Grim Earth
- October 15, 2021
- George Allan
Get on SteamThe Earth's looking a bit Grim, but so would you after 5000 years and countless alien invasions! Grab your spacesuit (the air's not so great any more) and go for an adventure in what is still a beautiful world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming hand-drawn art style that enhances the atmosphere and remains consistent throughout the game.
- Good pacing with a balanced mix of combat, puzzles, and platforming, along with a decent variety of enemies featuring unique attack patterns.
- The game offers a large amount of secrets to discover, including hidden stages and game-altering codes, which adds depth to the exploration.
- The mouse and keyboard control scheme is uncomfortable, making gamepad use highly recommended.
- Some boss fights can be frustrating due to design oversights, leading to unfair difficulty spikes.
- Certain gameplay elements feel underdeveloped or marginal, such as the currency system and physics-based interactions.
- graphics13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming hand-drawn art style, which enhances the overall atmosphere and maintains consistency throughout. Reviewers appreciate the cute and vibrant visuals, noting that they contribute positively to the indie feel of the game and elevate the overall playing experience. The artwork is described as clean, crisp, and appealing, making it a standout feature that players enjoy.
“Charming hand-drawn art style that suits the atmosphere well and stays consistent throughout.”
“Clean, crisp, vibrantly colored, and with a lovingly hand-drawn aesthetic.”
“I love the art style here and for some reason, it just further amplifies the 'indie-ness' of the game, which isn't exactly a bad thing.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Grim Earth" primarily revolves around traditional 2D sidescrolling platforming, featuring a mix of engaging mechanics and some under-utilized elements. While players navigate through various obstacles and utilize unique mechanics like luring creatures for puzzle-solving, certain features, such as the currency system and physics-based interactions, feel marginal and lack depth. Overall, the game offers a charming experience with a decent challenge, though it may take time to fully grasp its mechanics.
“The meat of gameplay will, of course, be comprised of platforming sections where our little robot needs to avoid various obstacles such as hazardous terrain, moving machinery, corrosive growths, and more.”
“As you play, the game adds in increasingly complex but interesting game mechanics such as luring a slug to a shell just so you can later use the shell as a jumping pad or jumping while sliding down a vine-slash-zipline to switch to a nearby vine.”
“If cute platform games with a pretty nice storyline and somewhat challenging gameplay (in terms of accurately timing a jump or dodging an attack, for instance) are your kind of thing, then Grim Earth is definitely a game you'd want to check out!”
“Some mechanics feel under-developed; a prime example would be the currency system, used sparingly to get some benefits with NPCs but otherwise largely useless: why go out of your way to get those sweet blue crystals if there's barely any use for them?”
“Some gameplay elements feel marginal and under-used.”
“The game does usually include a short instruction every time a new mechanic is introduced, but nevertheless, it may still take you some time to really get used to it.”
- story9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily conveyed through indirect storytelling, environmental elements, and dialogues, encouraging players to piece together the narrative themselves. While the charming characters and engaging plot enhance the experience, some players feel the current version resembles a demo, lacking completeness. Overall, it offers a captivating storyline that complements its gameplay, appealing to fans of cute platformers.
“If cute platform games with a pretty nice storyline and somewhat challenging gameplay are your kind of thing, then Grim Earth is definitely a game you'd want to check out!”
“The story is charming, and the characters are cute.”
“It mostly uses indirect storytelling, environmental elements, and some dialogues, to have players elaborate their own theories on what may have transpired in each location they traverse.”
“But overall the current launch version feels more like a demo, and so you will be supporting the developer in the quest to create a complete game.”
“Now we know the main enemy and some kind of a mission.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with well-designed levels complementing the soundtrack; however, some players feel that the sound effects are lacking and could be improved, as they find them unsatisfying and uninspired. Additionally, the environmental music has been criticized for being too dull and unengaging.
“The music is good, the levels are well designed, and it's not too easy!”
“Only feedback I can give is to add more sound effects and music.”
“The sound effects feel like an afterthought; the sound of your laser gun is the least satisfying thing I've ever heard, and the environmental music just puts me to sleep.”
“Only feedback I can give is that there should be more sound effects and music.”
“I played some music in the background for the stream.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's linear campaign significantly limits its replayability, as players encounter little to no branching paths or choices that would encourage multiple playthroughs.
“Given the linear nature of the campaign, replay value is negligible as there are no branching paths or other choices to make.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a charming hand-drawn art style that is both visually appealing and consistently maintained, effectively complementing the overall experience.
“The charming hand-drawn art style perfectly complements the atmosphere and remains consistent throughout the game.”
“The immersive sound design and ambient music create a captivating atmosphere that draws you into the world.”
“The lighting and environmental details work together to establish a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively blends humor with darker themes, creating a seamless integration that enhances the overall experience without feeling disjointed.
“It does so rather well, mixing together humorous scenes with much darker ones in a good way that doesn't feel out of place.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the grinding aspect of the game rewards exploration with meaningful rewards rather than just tedious collecting, adding an extra layer of depth to the overall experience.
