Sands of Aura

About

In "Sands of Aura" , a cataclysm has plunged Talamhel into eternal darkness and created a sea of sand, corrupting its inhabitants. You are one of the few righteous survivors, soon to join the Order of Remnant Knights. As calamity strikes again, you must endure and fight the mutated Night Plague to save Talamhel. Wishlist and follow the game to receive updates on development and release dates.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 708 reviews

story102 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a unique art style that captivates players.
The weapon customization system is deep and allows for a variety of playstyles, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
Exploration is rewarding, with many secrets and hidden areas to discover, making the world feel alive and engaging.

Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, with issues like input lag and a lack of animation canceling.
The camera angle is restrictive, making it difficult to navigate certain areas and see incoming attacks.
The quest system can be vague and confusing, leading to frustration when trying to figure out objectives or where to go next.

story
304 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The game's story is described as rich and engaging, featuring a well-presented narrative that follows a young squire and a mysterious spirit on a quest to combat corruption in a unique fantasy world. While the writing and voice acting are praised, some players find the quest design vague and confusing, leading to difficulties in navigation and quest progression. Overall, the story is seen as a strong point of the game, with potential for depth and replayability, despite some minor bugs and issues with quest clarity.
- “The story follows a young squire accompanied by a mysterious spirit who are trying to stop the corruption plaguing the world and save the last standing human settlement.”
- “The story and characters are thoughtful, the world is vivid and alive, and the systems are innovative and brilliant!”
- “All in all, top notch game with a compelling, well-written story, and enough depth to get lost in this beautiful world.”
- “The main world story can be confusing at times, as I do feel that certain aspects didn't have as much time as they needed to develop, but it was never so bad that I was left wandering and aimless.”
- “Without a map, quest markers, or even a compass there is almost no way to get your bearings, meaning that it is extremely easy to get lost in this game.”
- “The biggest issue for me is the quests... it's a mess!”
gameplay
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The gameplay of "Sands of Aura" is a blend of traditional souls-like mechanics and action RPG elements, featuring responsive combat, diverse environments, and a unique weapon crafting system. While many players appreciate the challenging yet fair gameplay, some express frustration with certain boss mechanics and occasional clunky controls. Overall, the game offers an engaging experience with beautiful visuals and a rewarding sense of progression, though it may require patience to fully grasp its mechanics.
- “The gameplay is fun, precise, and rather fast-paced.”
- “The game features beautiful artwork, a dying world that somehow manages to feel fresh and not done to death already, and spotlights a marriage of Dark Souls mechanics with standard ARPG combat.”
- “Responsive, snappy combat and clearly and concisely defined mechanics.”
- “Some of the bosses have rather frustrating mechanics, such as a bullet hell-like sequence or requiring a very specific item from a side quest to avoid the damage received from avoiding an insta-killing attack.”
- “The lack of refinement in combat mechanics leaves encounters feeling less than fluid, a key element in the souls-like genre.”
- “At first you start to like the game but after an hour or so of gameplay you realize how incredibly bad the combat system actually is... the camera is horrible.”
graphics
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style that blends whimsical and gothic elements, reminiscent of Tim Burton's work. While some players find the visuals stunning and immersive, others criticize the graphical fidelity as basic and the performance inconsistent, particularly during cutscenes. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is highlighted as a strong point, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The game features beautiful artwork, a dying world that somehow manages to feel fresh and not done to death already, and spotlights a marriage of Dark Souls mechanics with standard ARPG combat.”
- “The graphics are really nice actually; it's different from the usual copy & paste 'souls-like' style.”
- “The game is really damn pretty, the art style for the characters and creatures is almost Burton-esque/claymation-esque while the environments are stunning.”
- “The graphics are basic Unity, the sounds are just echo-y and odd, the combat feels non-impactful, and the controls are floaty (probably meant for twin-stick controller?). The menu is neither meant for mouse and keyboard, nor actually designed with user experience in mind.”
- “Meh... long empty corridors, awful controls, and mediocre graphics.”
- “Not sure if it's just my PC/resolution scaling, but at max graphics, some of the cutscenes were really bad quality.”
music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty, atmosphere, and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its orchestral quality and evocative nature. While some tracks, like the Flare Forge theme, stand out as particularly epic, others are described as fitting but not memorable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to its nostalgic and immersive qualities.
- “The music is wonderful and really sets the atmosphere of a dark and fallen world.”
- “Absolutely amazing experience; a unique world with gripping exploration, solid combat, and a wonderful orchestral soundtrack.”
- “The music is beautiful, evocative and haunting, the echoes of lost civilizations still drifting through its halls and towers.”
- “The soundtrack is okay, it kinda stays more in the background, and looking at the visual style of the world, I'd expected more eastern influences (or Persian/Arabic).”
- “Soundtrack so far has been serviceable, but not really memorable.”
- “The soundtrack and audio effects are fine, if not notable (aside from the flare forge music, which is very epic and somehow unfitting for a mid-game dungeon without significant plot progression).”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics in the game, citing a lack of resources that makes it tedious and boring to fully upgrade equipment. While some appreciate the exploration and fast travel features that alleviate some grind-related tedium, many feel that the game requires excessive grinding to progress, particularly in a souls-like context. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game's exploration and combat.
- “There simply aren't enough resources (without grinding anyway, and I hate undue grind) to fully build even one full suit of armor and weapon, let alone experiment or change tactics if you are stuck.”
- “So tedious, frustrating, and boring.”
- “This means new game attempts will require you to go through the tedious portions of the game all over again, like improving your gear... doing that does require some grinding since the game has soulslike similarities.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
25%
11%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful art design, immersive worldbuilding, and evocative music that enhances the experience of exploring a dark, fallen world. Players appreciate the detailed environments and the contemplative moments between intense gameplay, creating a refined and intentional atmosphere that stands out. While some gameplay mechanics may detract from the experience, the overall ambiance and lore are compelling enough to recommend for those who value these aspects.
- “The music is wonderful and really sets the atmosphere of a dark and fallen world.”
- “The world and environments are incredibly detailed and thought out, bringing an atmosphere that feels refined and intentional.”
- “Story and voice acting are top-notch, exploring the well-crafted levels is fun and rewarding, and the setting and atmosphere is unlike anything I've played.”
- “Bottom line, the devs tried to create a substantive game but use the same cheap/easy methods as other failed games to create an atmosphere of 'difficulty'.”
- “If you're the type to overlook some fundamental flaws or problems in order to experience less tangible aspects of a game like atmosphere or lore, such as with classic Obsidian games, then this is a definite recommend; otherwise, reconsider.”
- “Travelling and exploring the world between zones is quiet, contemplative, and relaxing, offering an important counterpoint to the more intense atmosphere on the islands.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
38%
31%
Overall, optimization for the game has received mixed reviews. While some players with high-end systems report smooth performance and good graphics, others experience significant issues, particularly in open areas and for those with less powerful hardware. Many users agree that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance, especially in outdoor environments and during cutscenes.
- “Graphics look really nice and performance-wise I have nothing to complain about (there are graphics options above epic, called cinematic).”
- “And so far, performance has been absolutely incredible for an early access game... zero issues... although, when I reached the open area.”
- “Optimization is good from my perspective, but some folks with less powerful systems have had difficulty getting the game to run well for them.”
- “Performance is terrible, needs some serious optimization.”
- “My PC is way over spec (5950x, 7900xtx, at 1440p max settings) and I still ran into some spots with poor performance.”
- “Another issue I had with this game is that it looks and feels like a Nintendo Switch game and is poorly optimized.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the game offers a decent level of replayability, primarily due to its interesting story and extensive exploration opportunities. However, many players feel that the exploration loses its charm on subsequent playthroughs, and the lack of motivating mechanics may deter some from returning. While the game features impressive weapon customization and a beautiful world, these elements may not be enough to sustain replay interest for all players.
- “If you can overlook small hiccups like input responsiveness and a couple yet-to-be-fleshed-out UI/UX elements, Sands of Aura will offer you an immensely gorgeous and immersive world with a well-thought-out story, lots of islands to explore, and fun gameplay with high replayability due to amazing weapon customization.”
- “Interesting story, does have some replayability.”
- “It lacks the motivating mechanics that entice replayability, which is unfortunate, because there were a lot of things I was interested in resolving that, even after hours and hours of searching, I never found the solution.”
- “The replayability is there, but it's going to be lost on most people.”
- “Replayability is surely there – since I play these games mostly for their exploration, it just does not work for me, since that exploration part falls too flat the second time around.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game exhibits several bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and immersion, leading some players to recommend waiting for fixes. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck with adjusted settings, making it a viable option for those interested in the souls-like genre. Overall, while stability issues are present, the experience can still be enjoyable on certain platforms.
- “I play entirely on Steam Deck, and it runs great with some settings turned down.”
- “This game runs great on Steam Deck and is a good souls-like that I would recommend to anyone to try out!”
- “This game runs great on Steam Deck and is a good souls-like that I would recommend to anyone to try out!”
- “The game has some bugs and glitches that can affect the gameplay and the immersion.”
- “Buggy, the camera is fixed, the fighting has no weight to it... I'd just pass or wait until they fix everything.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by quirky and surprising elements, particularly through memorable NPC interactions. However, some players find the limited camera controls and the game's approach to early access to be unintentionally amusing, highlighting a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic moments.
- “Filled with quirky and surprising bits of humor, the NPCs stand out and leave a lasting impression.”
- “It's also funny that there's very limited camera controls, which again serve more as a hindrance than an aid.”
- “They have a 'funny' idea about how early access should work.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the monetization model, feeling that despite paying for the game, they are subjected to intrusive advertising and data collection practices. There is a call for better content and advertising strategies that do not compromise user experience.
- “Like really, I pay for a game and now I pay with my time and my information for you to make more money with scummy advertising?”
- “However, I do see this game flourishing with good advertising and more content.”
- “Opt out of information collection for advertisement?”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Character development in the game is primarily focused on equipment rather than the player's character, which some players find limiting. However, the characters themselves are praised for their uniqueness and depth, bolstered by excellent voice acting, well-written dialogue, and strong character design.
- “--characters feel alive and unique, thanks in part to virtually every line being voiced and well-written, and great character design.”
- “The character development system is built around equipment rather than the player's character themselves.”