Lords of Exile

About

In "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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews

music42 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game features great music and solid pixel art, capturing the retro aesthetic well.
Gameplay is enjoyable with a good balance of challenge, especially with the introduction of a second character that offers a different playstyle.
The level design is varied and engaging, with frequent checkpoints that respect player time and reduce frustration.

The difficulty is inconsistent, with many early bosses being too easy while the final boss presents a significant spike in challenge.
Controls can feel clunky, particularly the double jump mechanic, which can lead to frustrating deaths.
The shops and gambling mechanics feel underutilized and often unnecessary, detracting from the overall experience.

music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, high-quality tracks that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack, described as a blend of chiptune and retro influences, is noted for its ability to energize players and fit well with the gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding its thematic consistency with certain levels. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, making the game particularly appealing to fans of retro gaming and action platformers.
- “The music is very good; each track is nice to listen to and fits with the game so well.”
- “If you enjoy action platformers at all, this one is worth it for the music alone.”
- “Absolute fire soundtrack, great aesthetic, nods to the classics, and so on.”
- “The game presents well to start and has a solid soundtrack, but it feels hollow.”
- “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.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The graphics of "Lords of Exile" are widely praised for their detailed pixel art style, effectively capturing the nostalgic essence of classic 1980s games. Players appreciate the diverse and visually appealing level designs, which range from ghost ships to castles, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience. However, some users noted a lack of display options, suggesting that additional features like a CRT filter could have improved the visual presentation further.
- “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.”
- “Great old school feeling game with tight controls, great visuals, fantastic soundtrack with some really fun levels and bosses.”
- “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 graphics look charming with the retro style.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The gameplay is generally praised for its solid mechanics and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic 1980s side-scrollers, offering a fair challenge that rewards player skill. However, some players noted issues with certain mechanics, such as inconsistent double jumps and overused features that detract from the overall experience. While the game excels in platforming and level design, there are calls for more variety and inspiration in gameplay elements.
- “Now then let’s get into the likes, the gameplay is really good. It's your traditional side scroller: get from point A to point B while killing enemies and bosses, sort of like old school side scrollers. But unlike those old school side scrollers that were stupidly hard, here this game has the right balance of being hard but fair. All it takes is learning the controls and soon you'll be able to become a master of the game.”
- “Okay, now that I'm finished with that, 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, with really good gameplay, really good pixel graphic art style, and really good enemies and bosses. I highly recommend getting this game if you're interested in school-styled side scrollers, but I do recommend getting this game when it's on sale just to save some money.”
- “In fact, the gameplay feels very close to perfection.”
- “50% of said difficulty comes from the double jump just downright deciding, despite being a required mechanic, 'nah, I don't feel like activating right now, guess you'll just die.'”
- “You unlock summons that help you traverse levels, but they equate to holding the button to charge up abilities to 'pull me over a big hole' and 'slice block in your way,' both of which seem implemented not as a means to benefit the gameplay, but as a way to have the players finish the game within the 2-hour return window.”
- “The game starts great but then crumbles with my opinion to too many overused, unnecessary mechanics like: too many pitfalls from the middle of the journey, overused vine climbing mechanic, and one-hit boss battle (spider).”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The story in "Lords of Exile" is generally considered decent but lacks depth, with players noting that it is often unclear how the levels and characters connect. While the game features a second character, Lyria, whose backstory is revealed late in the game, many reviewers wished for more context from the beginning. Overall, the narrative is seen as minimal, serving more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling element.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Short story - I highly recommend for retro game lovers, and the soundtrack I recommend for anyone who loves great game music.”
- “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.”
- “You play through the same stages, fight the same (mini) bosses, and have basically no difference in story.”
- “The story is barely there, and I'm not even sure I understood it or how the levels and characters were related to each other.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally appreciate the lack of grinding in the game, noting it adds to its appeal compared to other modern retro titles. However, some find certain gameplay mechanics, particularly those involving delays and repetitive tasks, can become tedious over time, detracting from the overall experience.
- “At first the game was good, but later on it became too tedious.”
- “It's like every 10 seconds you need this guy to clear the path for you, and considering that there's several seconds of delay between each of his shots, it can feel very tedious at times.”
- “Gimmicks that rely on these JoJo stand powers become tedious really fast, by slowing down gameplay.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game suffers from a lack of content and replay value, with many users suggesting that other titles, like Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, offer significantly better replayability. While some players appreciate its short length, they emphasize that a game of this nature should provide high replay value, which this title fails to deliver.
- “Short but great with good replay value.”
- “I don't mind shorter games, but they really need to have very high replay value, and this one does not.”
- “What really drags it down is the lack of content and replay value.”
- “Buy Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (1 & 2), they are better than this game and offer more replayability.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for being consistently funny and lighthearted, particularly in the early levels, but it takes a sharp turn towards frustration and difficulty as players approach the final stages, which can detract from the overall experience.