Erra: Exordium

About

"Erra: Exordium" is a 2D Dieselpunk Action Adventure game where you explore a detailed world as a hero in a mechanical shell, facing off against a rebellious mechatron army to uncover the truth behind a fallen archipelago. Resources and ammo are scarce, so use them wisely. The game stands out with its unique architecture and traditional frame-by-frame animation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

monetization1 negative mentions

The game features beautifully crafted pixel art and a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in its unique world.
Combat mechanics, while challenging, can be satisfying once mastered, and the variety of enemies keeps encounters engaging.
The story, though sometimes convoluted, has interesting lore and is delivered through environmental storytelling and notes.

The combat can feel clunky and punishing, with a reliance on a specific parry mechanic that many players find frustrating.
The checkpoint system is poorly designed, often placing players back in difficult situations with no way to save progress, leading to repetitive gameplay.
The game suffers from unfair difficulty spikes and some mechanics that feel unbalanced, making it frustrating for players, especially during boss encounters.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its beautiful pixel art and engaging mechanics, while others criticize it for unfair difficulty spikes, clunky combat, and poorly balanced mechanics. Many found the controls sluggish and the parrying system frustrating, particularly during boss fights, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, some players see potential for improvement and appreciate the challenge and resource management aspects of the gameplay.
- “A nice metroidvania with beautiful pixel art, cool gameplay, and story.”
- “Cool concept in a beautifully drawn pixel art world, with gameplay that presents a decent challenge.”
- “In terms of gameplay, combat is well balanced, presenting a challenge without too much repetition or failure.”
- “The parrying mechanic feels incredibly off.”
- “Gameplay is bad and kills all enjoyment of the game.”
- “Alas, gameplay falls terribly short as discussed before, but so does the story.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
25%
13%
The story has a mixed reception, with some players appreciating its intriguing themes, atmosphere, and visual storytelling, while others find it formulaic, confusing, or lacking emotional depth. Many reviews highlight the game's art and music as strong points, but criticize the execution of the narrative, particularly in terms of localization and character development. Overall, the story is seen as decent but could benefit from more engaging gameplay and clearer storytelling elements.
- “Loved the art and story.”
- “Amazing aesthetic, visual storytelling and with worldbuilding full of intrigue.”
- “In a combination of simple puzzles and challenging fights, it tells you a story of a swift falling of a developed civilization through the eyes of a talented scientist who managed to save himself by moving his consciousness to a robot body.”
- “The story was confusing from what I could piece together, with the ending throwing a massive wrench in my understanding.”
- “Most of the story was told through notes and mail, rather than actual gameplay.”
- “I thought I would recommend it, but in the end, I was too frustrated by the lazy story and lame boss designs.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and beautifully realized environments, enhanced by strong visual style, music, and storytelling. However, some players note a lack of variety in the settings, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game's dense atmosphere and unique style create an engaging backdrop for gameplay.
- “Awesome platformer, atmospheric, but with a balanced difficulty for those of us whose reflexes aren't that good anymore haha.”
- “Dense and captivating atmosphere, beautifully realized in pixel art.”
- “Absolutely wonderful atmosphere, story, visual style, music and plot.”
- “What a bleak environment and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired.”
- “The game lacks any real sense of immersion or mood.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to create a dystopian atmosphere, with ambient tracks that complement the story and visuals effectively. While some users noted a lack of variety and repetitiveness, the overall soundtrack is considered decent and enhances the game's immersive experience.
- “With the minimalistic music that supports it, it gives a dystopian feeling.”
- “Cool atmosphere, great story, great music and sound effects.”
- “Absolutely wonderful atmosphere, story, visual style, music, and plot.”
- “The music is a bit repetitive, but it's mostly ambient tracks that fit the mood very well.”
- “It is lacking in music variety.”
- “Music: decent.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
43%
The game's graphics are highly praised for their unique retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic steampunk aesthetic, featuring beautiful pixelated visuals and intricate background details. Reviewers commend the art style and visual storytelling, noting that the environments feel authentic and contribute to an engaging world. Overall, the graphics enhance the gameplay experience, although some players may find repetitive sections frustrating.
- “The game was good, I liked the music and art style, especially all the hidden photos and background detail.”
- “Runs flawlessly, 0 bugs, great art style.”
- “Amazing aesthetic, visual storytelling, and worldbuilding full of intrigue.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making them feel lifeless.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy appears to involve forcing players to engage with waves of ads when they run out of resources, such as bullets, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- “This boss flies, so if you run out of bullets, you'll have to fend off multiple waves of ads just to have a chance at damaging the boss.”