Tearscape

About

Tearscape is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by NERDS TAKE OVER and was released on February 2, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

Discover a Gothic world in this 2D top-down action-adventure, blending fast-paced combat, exploration, and pixel art inspired by Game Boy Color classics. Fight monstrous foes, unlock new abilities, and explore a non-linear map filled with hidden secrets and dangerous challenges. Master precise combat, where every strike and dodge matters. Manage your stamina as you face off against grotes…

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 179 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Excellent fusion of classic Zelda and Bloodborne mechanics, delivering nostalgic pixel art and atmosphere reminiscent of Gameboy Color-era games.
Combat is challenging yet fair, with satisfying boss fights and a solid stamina-based dodge and parry system.
Exploration is rewarding with a well interconnected map, numerous secrets, and a variety of weapons, tokens, and tools that influence playstyle.
Local co-op mode works well, providing a unique Zelda-style experience for multiplayer fans.
Developer is responsive and actively fixes bugs based on community feedback, enhancing the overall experience.
Music and sound design fit the retro aesthetic and contribute positively to the game's ambiance, despite some repetitiveness.

Enemy variety is limited, with many enemies reused multiple times with increased stats rather than distinct behaviors, which may reduce combat freshness.
Some aspects like hitboxes, movement speed, and controls can feel sluggish or finicky, leading to occasional frustration during combat and platforming.
The map system initially lacks fog of war and useful markers, making navigation and exploration cumbersome, although updates have improved it.
Certain bosses, especially late-game ones, can feel overly difficult or frustrating due to large health pools, awkward arena design, or requiring specific strategies like gunpowder builds.
There are several bugs including screen transition issues, falling damage mechanics, AI and hit detection inconsistencies, and occasional crashes that impede smooth gameplay.
Puzzle variety is limited and some puzzles can be obtuse or easy to cheese, with platforming segments sometimes unsupported by tight controls.

gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
59%
9%
The gameplay combines classic Zelda exploration and level progression with challenging, responsive Soulsborne-inspired combat mechanics, creating a tough yet fair and rewarding experience. Boss fights are creative and diverse, though some mechanics can feel inconsistent, with later game tools adding fresh dynamics. Overall, the gameplay loop is engaging and intuitive, blending nostalgic retro style with modern action elements effectively.
- “It is a very interesting experiment, mixing an early Zelda game formula with Bloodborne aesthetics and combat mechanics, and for the most part it works.”
- “The gameplay is so sharp, tough but fair, the music is fantastic, and I love the levelling system.”
- “This game takes what makes those games so special and adds the soulslike gameplay to them and does it very well.”
- “The boss in the Silknest was pretty frustrating because the hookshot doesn't reliably reach across the gap in the boss room without you accidentally falling into the hole, but with the infinite gunpowder token and a bunch of bombs, I was able to basically bypass needing to use the mechanics of the fight.”
- “This is also where you get some of the oddities as some weapons transition well to the system, and some mechanics don't transition well to the game.”
- “Would love a fog of war mechanic or some way to understand if I've been to an area or not.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
68%
12%
The graphics in the game combine nostalgic Game Boy Color and early Zelda aesthetics with Bloodborne-inspired dark, pixel art, delivering a unique and rewarding visual style. While praised for its charming retro design and creative puzzle integration, some users noted minor graphical bugs and occasional strain at higher resolutions. Overall, the game is celebrated for effectively merging classic 8-bit visuals with modern, challenging gameplay elements.
- “The exploration and nostalgic Game Boy Color graphics were a high point. I especially love the 4-skull puzzles; they're very abstract and based around observation of your environment and thinking creatively - not something I've seen a lot but really rewarding to puzzle out!”
- “Fantastic GBC Zelda-like with a well interconnected metroidvania world and Bloodborne aesthetic.”
- “Amazing Souls x Zelda combo, love the Game Boy Color art style and the bosses were amazing, they required both combat skills and some also had some small puzzle integration.”
- “Graphics are a little too much designed to look like Game Boy, so it can be a strain to look at with standard desktop resolutions.”
- “Other times, one of our deceased bodies randomly glitched and moved off the screen, which caused the overall graphics to become unplayable.”
- “I encountered multiple other minor bugs, including situations where enemy sound effects did not play, when graphics would 'flicker' in ways that did not appear intended, and when enemy and player animations appeared to take different amounts of time in unintended circumstances without an overall slowdown or speed-up of the game's functions.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed feedback, with some players finding it catchy and enjoyable, while others criticize it as repetitive, overly simple, and sometimes grating due to frequent looping. Although considered decent and fitting the retro aesthetic, it generally lacks memorable or standout tracks, improving slightly as the game progresses.
- “The gameplay is so sharp, tough but fair, music is fantastic and I love the leveling system.”
- “+ Music is stellar, I'm constantly humming along to the catchy tracks.”
- “Gameplay is immaculate, soundtrack is great, difficulty is impeccably balanced in a way that makes the game hard but rewarding.”
- “Large parts of the game feel half done, like the music being incredibly samey and looping so fast that it gets on your nerves after a while.”
- “It's a step back from older games in several departments; awful, repetitive music.”
- “Bad music: not all of it, but it only ranges from acceptable at best to 'uh oh time to mute this' at worst with nothing memorable.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The story is generally light and often hidden in NPC interactions, drawing heavy inspiration from Souls-like games rather than classic adventure narratives. While some appreciate the balance between guided storytelling and open-world exploration, others find the plot somewhat minimal and less engaging compared to deeper narratives like Bloodborne. Overall, the story is considered fair but not a standout element.
- “The developer strikes the perfect balance between on-rails story and open-world exploration; the game doesn't feel obtuse nor hemmed in.”
- “The story is there, but also light, hidden behind random NPCs you find along the way.”
- “It took me about 8 hours to get through the main story with the majority of the side quests, but skipping a few optional puzzles.”
- “That said, it takes story concept ideas from Souls, not Legend of Zelda, unfortunately.”
- “The story is there, but light and hidden behind random NPCs you find along the way.”
- “Sadly, story-wise and NPC-wise, there is not much here.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game successfully creates a distinctive gothic and brooding atmosphere despite the limitations of the Game Boy palette, rivaling classic titles like Final Fantasy Adventure with a mature and refined feel. Its art and overall ambiance are highly praised, complementing gameplay that strongly evokes the Zelda series.
- “The game achieves a feeling of atmosphere that few others manage to capture.”
- “I always preferred the original 1991 Game Boy version of Sword of Mana (Final Fantasy Adventure) to Link's Awakening, and this felt like FFA with a more mature atmosphere and a more refined inventory.”
- “The gameplay absolutely scratches that Zelda itch, while the art and atmosphere are first-rate.”
- “Firstly, it is difficult to convey a gothic brooding atmosphere with a Game Boy palette.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that grinding in these games can feel tedious and punishing, often relying on repetitive actions rather than skill or tactics. While the core gameplay is praised as challenging and rewarding, improvements are desired in enemy variety and bug fixes to reduce the grind and maintain focus on skill. Completing the game is seen as a significant achievement, though fully mastering it involves substantial, sometimes painful grinding reminiscent of Soulsborne titles.
- “These games excel in their challenge when they test my skill and tactics, not when they ask me to perform the same tedious actions over and over again, punishing me for slip-ups.”
- “Now that I finally completed the game, I can truly say that this is a masterpiece and a must-play. It probably needs more areas, secrets, or bosses (maybe as DLC), but if you want to get the 100% achievement, it's an honest 10-14 hours of pure suffering and grinding (something that I miss from Soulsborne games).”
- “I sincerely hope to see the game's bugs ironed out and enemy variety improved or difficulty made less tedious, and/or for the developer's future games to have a little more time for polish.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and situational, highlighted by amusing NPC interactions like the pig/cat quest and occasional lighthearted moments within an otherwise dark fantasy setting. It adds a playful touch without overshadowing the overall tone.
- “The exploration and secret finding was all fun enough and the few NPCs that are there are enjoyable enough. They all basically just 'fetch quests,' but more like you just naturally find the item they want by playing and exploring the level (except the pig/cat which I find pretty funny).”
- “The writing is also a blend of having a dark fantasy with occasional drops of humor.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experienced occasional small glitches, but the developer responded promptly to address and fix them, ensuring overall stable performance.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers extensive replayability thanks to a wide variety of weapons, tools, and tokens, delivering a nostalgic and engaging adventure reminiscent of classic cartridge-era games.
- “Tons of weapons, tools, and tokens mean killer replay value, and the whole package feels like the adventure we've been missing since the cartridge days.”