Enotria: The Last Song
- September 16, 2024
- Jyamma Games
- 12h median play time
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.
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a vibrant art style inspired by Italian folklore.
- The combat system is engaging, with a unique parry mechanic that rewards timing and skill.
- The level design is well-crafted, offering interconnected paths and secrets to discover.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes and unresponsive NPCs.
- There is a lack of key rebinding options, making it difficult for players to customize controls.
- The elemental and status effect systems are overly complicated and not well explained, leading to confusion.
- gameplay236 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Enotria: The Last Song" presents a mix of intriguing mechanics and significant flaws. While the elemental damage system and parry mechanics are praised for their depth and satisfaction, many players find the overall combat clunky and unresponsive, with issues like janky animations and a confusing tutorial hampering the experience. Despite its beautiful visuals and engaging world, the game suffers from performance issues and bugs that detract from its potential as a solid soulslike title.
“Element mechanics are great and satisfying.”
“The gameplay is fun and the English voice acting is truly on point.”
“The combat system in Enotria introduces innovative mechanics, such as the aspect system and the use of masks, bringing a fresh approach to gameplay.”
“The developers obviously want you to use it but they made it feel extremely janky; the animations of the enemies don't feel like they match the parry times. I've never used a mechanic before that I felt I got worse with over time.”
“The basic attack mechanics are very clunky and don't feel very responsive, both from yourself and enemies.”
“The combat feels clunky and sticky, and there's a lack of fluidity and polish that is apparent just in the first hour of gameplay.”
- music163 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Enotria: The Last Song" has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, particularly during boss battles, where it adds emotional depth and intensity. While the soundtrack is described as unique and well-structured, some players noted instances of repetition and a lack of variety in the overall score, especially during exploration. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.
“The soundtrack, inspired by Italian music traditions, enhances the game’s atmosphere, blending haunting melodies with exciting battle rhythms.”
“The music, the atmosphere, is fantastic.”
“The game is beautiful and the music is amazing.”
“Music was repetitive and at points got so annoying that I eventually turned the music down and eventually off altogether.”
“My only problem with this is that there wasn't enough original soundtrack to go around and half the time you are exploring in the open world there is no music.”
“It's unfortunate that outside Quinta, there is mostly no ambient music.”
- graphics144 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and impressive art direction, with many reviewers highlighting the vibrant, sunny Italian setting as a refreshing departure from the typical dark aesthetics of souls-like games. While some players experienced performance issues and had to adjust settings for stable frame rates, the overall consensus is that the graphics are beautifully executed, with intricate level designs and a rich aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. Despite minor criticisms regarding certain details and optimization challenges, the game's visual presentation is often described as top-tier, making it a standout in the genre.
“The graphics are fantastic.”
“Game is graphically stunning, visually one of the best soulslike games.”
“Graphics are 10/10, and I'm getting 120fps at ultra on a 4090 with DLSS quality.”
“I had to lower everything to minimum graphics to get stable fps even though the 'auto detect' put me at medium.”
“Very frustrating to sit through shader compiling every single time you want to adjust a graphics setting, which made me put off changing it for a good 45 minutes.”
“Also, the water looks awful and overall visuals are mediocre.”
- story121 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its emotional depth and intriguing world-building, while others find it convoluted and lacking coherence. Many noted that while the premise is interesting, the execution feels unpolished and at times opaque, making it difficult to fully engage with the narrative. Overall, the story is seen as decent but not groundbreaking, with some players opting to focus more on gameplay than the plot itself.
“The story is rich with twists, legends, and well-developed characters.”
“While the story might not break new ground, the game excels in creating a captivating world filled with beauty and mystery.”
“+ a beautiful story that uses famous Italian folklore characters to weave a memorable tale, greatly enhanced by the compendium you can fill up as you explore and defeat bosses.”
“The storyline honestly didn't really make 100% sense to me and didn't really seem like there was a coherent story throughout.”
“- non-existent story, some interactions with NPCs feel like ChatGPT wrote them.”
“Lies of P had a better story and explanation of how each boss contributed to the story, and this game didn't really do that for me.”
- optimization68 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and FPS drops, particularly in specific areas. While a few users report smooth performance even on lower-end rigs, many others find the game unoptimized and plagued by bugs, leading to frustration and requests for refunds. Overall, it appears that while there are moments of good performance, the game still requires further optimization to meet player expectations.
“Performance is much better compared to the demo version.”
“Lastly, performance is great on my PC, and I have worse specs than most of the people complaining about it (who have i9s and RTX 40xx GPUs).”
“- Stunning visuals and graphics with nice optimization.”
“Ever-present stuttering and performance issues.”
“I wanted to play this game and enjoy it but the bad performance really stopped any progression from the start.”
“The game doesn't really feel optimized with some bosses and enemy types.”
- stability59 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by significant bugs and glitches, including issues with NPC visibility, disappearing boss health bars, and frustrating camera angles that can leave players vulnerable. While some users report that the game runs well on high-end hardware and is enjoyable despite its flaws, many find the technical issues to be a major hindrance, leading to a lack of recommendations until further fixes are implemented. Overall, the stability of the game is a concern, with many players experiencing game-breaking bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“The game looks great and runs great, and at the beginning, the exploration is good too.”
“It's challenging, unique, well made, and runs great for a UE5 game.”
“Runs great actually.”
“The game is also really buggy in general, from missing dialogue/voice lines, NPCs and enemies render invisible. I managed to get stuck inside the wall at an elevator three times without even trying to get stuck.”
“I can't 100% in good conscience recommend this game; it is extremely buggy for the price. Over 40% of the characters don't even have a voice coded in.”
“Boss health bars disappear, freezes tend to happen, and a role was not given to me because the game bugged out, so I am missing an achievement even though the boss is a required boss to beat to progress.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich and unique design, blending Mediterranean influences with innovative world-building and level design. Players appreciate the enchanting soundtrack, which enhances the immersive experience, particularly in the first city where the environment feels alive with music and revelry. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as magical and visually stunning, offering a refreshing departure from typical dark themes.
“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 soundtrack, inspired by Italian music traditions, enhances the game’s atmosphere, blending haunting melodies with exciting battle rhythms.”
“From its unique visual design to an innovative combat system, the game offers a refreshing departure from the typical dark and foreboding atmospheres.”
“One thing that's really positive is the world building, level design, and the atmosphere.”
“The setting and atmosphere are magical, and it's something we haven't seen before.”
- grinding15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as somewhat tedious, with players noting that farming for items, particularly masks, can be excessively time-consuming and frustrating. While some enjoy the grind, many find the combat slow and repetitive, with bosses serving more as health sponges than challenging encounters. Additionally, issues like poorly placed checkpoints and a cumbersome inventory system contribute to the overall grindy experience.
“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.”
“The overwhelming majority of bosses in this game are just tedious to fight, not difficult, but just a health and parry sponge.”
“The tutorial is so tedious it gets ignored, and core mechanics go unexplained and thus unexplored.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by well-placed ambient effects and a soundtrack that enhances the comedic moments, even when glitches occur, such as characters falling through the ground. Players appreciate the funny experiences, suggesting that the humor can outweigh initial frustrations, despite the game's price point.
“However, after the intro cut-scene, my character proceeded to fall through the ground into the ether, which was admittedly funny except for the fact that I spent $50 on the game.”
“Don't rob yourself of a funny experience just because your first setup didn't work as intended.”
“I'll take the funny, and if you absolutely can't help it, I'll take your points too.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the immersive and diverse music, which adds depth to the gameplay experience. However, there is a strong sentiment of disappointment among players, with repeated expressions of lost goodwill towards the company, indicating a significant emotional disconnect due to gameplay issues.
“With diverse compositions, the music keeps players immersed, never becoming monotonous, and adds an emotional depth to the gameplay experience.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability, featuring multiple endings and a variety of builds, encouraging players to explore different playthroughs. With an estimated 40 hours of gameplay, many users express satisfaction with the game's depth and diversity, enhancing its overall enjoyment.
“The game itself is enjoyable; with beautiful visuals and vistas, a fun (though, partially flawed) combat system, good build diversity, and good replayability.”
“Either way, I'm happy with the game; it has replayability and multiple endings, which I will be going for the other two based on achievements.”
“Besides that, it's a solid 40-hour game with replayability.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is enhanced by vibrant and intricately designed environments and characters, offering a rich visual experience. The extensive customization options, including skill trees and roles, allow players to tailor their characters to their playstyle, while interactive features encourage exploration and engagement. Overall, the attention to detail contributes to a lively and immersive world.
“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.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have expressed disappointment with the game's monetization strategy, particularly regarding the misleading advertisement of game length, which was promoted as 40+ hours but only delivered around 18 hours of content in a full playthrough. This discrepancy has raised concerns about the value for money.
Critic Reviews
Enotria: The Last Song review
Italian folklore makes for a unique setting, but Enotria lacks the smooth combat and smart mechanics you'd look for in a decent soulslike.
57%Enotria: The Last Song Review
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.
70%Enotria: The Last Song Review – A Decent Soulslike Brimming with Character
Enotria is a masterclass in intricate level design. Exploring the dense Italian world is a joy thanks to the unique locales and brilliant dense layouts. The Soulslike inspiration is obvious here, from the bonfire system to the combat, but Enotria differentiates itself enough with its Mask class system. This is a decent Soulslike if you can withstand the bugs and slow combat.
70%