Summum Aeterna

About

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+14

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 234 reviews

graphics41 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful hand-drawn 2D art and animations, creating a visually stunning experience.
Combat is fast-paced and engaging, with a variety of weapons and customization options that enhance gameplay.
There is a significant amount of content and progression, with unique world-crawling mechanics that keep players invested.

The game is extremely grindy, requiring excessive repetition to unlock meaningful upgrades and progress.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
The lack of clear documentation and explanations for mechanics can lead to confusion and frustration for players.

graphics
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
19%
6%
Overall, the graphics of the game have received high praise for their beauty, polish, and dynamic design, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and fluid animations. Players appreciate the game's artistic style and the absence of technical issues, such as bugs or performance slowdowns. While some found the music intrusive, the visual experience remains a standout feature that enhances gameplay and immersion.
- “The game's beautiful visuals and weapon variety make it worth a try, even for those who aren't typically into roguelikes.”
- “Incredible visuals, quite busy locations filled with interesting and slightly difficult bosses that are a pleasure to defeat.”
- “Strikingly beautiful graphics, I played more than one roguelike, but only this one seemed so beautiful to me.”
- “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.”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
6%
The gameplay of "Summum Aeterna" is characterized by its fast-paced, fluid mechanics and a rewarding loop that encourages exploration and customization. While initial hesitance may arise due to its simplicity, the game evolves to offer a rich variety of weapons and combat styles, alongside unique world generation that keeps players engaged. Despite some critiques regarding repetitiveness and minor inconsistencies, the overall experience is enhanced by beautiful visuals and a compelling blend of roguelike and action-RPG elements.
- “After a few hours, though, the game really opens up and you have tons and tons of variation and customization to just about every aspect of your gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun, and the combat, while a little too loose, was still enjoyable.”
- “The first hour of gameplay, I was very hesitant if I had made a good purchase or not, and I was admittedly struggling.”
- “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.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
17%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as fitting and enhancing the atmosphere, while others find it intrusive or unmemorable. Many highlight the quality of the music as a standout feature, contributing positively to the overall experience, while a few express dissatisfaction with its placement or relevance to the game's theme. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a strong aspect, though opinions vary significantly among players.
- “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.”
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 is still considered enjoyable by some, indicating that optimization remains a key area for future updates.
- “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?”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
27%
27%
The story in the game is described as thin and lacking depth, with some players noting that it feels more like a random dungeon crawler with minimal narrative elements. While the plot is considered exciting and the graphics are praised, many reviewers express a desire for a more substantial storyline, indicating that the gameplay is engaging but the narrative could be improved. Overall, the game is seen as fun and addictive, but it falls short in delivering a compelling story.
- “The plot is exciting, graphics are perfect.”
- “Summum Aeterna has an interesting plot and addictive gameplay.”
- “Great game with an exciting storyline, beautiful 2D graphics, the game is addictive from the first seconds, the game deservedly gets 10/10.”
- “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.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite pronounced, with many noting it can become tedious after extended playtime, often requiring repetitive tasks for minimal upgrades. While some appreciate the challenge and sense of progression that comes with grinding, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to frustration and burnout.
- “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
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The atmosphere of "Summum Aeterna" is widely praised for its unique and colorful world, complemented by a fitting soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the game's engaging levels and story-driven elements, making it an exciting and immersive platformer. Overall, the combination of vibrant graphics and atmospheric music creates a captivating environment for players.
- “Here is its own unique world with its own atmosphere!”
- “As always, a great platformer, perfect character control, interesting levels, exciting atmosphere and music.”
- “I'd recommend the game for players who like randomly generated dungeons with slick controls, gorgeous atmosphere and music.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability due to its varied level designs, enemy placements, and hidden items, ensuring each run feels unique. Coupled with stunning visuals and engaging combat, it provides substantial content for its price, making it highly recommended for players seeking longevity.
- “High replay value with a lot of content for a fair price; highly recommended.”
- “Replayability is high, with each run featuring different level designs, enemy placements, and hidden items.”
- “Gorgeous visuals, weighty combat, and a surprising amount of replayability make Summum Aeterna something everyone can enjoy.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever nerd humor and numerous references to classic anime and nerd culture, contributing to a fresh world filled with deep lore and comedic elements. Overall, players find it to be a genuinely funny experience.
- “A good bit of nerd humor, not to mention several references to classic anime and other nerd culture.”
- “They're creating a fresh world with deep lore and loads of humor.”
- “Funny game, by the way.”
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 emotional manipulation among players who feel their concerns are being ignored.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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 constantly, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I've experienced multiple freezes and glitches that ruin the experience.”