Summum Aeterna

Summum Aeterna is a decent roguelike adventure with a great aesthetic and superb music, but its gameplay loop and protagonist left me a little cold.

85%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

optimization, grinding

87% User Score Based on 248 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Summum Aeterna is a single player hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Aeternum Game Studios S.L and was released on June 15, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Summum Aeterna is a challenging pixel art platformer with tough-as-nails combat. As an ancient warrior, you must battle through hordes of enemies and bosses to reclaim your lost powers and defeat the shadowy figure threatening your existence. With tight controls, a variety of abilities, and procedurally generated levels, each playthrough offers a new and intense experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+38

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 248 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Summum Aeterna features fluid movement and responsive controls, making combat engaging and enjoyable.
The game offers a unique seed-based world generation system, allowing for varied runs and strategic gameplay.
Visually, the game is stunning with a dark, hand-drawn 2D aesthetic that enhances the overall atmosphere.

The game can feel repetitive due to limited biome variety and a lack of significant changes in each run.
Progression can be overwhelming with multiple currencies and upgrade paths, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
The difficulty curve is steep, especially in the early hours, which may deter players unfamiliar with challenging roguelites.

gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The gameplay of "Summum Aeterna" is characterized by its intricate mechanics and dynamic world generation, allowing players to choose seeds that significantly impact their experience. While the game offers a rich variety of weapons and customization options, it also presents a steep difficulty curve that may challenge newcomers. Overall, players appreciate the engaging combat, fluid controls, and rewarding gameplay loop, making it a compelling addition to the roguelike genre, despite some concerns about repetitiveness and complexity.
- “This system turns preparation into a meaningful part of gameplay, as choosing a seed can drastically alter how a run unfolds.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun, and the combat, while a little too loose, was still fun.”
- “Summum Aeterna is an impressive and innovative addition to the roguelite genre, combining unique world-crawling mechanics with fast-paced combat and a stunning 2D art style.”
- “With multiple currencies, upgrade paths, and interconnected mechanics, the game can feel dense and intimidating, especially early on.”
- “The game's weird; I don't hate the attack ideas, and the world generation is... well, it's different, so props to them for trying something different, but in such a flooded market of roguelites, this just feels like a game that got to a certain point of gameplay and they just called it a day.”
- “Normally, I throw away a game with such a bad gameplay experience after 10 minutes - I put much more time into Summum Aeterna, but to no avail.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
24%
5%
The graphics of "Summum Aeterna" are widely praised for their stunning, hand-drawn 2D aesthetic that captures a gothic fantasy vibe, with clear and crisp visuals reminiscent of classic titles like Castlevania. Players appreciate the beautiful animations, dynamic environments, and unique enemy designs, which enhance the overall immersive experience. Despite some minor complaints about specific visual elements, the game's art style and graphical quality are considered a significant highlight, contributing to its engaging gameplay.
- “Visually, Summum Aeterna embraces a dark, hand-drawn 2D aesthetic that leans heavily into gothic fantasy.”
- “The game's beautiful visuals and weapon variety make it worth a try, even for those who aren't typically into roguelikes.”
- “Strikingly beautiful graphics; I played more than one roguelike, but only this one seemed so beautiful to me.”
- “The visuals of skills are just black boxes.”
- “Please introduce a medium or low graphic setting.”
- “The graphics in the anime drawing are not for me, but the picture is good.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack for its fitting atmosphere and quality, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players find it intrusive or unmemorable, leading them to turn it off or feel it doesn't align with the game's theme. Overall, while the soundtrack is celebrated by many, there are notable criticisms regarding its appropriateness and impact on gameplay.
- “That game is awesome, gameplay is great, graphics are beautiful, soundtrack is so good!”
- “The soundtrack fits perfectly into the atmosphere of a fighting game, many challenges make the game not boring, very story-driven.”
- “Its stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack make for a truly unforgettable adventure.”
- “I liked the graphics, animations, and sound effects, but disliked the music; it was too intrusive, so I turned it off completely after an hour or so.”
- “Most of the music feels out of place, and in general, the ambiance of the game is way off in comparison to the theme of the game.”
- “The musical accompaniment is quite something.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The story in "Summum Aeterna" is conveyed through atmosphere and environmental cues rather than extensive dialogue or cutscenes, making it accessible for newcomers while rewarding those familiar with its universe. However, many players find the narrative thin and abstract, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience, despite the game's engaging gameplay and beautiful graphics. While some appreciate the minimalistic approach, others miss a more substantial plot, likening it to a dungeon crawler with only a hint of story.
- “Rather than delivering a story through long dialogue sequences or cutscenes, Summum Aeterna relies on atmosphere, environmental hints, and sparse interactions to communicate its themes.”
- “Players already familiar with the broader universe may appreciate the subtle connections, while newcomers can easily engage with the game without feeling lost, even if the story itself remains intentionally distant and abstract.”
- “Summum Aeterna has an interesting plot and addictive gameplay.”
- “The story actively shoots itself in the foot constantly.”
- “What story there is, is very thin.”
- “I would describe this game as more of a random dungeon crawler with a tiny bit of story attached.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment in performance issues that detract from the experience. While some users noted polished graphics and smooth gameplay, others reported significant performance problems, leading to refunds and calls for improvements. Despite these concerns, the game still offers enjoyable gameplay elements, though optimization remains a notable drawback.
- “I liked it so much I did extra work measuring the continuous FPS using graphs and providing specific performance information of 4 similar products, which is further proof of my interest.”
- “Interesting battles and decent optimization.”
- “The graphics are really polished, no stuttering, no weird visual bugs, but I do have one complaint on this point.”
- “Nice game ruined by bad performance.”
- “The optimization was a little disappointing, but otherwise the game is good.”
- “May I suggest you fix your bad performance instead of harassing customers for accurate reviews?”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the rewarding challenge it offers, many find it excessively tedious and repetitive, often leading to burnout after extended play. The need to grind for incremental upgrades can feel overwhelming, with some players suggesting that the experience becomes more about grinding than enjoying the game itself. Overall, while grinding is integral to progression, it can detract from the overall enjoyment for a significant portion of the player base.
- “You end up grinding way too much, experiencing the same content over and over.”
- “✘ extremely grindy - stopped playing after opening the first 'lootbox' for 50 total level-ups - got my first piece of gear, which upgraded fully gave me 2% better life leech.”
- “The balance feels like it's assuming I want to grind +1% stats for hours (it's +1% attack per upgrade and just going from the first % to the second is already 4x the cost, imagine how grindy this game must be).”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The atmosphere of "Summum Aeterna" is highly praised for its unique world, vibrant graphics, and fitting soundtrack, which collectively enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to convey themes through environmental storytelling and minimal dialogue, creating an engaging and immersive environment. Overall, the combination of colorful visuals, exciting music, and well-designed levels contributes to a captivating atmosphere that resonates with fans of platformers and dungeon exploration.
- “Summum Aeterna is a pretty colorful and atmospheric 2D platformer.”
- “I'd recommend the game for players who like randomly generated dungeons with slick controls, gorgeous atmosphere and music.”
- “Rather than delivering a story through long dialogue sequences or cutscenes, Summum Aeterna relies on atmosphere, environmental hints, and sparse interactions to communicate its themes.”
- “Like the first project of the Aeterna universe, Summum pleased with its atmosphere and graphics.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Summum Aeterna offers exceptional replayability due to its complex systems, high randomization of stages and weapons, and varied level designs, ensuring that each run feels unique. Players appreciate the depth and customization options, making it a highly recommended experience for those seeking long-term engagement.
- “It is remarkably replayable with high stage and weapon randomization and customization.”
- “In the end, Summum Aeterna is a complex, challenging, and system-heavy roguelite that prioritizes depth, replayability, and player-driven experimentation over accessibility and immediate gratification.”
- “Replayability is high, each run having a different level design, enemy placement, and hidden items.”
- “Gorgeous visuals, weighty combat, and a surprising amount of replayability make Summum Aeterna something everyone can enjoy.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, featuring a mix of nerdy jokes, classic anime references, and a rich, lore-filled world that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the clever easter eggs and the lighthearted tone, contributing to the game's addictiveness and enjoyment.
- “The humor, the easter eggs, the soundtrack, the smooth controls, and very addicting gameplay loop, along with the possibilities to customize your character to your playstyle, are all fantastic and make this game just hit all the right points.”
- “There's a good bit of nerd humor, not to mention several references to classic anime and other aspects of nerd culture.”
- “They're creating a fresh world with deep lore and loads of humor.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that many users are experiencing significant bugs, raising concerns about the overall stability of the game. This suggests that the issues may not be isolated, affecting a broad range of players.
- “Is it this buggy for everyone?”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experience constant lag and glitches that ruin the experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game's reception is largely negative, with users expressing frustration over the developers' dismissive and accusatory communication regarding the implementation of anti-cheat measures. This has led to feelings of manipulation among the community, as their concerns are not being acknowledged or addressed.