad performance really stopped any progression from the start.”
“I do not recommend this game; it is very poorly optimized, making it unplayable.”
stability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game is widely reported to be plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly during boss fights and in various gameplay mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. While many players find the game enjoyable and visually appealing, the instability issues, such as broken animations and unresponsive controls, have led to significant frustration and recommendations to wait for patches before fully committing to the game. Overall, while it remains playable, the current state is considered too buggy for a full endorsement.
“It's challenging, unique, well-made, and runs great for a UE5 game.”
“The game looks great and runs smoothly, and the exploration at the beginning is enjoyable.”
“Runs great, actually.”
“Unfortunately, the game is buggy and deaths are sometimes caused by a lack of a finished product with bosses and elevators.”
“It's true the game has significant faults; there are significant bugs and glitches that need to be repaired.”
“I can't recommend the game yet because of the broken dodge system and glitches that occur, especially during boss fights.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
35%
11%
The game's atmosphere is a vibrant and refreshing departure from traditional dark souls-like settings, drawing inspiration from Italian folk stories and music to create a sunny, magical world. Players are captivated by the unique visual design, engaging soundtrack, and immersive level design, which together foster a rich and enchanting experience. Overall, the atmosphere is celebrated for its originality and ability to draw players into its beautifully crafted environment.
“The atmosphere in the first city is perfectly executed, with enemies actually playing the music and shouting in the revelry that can be heard throughout.”
“The setting and atmosphere are magical, and it's something we haven't seen before.”
“From its unique visual design to an innovative combat system, the game offers a refreshing departure from the typical dark and foreboding atmospheres.”
“The setting and atmosphere are magical and it's something we haven't seen before.”
“The soundtrack, inspired by Italian music traditions, enhances the game’s atmosphere, blending haunting melodies with exciting battle rhythms.”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, particularly when it comes to farming for masks and fragments, which can feel tedious and time-consuming. While some appreciate the opportunity for item farming, many reviewers note that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making progression feel slow and repetitive, especially with backtracking and lackluster boss encounters. Overall, the grinding is seen as a mixed bag, appealing to dedicated players but potentially frustrating for those who prefer a more streamlined experience.
“I beat it in just under 12 hours, but there was some grinding and a lot of backtracking in there.”
“Some masks just require an unholy amount of farming to get all of the fragments (maybe this is a pro if you really like farming items, some people do).”
“Cons: bosses felt lackluster especially the last few, very grindy if you want 100%, game felt a bit too easy, tons of bugs and crashes.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable despite some janky gameplay and technical issues. Many reviewers highlight the comedic elements in both the gameplay and the soundtrack, noting that even glitches can lead to amusing moments. Overall, while the game may be short, it delivers a humorous experience that resonates well with players.
“The gameplay is a bit janky, but the game is a really funny experience, if a bit short.”
“I don't understand the many critics of the game; I found it very funny and enjoyable.”
“Don't rob yourself of a funny experience just because your first setup didn't work as intended.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the emotional impact of the game's music, which enhances immersion and adds depth to the experience. However, frustrations arise from technical issues, such as bugs that undermine significant achievements, leading to a loss of goodwill towards the developers. Overall, while the emotional elements are praised, gameplay mechanics and reliability detract from the overall experience.
“With diverse compositions, the music keeps players immersed, never becoming monotonous, and adds an emotional depth to the gameplay experience.”
“The most heartbreaking case (and also the event that made me write this review) was when I spent hours fighting Captain Spaventa (which is a very cool boss) and when I finally defeated him, the game bugged and I didn't get any XP for him.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting its enjoyable gameplay, beautiful visuals, and diverse build options. The presence of multiple endings encourages players to revisit the game, enhancing its longevity beyond the initial 40-hour playthrough.
“The game itself is enjoyable, with beautiful visuals and vistas, a fun (though partially flawed) combat system, good build diversity, and great replayability.”
“It's a solid 40-hour game with excellent replayability.”
“I'm happy with the game; it has replayability and multiple endings, which I will be going for the other two based on achievements.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Character development in the game is enhanced by vibrant and detailed character designs and environments, which contribute to a lively atmosphere. The extensive customization options, including skill trees and roles, allow for personalized gameplay, while the parry system encourages an engaging and dynamic playstyle. Overall, the combination of these elements fosters a rich and immersive experience for players.
“The attention to detail in the architecture and character design makes every location feel alive.”
“Vibrant and wonderfully detailed environments and character designs were a delight to behold. Between the path of innovators skill tree, masks, and roles, the game provides a ton of customization options. The parry system encourages aggressive play without feeling overly restrictive, and the environments are mostly fun to explore, with some interesting player interaction via the ardore burst and rift features.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed disappointment with the game's advertised length, claiming it falls short of the promised 40+ hours, with many completing it in around 18 hours even after thorough exploration. This discrepancy has raised concerns about the game's monetization strategy and transparency.