Erra: Exordium

About

Erra: Exordium is a single player shooter game with a historical theme. It was developed by Fair Pixel LLC and was released on November 9, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

monetization2 negative mentions

The game features beautifully crafted pixel art and a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in its unique world.
Combat mechanics, while challenging, provide a satisfying experience once players learn the timing and patterns of enemies.
The game has an interesting story and lore, enhanced by environmental storytelling and a variety of unique enemy designs.

The save system is poorly designed, with checkpoints placed too far apart, leading to frustrating repetition and difficulty spikes.
Gameplay can feel clunky and unpolished, with issues such as slow movement, awkward jumping mechanics, and inconsistent parrying.
Localization and translation issues detract from the overall experience, making the story harder to follow and less engaging.

gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
68%
7%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues such as unfair difficulty spikes, clunky mechanics, and poorly balanced combat. While some appreciate the beautiful pixel art and engaging concepts, others find the controls sluggish and the parrying system frustrating. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from rough execution, leaving players hoping for improvements in future updates.
- “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/failure.”
- “Thanks to the developers for the engaging gameplay.”
- “The concept is very nice, however, the combat mechanics are very clunky.”
- “Gameplay is bad and kills all enjoyment of the game.”
- “Alas, gameplay falls terribly short as discussed before, but so does the story.”
story
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
34%
10%
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it confusing and lacking emotional depth, often conveyed through notes rather than gameplay. While the atmosphere, art direction, and worldbuilding are praised, many feel the narrative could have been stronger, particularly in its execution and ending. Overall, the story is seen as interesting but hampered by localization issues and a lack of engagement with the characters.
- “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, and less through actual gameplay.”
- “I was too frustrated by the lazy story and lame boss designs.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
9%
8%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and beautifully realized environments, enhanced by a strong visual style and compelling music. However, some players note a lack of variety in the settings, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite this, the dense atmosphere and engaging story contribute to a unique and immersive gameplay experience.
- “Dense and captivating atmosphere, beautifully realized in pixel art.”
- “Absolutely wonderful atmosphere, story, visual style, music and plot.”
- “An exciting game with a beautiful style that throws the player into a unique atmosphere.”
- “-man, what a bleak environment and atmosphere.”
- “-man, what a bleak environment and atmosphere.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The music in the game is characterized by a minimalistic and ambient style that effectively enhances the dystopian atmosphere, contributing to the overall experience. While many players appreciate the soundtrack and its fit with the game's mood, some note that it can be repetitive and lacks variety. Overall, the music is well-received for its ability to complement the story and visual elements.
- “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.”
- “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 it that dystopian feeling.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
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 highlight the authenticity and charm of the art style, along with impressive visual storytelling and worldbuilding. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, running smoothly without any bugs.
- “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.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy appears to involve forcing players to engage with additional waves of enemies when they run out of resources, which can create a frustrating experience as it may feel like a tactic to encourage spending or grinding for more in-game currency or items.
- “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.”
- “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.”