Lords of Exile
- February 14, 2024
- SquidBit Works
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Lords of Exile" , players traverse 8 levels of linear design as a cursed knight named Gabriel, battling creatures of the night and samurais in ancient Far Eastern lands. With a variety of mechanics, from throwing weapons to melee combat, players face off against powerful bosses and gain new skills to enhance abilities. Upon completing the game as Gabriel, players can unlock two additional game modes and play as Lyria, offering a distinct gameplay experience.
Nintendo Switch
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Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
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Reviews
- The game features a great retro-inspired aesthetic with excellent music that captures the nostalgic feel of classic 8-bit games.
- Gameplay is enjoyable with solid platforming mechanics and fun boss battles, providing a satisfying challenge for fans of the genre.
- The introduction of a second character with different abilities adds variety and replayability to the experience.
- The main character's slow movement and unresponsive double jump can lead to frustrating gameplay moments, especially during platforming sections.
- The game lacks depth and variety, with many mechanics feeling underdeveloped, such as the shadow system and the slot machine feature.
- Some players found the overall difficulty to be inconsistent, with the final boss presenting a significant spike in challenge compared to earlier stages.
- music55 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and engaging soundtrack that complements the gameplay well. Notable comparisons to classic retro styles and influences from renowned composers like Yuzo Koshiro highlight its quality, making it a standout feature for fans of action platformers. While some criticisms mention similarities to other games' soundtracks, the overall consensus is that the music is a significant draw for players.
“The music is phenomenal, and I love the art style so much.”
“If you enjoy action platformers at all, this one is worth it for the music alone.”
“It was a real treat to get the NES graphic aesthetic that I'm always nostalgic for with a Genesis style soundtrack that absolutely rips.”
“The game also ripped off Cyber Shadow's stage 2: Disposal Facility soundtrack.”
“Lords of Exile pretty much made Cyber Shadow's level 2 music the entire theme tune for the whole game.”
“The music is catchy, but this seems like a clone of an IGA game, Curse of the Moon.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their detailed pixel art style, effectively capturing the nostalgic aesthetic of classic 1980s games. Reviewers highlight the impressive level designs and vibrant colors, although some note a lack of display options that could enhance the experience. Overall, the visuals, combined with a strong soundtrack, contribute significantly to the game's appeal as a love letter to retro gaming.
“The pixel graphic art style is really good, very detailed with a nice use of colors, designs, and scenery that really captures the look and feel of classic 1980s games. Each level is quite diverse, from a ghost ship to a castle to even the inside of a monster, and each one makes you just want to stop and look at everything.”
“The graphics and audio are all a treat, and it is very satisfying to play.”
“The game is easier than NES Castlevania, but with similar graphics.”
“The game has an extremely convincing NES-era aesthetic and incentivizes methodical gameplay.”
“The visual aesthetic does a lot of lifting throughout.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to classic NES action platformers, featuring enjoyable mechanics and a balanced difficulty that rewards mastery of controls. While the midair-jump enhances precision and fun, some players find certain gimmicks tedious and the level design could be more inspired. Overall, the game offers clean, methodical gameplay with a variety of systems, though the shadow system is underutilized.
“The gameplay quality skyrockets once you get a midair-jump because then you are allowed some more precision and can actually do more than walk up slowly and swordswing.”
“The game is a lot of fun with some really good platforming and mechanics.”
“The core action platforming gameplay is great and closely mirrors the glory days of NES action platformers in look and feel.”
“Looking at the store page, I thought the shadow system was going to be a major gameplay component, but it's barely there.”
“50% of said difficulty comes from the double jump just downright deciding, despite being a required mechanic, 'nawh I don't feel like activating right now, guess you'll just die :).' ”
“In terms of gameplay variety, you get many passive buffs which basically translate to 'bigger numbers' and three interactive systems: sub-weapons, spirits, and gambling.”
- story14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story in "Lords of Exile" is generally considered to be mediocre, with players experiencing repetitive stages and minimal narrative variation. While the main character Gabriel has a straightforward storyline, the introduction of the unlockable character Lyria lacks an early backstory, which detracts from player engagement. Overall, the game is praised for its retro charm and fluid controls, appealing primarily to fans of classic platformers.
“Lords of Exile is a very good retro-styled action platformer that is a great love letter to classic 1980s platformers while improving on it, okay the story.”
“Also when you beat the game as Gabriel, you unlock another character, a ninja girl named Lyria, who can run and has projectile weapons and her own story.”
“You play through the same stages, fight the same (mini)bosses and have basically no difference in story.”
“Also for the ninja girl Lyria, I wish they had a backstory for her in the beginning; we only find out her story way later in the game, so when we play as her, it would have been appreciated to know what her deal is.”
“The storyline is okay, but the controls are pretty fluid with the gameplay.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players appreciate the game's lack of grinding, which contributes to a more engaging experience without the tedium often associated with repetitive tasks. However, some find that certain gameplay mechanics can become tedious over time, particularly those that slow down the pace of the game.
“At first the game was good, but later on it became too tedious.”
“Gimmicks that rely on these JoJo stand powers become tedious really fast, slowing down gameplay.”
“I also like the lack of grinding.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers decent replayability, but many users suggest that "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" (both installments) provide a more engaging experience with greater replay value. Overall, while the game is enjoyable and short, it may not stand out in terms of replayability compared to its competitors.
“Short but great with good replay value.”
“Buy Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (1 & 2); they are better than this game and offer more replayability.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being consistently funny and lighthearted, particularly in the early stages, but it takes a sharp turn towards frustration and difficulty as players approach the final levels, which can detract from the overall experience.
