Escape From Tethys

About

Escape From Tethys is a single player shooter game. It was developed by Whimsical and was released on July 12, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Escape From Tethys" is a challenging metroidvania-style action adventure game where you play as a scientist escaping from a remote planet. Explore the ominous world of Tethys, battle fierce creatures, and discover over 20 unique upgrades across five diverse biomes to help you fight your way to the surface and escape. With a focus on survival and quick reflexes, only the strongest and smartest will make it out alive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 219 reviews

music35 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that captures the essence of classic Metroidvania titles, with a satisfying progression of upgrades.
Challenging combat and platforming that keeps players on their toes, rewarding exploration and skillful play.
Great retro-inspired pixel art and a memorable soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.

Controls can feel slippery and unresponsive, leading to frustrating moments during platforming and combat.
Difficulty spikes, especially early on, can be discouraging for players, with some bosses and enemies feeling unbalanced.
Bugs and glitches, such as input issues and occasional soft-locks, detract from the overall experience.

music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
27%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its excellent soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and complements the retro art style. While some noted occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's enjoyment, creating a captivating sci-fi ambiance. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay and level design, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that many players loved.
- “The soundtrack is excellent.”
- “The pixel art in this game is beautiful, the music and ambient sounds are fantastic, and the gameplay is solid.”
- “What I liked best was the retro art which was spot on, and the music creates a really good atmosphere.”
- “The world is not fun to explore, enemies are not fun to fight, and the music is not fun to hear.”
- “Despite generally effective sprite art, environmental design, and music, the game never manages to establish much of an atmosphere or narrative.”
- “The music is also kind of repetitive.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
53%
14%
The gameplay of "Escape from Tethys" is a blend of classic platforming and metroidvania elements, featuring a medium-sized map with various upgrades and power-ups. While many players appreciate its nostalgic feel and fun mechanics, some criticize the precision required in certain sections and the overall difficulty, which can detract from the experience. Despite its flaws, including some frustrating mechanics and level design, the game offers an enjoyable experience for fans of retro-style platformers, especially those who prioritize gameplay over visuals.
- “Escape from Tethys is an underrated Metroidvania gem, offering a gameplay experience that encompasses all the essential elements of the genre.”
- “The gameplay feels a good deal more on the Metroid side of things, as you explore an abandoned station on a moon.”
- “There are so many different aspects and upgrades that really change the gameplay and draw you in, making it very fun to play.”
- “It's enjoyable, but I think it doesn't quite have much of a strong personality of its own, nor does it really introduce any novel concepts or mechanics.”
- “While I do love a good metroidvania, this one I cannot recommend because as soon as you enter the game you are introduced to bad map and level design, awful shooting mechanics, and bad enemy placement.”
- “The pixel art is nice enough, and the music is okay, but the gameplay is absolutely horrible.”
graphics
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and consistent, fitting well within the retro 2D platforming aesthetic. While some players find the visuals simplistic and occasionally jarring, many appreciate the pixel art style and atmospheric effects that enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics may not be the standout feature, but they effectively complement the game's nostalgic feel and engaging mechanics.
- “The graphics and art style are charming.”
- “The artwork in general is rather nice, really, and most screenshots of the game look great!”
- “The graphics are eye-pleasing, the creatures are inventive, and the music makes a nice mood.”
- “The camera also just feels somewhat disorienting when forced to move vertically due to a smooth motion as opposed to the horizontal flat scrolling speed, and this smoothness oddly creates minor screen tearing when put into a pixel-graphics setting such as this.”
- “Camera effects such as heat waves in early zones also cause similar issues, along with a strange effect when you notice that while the terrain's visuals waver in the heat, entities such as the player character do not.”
- “The bosses are bland, the exploration and combat are a chore, and the art style is basic and jarring on the eye.”
story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
59%
22%
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as weak and underdeveloped, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engagement. While some appreciate the minimal narrative as a backdrop to the gameplay, others criticize it for being generic and uninteresting, often feeling disconnected from the characters and plot. Overall, the story serves more as a filler than a driving force, with many players expressing a desire for a more compelling narrative to enhance their experience.
- “It truly feels like a sprawling adventure, as you'll be revisiting each area once or twice, be it for plot reasons or optional upgrades.”
- “Rather large game area, lots of hidden stuff, interesting backstory.”
- “Interesting metroidvania to pass the time, the story is not its forte even so the game fulfills its function of entertaining without getting bored.”
- “Thin to no story, perfect balance on the boss fights, wish there was more to see honestly!”
- “If there was anything as lacking as my general well-being, it was the story: I didn't feel connected to the character.”
- “There's no story to speak of.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
94%
The game's stability is marked by a range of bugs and glitches, which, while not game-breaking, can be frustrating and occasionally disrupt gameplay. Users report issues such as unresponsive controls, background glitches, and freezing upon reloading, but many feel that the fun gameplay and soundtrack compensate for these shortcomings. Overall, while the game has its quirks, it remains enjoyable for players willing to overlook the minor technical issues.
- “Runs great on Linux!”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “It's also buggy and after what I just went through, I feel terrible about this game.”
- “My biggest problems with the game were twofold - first, this game was weirdly buggy.”
- “There is a bug where, when you go to the title screen, reload the game, and move to the next room, it freezes and you must restart the game.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
11%
11%
Overall, the game's atmosphere is praised for its effective combination of retro art and music, which immerses players in the experience. While many reviews highlight the strong soundtrack and environmental design, some note that the game struggles to establish a cohesive atmosphere or narrative. Nonetheless, the general consensus is that the atmosphere is enjoyable and enhances the gameplay experience.
- “Has a great atmosphere that is brought together with the retro art and music style.”
- “What I liked best was the retro art which was spot on, and the music creates a really good atmosphere.”
- “Despite the simplistic graphics, Escape from Tethys manages to evoke a good atmosphere of a desolate lunar lab, due to some finely-composed musical tracks.”
- “Despite generally effective sprite art, environmental design, and music, the game never manages to establish much of an atmosphere or narrative.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, primarily due to slippery controls and a lack of save points, which exacerbate the experience after dying. While some achievements are accessible, the overall grind feels unengaging, especially for newcomers facing repetitive enemies and mechanics.
- “Controls are unfortunately too slippery for me to enjoy the game, and a lack of enough save points makes it very tedious after dying.”
- “Anyone can win eventually just by getting lucky and having him spam the easy attacks, but it's tedious when you are brand new to the game.”
- “Sloppy controls coupled with tedious and boring enemies makes this a frustrating and empty experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers a moderate level of replayability primarily through numerous achievements for collectors, but some players feel that outside of pursuing speedrun achievements, there is little incentive to replay.
- “There isn't any replayability in this game unless you want to get the speedrun achievement.”
- “Achievements - there are many achievements to get, giving the game a replayable edge if you're into collecting them.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game effectively immerses them in its atmosphere, evoking strong emotional responses and enhancing their overall experience.
- “It really put me in the mood and made me feel the atmosphere I was in.”