Erra: Exordium
- November 9, 2023
- Fair Pixel LLC
Get on Steam"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.
Reviews
- The game features beautifully crafted pixel art and a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in its unique world.
- Combat mechanics, including parrying and shooting, provide a satisfying experience, especially once players adapt to the timing required.
- The story is intriguing, with elements of Sumerian mythology woven into the gameplay, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- The game suffers from a frustrating save system, with checkpoints placed too far apart and no option to manually save, leading to repeated sections and potential resource loss.
- Many players have reported issues with clunky controls and mechanics, particularly in combat and platforming, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- The game has been criticized for its uneven difficulty spikes and some poorly balanced mechanics, making certain sections feel unfair and overly punishing.
- gameplay28 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its beautiful pixel art and engaging mechanics, while others criticize unfair difficulty spikes, clunky combat, and poorly balanced mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay shows potential and offers a decent challenge, issues like pixel-perfect jumps and frustrating boss mechanics hinder enjoyment. Overall, the game has solid foundations but requires significant improvements to reach modern standards.
“A nice metroidvania with beautiful pixel art, cool gameplay, and story.”
“In terms of gameplay, combat is well balanced, presenting a challenge without too much repetition or failure.”
“Thanks to the developers for the engaging gameplay.”
“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.”
- story21 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many praising its intriguing themes, atmosphere, and visual storytelling, while others found it confusing and lacking emotional depth. Some players appreciated the use of notes and flashbacks to convey the narrative, but criticized the localization and the abstract nature of the characters, which diminished their connection to the story. Overall, while the aesthetic and worldbuilding are highlighted as strong points, the execution of the story leaves room for improvement.
“Amazing aesthetic, visual storytelling, and 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.”
“Absolutely wonderful atmosphere, story, visual style, music, and plot.”
“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.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -8 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and beautifully realized environments, enhanced by a compelling story, music, and art direction. While some players note a lack of variety in settings, the overall mood is described as dense and immersive, effectively drawing players into its unique world. However, there are mixed feelings about the gameplay's polish, which can detract from the otherwise strong atmospheric experience.
“Dense and captivating atmosphere, beautifully realized in pixel art.”
“Absolutely wonderful atmosphere, story, visual style, music and plot.”
“Really good atmosphere and general art direction with the throwback 2D 16-bit style.”
“What a bleak environment and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired.”
“The game lacks any real sense of immersion or mood.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a minimalistic and ambient style that effectively enhances the dystopian atmosphere and complements the story. While the soundtrack is praised for its fitting mood and overall quality, some users noted a lack of variety and repetitiveness in the tracks. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“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.”
“With the minimalistic music that supports it, it gives a dystopian feeling.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are highly praised for their unique retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic steampunk aesthetic, featuring beautiful pixelated visuals and intricate background details. Players appreciate the authentic look of the environments and the effective visual storytelling that enhances the overall experience. Additionally, the game runs smoothly without any bugs, contributing to its appealing art style.
“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.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the monetization model, noting that running out of ammunition forces them to face numerous enemy waves, which feels like a tactic to encourage spending for resources rather than providing a fair 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.”
