Exile's End

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 33 reviews
  • graphics
  • music
  • story
Exile's End Game Cover
Exile’s End is a true old school Metroidvania experience in both good and bad ways that will ring your nostalgia bells while pulling no punches with the gameplay.
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"Exile's End" is a cinematic platformer inspired by classics like "Another World" and "Flashback." The game follows Jameson, a mercenary investigating a missing president's son on a remote mining planet. After a crash landing, Jameson must explore an alien world, solve puzzles, and fight enemies to uncover the truth. With its moody atmosphere and interconnected environments, "Exile's End" offers a challenging and immersive experience.

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Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 33 reviews
graphics14 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features a nostalgic 90's aesthetic with beautiful graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Controls are tight and responsive, making gameplay enjoyable and allowing for smooth navigation through the environment.
  • Exploration is rewarded with hidden items and upgrades, providing a sense of accomplishment and encouraging players to engage with the game world.
  • The level design is often criticized for being dull and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement and excitement during gameplay.
  • Health management is frustrating due to limited healing items and the permanent damage system, which can lead to a punishing experience for players.
  • Many players found the combat mechanics and enemy design to be uninspired, with bosses lacking challenge and variety, making encounters feel tedious.
  • graphics25 mentions

    The game's graphics evoke a nostalgic 90's aesthetic, reminiscent of classic titles like Flashback and Super Metroid, with many praising their charm and atmospheric quality. However, some reviewers noted a decline in graphical assets mid-game, suggesting budget constraints, and criticized the level design for not fully utilizing the beautiful visuals. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay issues.

    • “The atmospheric score, the simple yet attractive graphics -- they wove a world of adventure that wasn't harshly insistent, that invited me to diffuse my stress into a sprawling, but never confusing, map.”
    • “Exile's End has fantastic environmental graphics for a 2D platformer, making me think of the old Flashback game.”
    • “Love the retro feel, everything from the graphics to the music shows that you don't need AAA level production to make a great game; really looking forward to more games from the developer.”
    • “The game itself has a nice 90's vibe, and while mid-game you will feel that they run out of graphics assets (or rather the budget to create them), it's a nice little game for that few hours while it lasts.”
    • “The graphics look like those games and the sound is like an old Amiga or Atari ST game.”
    • “The game would be great if enemies were more interactive and varied and the level design would do the graphical design justice.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience, particularly for those who appreciate a retro aesthetic. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive and forgettable, with a few noting that it can detract from gameplay due to its looping nature. Overall, while the music is celebrated by some as phenomenal and fitting, others feel it falls short in variety and impact.

    • “If a game has good graphics, a story that is written to be exciting or entertaining, and great music, that’s all they need.”
    • “The music score is quite simply phenomenal.”
    • “The music is a perfect fit for the late 80s early 90s aesthetic the game is going for.”
    • “The music and soundwork are forgettable.”
    • “The soundtrack is nothing special, and even becomes very repetitive and droning after a while.”
    • “But sadly ruined by poor level design, repetitive music (5-10 sec looped tracks), awkward controls (missed my jumps more than once), very high difficulty just from the start and stiff animations.”
  • story20 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring a typical sci-fi plot that lacks depth and character development, with the protagonist feeling underwhelming. While exploration rewards players with environmental storytelling and intriguing tidbits, the narrative is often conveyed through basic dialogue and still images, leaving some players wanting more suspense and richness. Overall, the story is engaging enough to motivate exploration, but it suffers from a lack of cohesion and depth, resulting in a somewhat simplistic experience.

    • “Another way exploration is rewarded is feeding you more information on the story.”
    • “It’s fun to find communiques and tidbits that unfold the plot more organically, rather than only having it fed to you through forced cinematics – even if said cinematics are also a highlight of the game.”
    • “Story elements are told through communication with your ship's AI, through computer entries found in the environment, and through beautifully drawn cutscenes.”
    • “There's also a huge missed opportunity to tell that story through the environment itself.”
    • “I wish that the game did a little better job building up suspense in spots, because it doesn't always feel like it maximizes parts of its story.”
    • “The main character may as well have been a sack of used socks as he has no story or information.”
  • gameplay11 mentions

    The gameplay in *Exile's End* is criticized for its lack of direction and tediousness, with levels feeling uninspired and primarily designed to serve gameplay rather than create an engaging environment. While exploration offers some rewards, the overall mechanics and challenge are deemed mediocre, reminiscent of older games but failing to innovate or excite.

    • “For myself though, I've always been one to analyze the level design, then the gameplay, first.”
    • “While moving through the stages quickly becomes tedious, exploration does give some very meaningful rewards – so there are some positives in the gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it feels just like the games of yesteryear.”
    • “Exile's End's biggest problem is that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to present in terms of gameplay.”
    • “Some areas are better than others, but overall levels feel like they were made in service to the gameplay rather than to create a sense of 'place' – which wouldn’t be such a bad thing if the gameplay was actually good.”
    • “However, the mechanics and level design are outright mediocre.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere in *Exile's End* is a mixed bag; while it features an appealing score and attractive graphics that create an inviting world, the slower pacing detracts from the overall experience. Some players appreciate the atmospheric elements, noting the game's cinematic qualities and engaging cutscenes, but others feel that the gameplay's sluggishness undermines the intended ambiance. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing environment complemented by a retro soundtrack, though it struggles to maintain a consistently immersive atmosphere.

    • “The atmospheric score, the simple yet attractive graphics -- they wove a world of adventure that wasn't harshly insistent, that invited me to diffuse my stress into a sprawling, but never confusing, map.”
    • “Great atmosphere, cutscenes and overall graphics.”
    • “All to the sounds of a great retro-sounding, yet atmospheric, soundtrack.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when progressing through stages, but note that exploration can yield meaningful rewards. This necessity to grind for health items can detract from the overall experience.

    • “While moving through the stages quickly becomes tedious, exploration does give some very meaningful rewards – so there are some positives in the gameplay.”
    • “As a result, if you are low on health, you'll find yourself grinding for such a pill drop.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game is generally perceived to have little to no replay value, with players feeling that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.

    • “It essentially has no replay value in my mind.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the initial struggle of using rocks as weapons, which players find amusing. However, some inconsistencies, such as the grenade launcher's damage mechanics, detract from the overall comedic experience.

    • “I found it hilarious that you start off with rocks as your only weapon. It adds a funny twist to the gameplay, especially when you finally get your first real weapon.”
    • “The humor in the game is spot on, especially with the quirky weapon designs. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the grenade launcher doing less damage if you hit an enemy on the top of its sprite.”
    • “The game's humor shines through in its unexpected moments, like when you're stuck with rocks at the beginning. It makes the journey to better weapons all the more entertaining.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the frustration players feel when encountering enemies, as the lack of invulnerability frames after being hit can lead to a sense of vulnerability and tension. This mechanic evokes a strong emotional response, emphasizing the stakes of each encounter.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

60% average critic score

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