Umbraclaw

About

"Umbraclaw is a 2D action-adventure game following Kuon, a house cat who has died and awakened in the Soulplane. In order to return to the mortal world, Kuon must challenge the perilous underworld and utilize the power of 'Anima Revive' to revive with new skills after each death. Kuon's actions and choices will determine her story's outcome, offering a unique and emotional exploration of the cycle of life and death."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Umbraclaw features a unique gameplay mechanic where players gain abilities upon dying, creating a compelling balance between risk and reward.
The art direction and soundtrack are praised for their quality, contributing to an engaging atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers significant replay value with multiple endings and a variety of upgrades, encouraging players to explore different playstyles.

The level design is often criticized for being bland and not fully utilizing the game's mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Players have noted that the combat can feel unbalanced, with some bosses requiring excessive time to defeat due to slow mechanics and a lack of engaging patterns.
The game's narrative and character development are seen as underexplored, leaving players wanting more depth in the story and character backstories.

gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
7%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique mechanics and stylish presentation, though it is often described as slow-paced and occasionally confusing for new players. While some reviewers appreciate the engaging boss fights and the variety of power-ups and endings, others criticize the overall execution, citing bland level design and a lack of depth compared to other titles from the same developers. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a fun platforming experience with smooth mechanics and an interesting upgrade system.
- “Unique mechanics and tons of endings, power-ups, unlocks, and glossary items to collect.”
- “An incredibly stylish and fun platformer, with an interesting twist in the mechanics.”
- “This is a solid little platformer with wonderful art and some tighter-than-expected combat mechanics, especially in cat form.”
- “From end to end, the game and its mechanics are just abysmal.”
- “In the end, I think the gameplay concept here is very weak, and it isn't executed well.”
- “By nature of the game's mechanics, this game is fairly slow-paced.”
story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
46%
9%
The story of the game is generally well-received, featuring strong emotional moments and interesting characters, though it is criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth in exploring the setting and backstory. Players appreciate the multiple endings and replayability, but some express disappointment with the limited variety in outcomes and the brevity of the hidden ending. Overall, while the narrative has engaging elements and a compelling atmosphere, it struggles to fully realize its potential.
- “The story is pretty good with strong and emotional moments, and the soundtrack is catchy, fitting well with each situation.”
- “A fun game with simple mechanics if you play passive and more intense if you choose the path of forgetting your past, with good illustrations and with a story to discover, being able to choose several paths in the story to have a different ending depending on what you do.”
- “Regarding the story, I think it's pretty solid, mainly excelling in atmosphere and providing a host of interesting characters along the way.”
- “The hidden ending of the game, which can only be viewed by completing nine runs total, is a whole two dialogue boxes long and has very few real implications for the story or the world.”
- “One complaint I have is about the variety in the story with the endings; I would have loved to see more in that regard.”
- “I love the personalities of the characters, but the setting and backstory are not explored much, and all of the bosses, barring Locke, only appear in one stage and only get pre-battle dialogue.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their unique paper-craft aesthetic, drawing comparisons to the art styles of Okami and The World Ends With You. While the visuals and character designs are considered amazing, some reviewers note that the levels lack complexity and that the art alone cannot sustain the game's overall appeal. The soundtrack and voice acting also receive positive mentions, enhancing the visual experience.
- “Great art style, soundtrack, and voice acting for both languages.”
- “Amazing visuals: check.”
- “The levels are not the most complex or groundbreaking, but their unique gimmicks and visuals add some spice.”
- “No expanded features like a jukebox, cutscene viewer (which I would have definitely liked for those endings), or artwork gallery.”
- “A lot of people liken this art style to Okami's, but Umbraclaw goes for a sort of paper-craft aesthetic that is wholly different from anything else I've played.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
33%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its catchiness and atmospheric quality, enhancing the emotional moments of the story. However, several reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, with many levels sharing the same tracks, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the music is still considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its unique style.
- “The story is pretty good with strong and emotional moments, and the soundtrack is catchy, fitting well with each situation.”
- “Definitely a good game with a great soundtrack and a unique way of playing this Mega Man-esque game.”
- “It’s an outright gorgeous experience with beautiful music.”
- “The music from iii hits hard as always, though I did find it disappointing that all the levels essentially share the same two music tracks.”
- “My cat-owner-waifu doesn't sing a song for me when I lose one of my nine lives, which is obviously either a grave oversight or a budget issue.”
- “-music is okay”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game offers solid replayability, featuring multiple endings and a variety of upgrades that encourage players to refine their skills and explore different strategies. While it may not reach the replay value of other titles from the same developer, the combination of tight controls, secret discoveries, and the "anima revive" system enhances the overall experience. Players with prior platforming experience will find additional layers of challenge and engagement.
- “Positives include tight controls, replayability through its many endings, the track 'Fifth Life Soulbeast' that plays through Kuon's humanoid form, and the entirety of the 'Anima Revive' concept - which awards you bonus abilities that help shape Kuon's journey through the Soulplane.”
- “While the replayability isn't as strong as it would be in your usual game by Inti, it's still pretty good with the different endings you can aim towards.”
- “Also, there's a big focus on replayability, given that there are enhancements that can be bought with extremely limited resources and secrets to find.”
- “This is a type of game that is easy if you have previous experience with platformers, but it has replay value that requires actual skill and learning of the levels.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a compelling narrative with strong emotional moments that resonate with players, enhanced by a fitting and catchy soundtrack. Players experience a unique blend of humor and moral complexity, evoking feelings of guilt as they navigate the protagonist's journey. Overall, it offers an engaging emotional experience that leaves a lasting impact.
- “The story is pretty good with strong and emotional moments, and the soundtrack is catchy, fitting well with each situation.”
- “A very cool and emotional romp that makes you morally feel bad for getting stronger.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding for upgrades to be tedious, requiring multiple runs to collect necessary resources like hope points and color gems. While some suggest that later bosses may increase in difficulty and evolving into stronger forms could alleviate the grind, many are hesitant to invest the time needed to fully explore these options. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant but manageable part of the experience.
- “Completing the upgrades is quite grindy, needing you to gather both hope points and color gems throughout levels to get them, and it can take like 7 runs to finish the upgrade collection.”
- “Perhaps later bosses become more difficult, and perhaps letting yourself 'evolve' into the stronger form makes this less tedious, but I'm not prepared to play this game past the refund window to find out.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by a solid story and a rich, immersive environment enhanced by atmospheric music. Players appreciate the intriguing characters that contribute to the overall ambiance.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, with a solid story that excels in creating an immersive experience and features a host of interesting characters along the way.”
- “The atmospheric music enhances the overall experience, adding depth to the game's environment.”
- “The game's atmosphere is truly engaging, drawing players into its world with a rich and immersive soundscape.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in Umbraclaw is praised for its innovative designs and intriguing concepts, though players should be prepared for a challenging experience that requires a high level of skill and precision.
- “The idea behind Umbraclaw and its character designs is amazing, but know going in it can be challenging and demands perfection.”
- “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”