Escape From Tethys
- July 12, 2018
- Whimsical
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the unsettling alien atmosphere.
- It offers a satisfying Metroid-like experience with a variety of upgrades and bosses that provide a decent challenge.
- The non-linear exploration allows players to tackle areas in different orders, adding to the sense of adventure and discovery.
- The game suffers from frustrating controls, including a lack of diagonal shooting and inconsistent hitboxes, which can lead to unfair deaths.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with save points and character movement.
- The difficulty balance is off, with early bosses being overly challenging and later gameplay becoming too easy once upgrades are acquired.
- music28 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the excellent soundtrack and its variety. While some found the music to be a standout feature that complements the gameplay, others noted that it could be somewhat generic or not particularly memorable. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience, creating an engaging sci-fi ambiance.
“The great soundtrack and super fun gameplay make up for that, and the glitches didn't really make the game's experience much worse for me.”
“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.”
“Despite generally effective sprite art, environmental design, and music, the game never manages to establish much of an atmosphere or narrative.”
“The game pulls off a creepy, solemn mood pretty well between the art and music.”
“Music is decent and level design is alright, if a little generic.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and smooth, with a solid experience enhanced by a great soundtrack and beautiful pixel art. However, it lacks originality and can be frustrating due to mechanics that sometimes feel out of the player's control, leading to repetitive deaths. While some players appreciate its fun elements, others criticize it for being standard and occasionally frustrating, suggesting that it could benefit from more innovative features.
“The great soundtrack and super fun gameplay make up for that, and the glitches didn't really make the game's experience much worse for me.”
“This has fun gameplay; it's not too difficult, it's not too short, and the music is very good.”
“The gameplay is sweet and silky: smooth as my well-used buttons, and responsive as they used to be.”
“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.”
“The gameplay experience could have been better by adding 8 directional shooting and allowing the player to make shortcuts a la Dark Souls.”
“The pixel art is nice enough, and the music is okay, but the gameplay is absolutely horrible.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their charming 2D style, reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man and Super Metroid, with inventive creatures and an eye-pleasing aesthetic. However, some reviewers find the art style basic and repetitive, with certain elements described as jarring. Overall, while the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and experience.
“The graphics have their own charming style about them, the platforming is challenging but not rage-inducing, and the game as a whole functions superbly.”
“The graphics are eye-pleasing, the creatures are inventive, and the music makes a nice mood.”
“Generally nice-to-look-at 2D visuals.”
“The bosses are bland, the exploration and combat are a chore, and the art style is basic and jarring on the eye.”
“If you're looking to spend your hard-earned money on a frustratingly annoying game with horrible gameplay, dumb items, and nauseating graphics, then... this is not the game for you.”
“Graphics are a bit repetitive but you rarely feel like you've been in the same place twice.”
- story12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the games reviewed is notably mixed, with several titles in the B tier praised for their engaging narratives and sense of adventure, while many in the E tier are criticized for lacking depth and connection, often feeling generic or aimless. Players appreciate games that offer rich lore and meaningful plot progression, while those with minimal storytelling elements tend to leave players feeling uninvested and disconnected from the characters. Overall, a strong narrative can significantly enhance the gaming experience, whereas a weak one can detract from it.
“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.”
“No handholding or forced story time.”
“If there was anything as lacking as my general well-being, it was the story: I didn't feel connected to the character.”
“The platforming wasn't tight and there was virtually no story to keep me going, so I stopped playing after an hour or so.”
“There's not much story or plot, and it often feels like you are wandering aimlessly without any real goals or purpose.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs and glitches, including audio/visual issues and unresponsive controls, which can detract from the overall experience. However, many players feel that these stability problems are minor and do not significantly impact gameplay, allowing them to enjoy the game despite its flaws. Overall, while stability issues are present, they are often overshadowed by the game's enjoyable elements.
“My biggest problems with the game were twofold - first, this game was weirdly buggy.”
“After acquiring the insta-teleporter near the end, there were more background glitches and some physics consistency problems.”
“Most are minor oddities, like audio/visual glitches, or the game's weird tendency to max out the in-game sound effect slider every time you start a new game or load a save.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's retro sprite art and music are praised for creating a good atmosphere, but overall, it struggles to establish a compelling narrative or immersive environment.
“What I liked best was the retro art, which was spot on, and the music creates a really good atmosphere.”
“Despite generally effective sprite art, environmental design, and music, the game never manages to establish much of an atmosphere or narrative.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, especially for newcomers, due to sloppy controls and repetitive, unchallenging enemies. While luck can lead to success, the overall experience is often described as empty and lacking engagement.
“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.”
