Unworthy

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 429 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Unworthy Game Cover
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
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"Unworthy" is a single-player fantasy platformer Metroidvania game with an intriguing story and spectacular game mechanics. Fight your way through hordes of nightmarish creatures and epic bosses, while traversing a bleak and hostile world. With its phenomenal graphics, fabulous music, and challenging combat, Unworthy proves to be a highly-atmospheric and rewarding experience for patient and skilled players.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 429 reviews
graphics28 positive mentions
grinding18 negative mentions
  • Unique pixel art style with a monochromatic aesthetic that enhances the game's atmosphere.
  • Challenging and rewarding combat that requires players to learn enemy patterns and adapt their strategies.
  • Engaging boss fights that are well-designed and memorable, providing a sense of accomplishment upon defeat.
  • Frustrating mechanics such as slow movement and unresponsive dodging can detract from the overall experience.
  • Some players may find the lack of jumping and reliance on ladders and elevators tedious.
  • The game can feel repetitive due to similar enemy designs and combat strategies, leading to potential boredom.
  • graphics126 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist black and white pixel art aesthetic that evokes a dark, atmospheric mood, reminiscent of titles like Dark Souls. While many players appreciate the unique and striking visuals, some find the monochrome palette can hinder gameplay readability and lead to repetitive backgrounds. Overall, the art style is polarizing; it captivates some with its charm and depth, while others feel it lacks detail and can be frustrating to navigate.

    • “It's amazing visually, and I especially must compliment the recurring visuals matching the art style's strengths: white falling snow and fire look stunning, and I wish that Qas rune wasn't as convoluted to get so I could appreciate the scenery more often.”
    • “The art style of Unworthy is a gritty and monochrome take on the retro 8-bit aesthetic that is commonly used in a good chunk of indie games; however, Unworthy stands out from the rest of the crowd in my eyes with how fitting it is to the game and how well done the silhouettes are.”
    • “The art style is simplistic and bland.”
    • “The problems start when you realize that the silhouette art style causes some severe problems with readability.”
    • “Despite looking incredibly basic, the art style conveys all the right emotions by nailing the tone and atmosphere perfectly.”
  • gameplay110 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its tight controls, challenging mechanics, and engaging level design, while others criticize the sluggishness of certain actions, such as ladder climbing and weapon switching. Many reviewers noted the game's strong souls-like elements, including punishing difficulty and a lack of jumping mechanics, which may not appeal to everyone. Overall, while the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy challenging gameplay, it also has frustrating aspects that can detract from the enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is challenging, but not unfair, and it has something that I love in these games: a world full of secrets, being very rewarding finding them, while exploring a very oppressive and atmospheric vibe world.”
    • “The gameplay is tight, hard, but what a joy to master it.”
    • “A fantastic mix of soulslike and metroidvania gameplay.”
    • “What is totally unforgivable is the timing between pressing a button, like dodge, and the delay for the player to roll just makes this game a bore, given that the whole mechanic is twitch-based.”
    • “Clunky, shallow gameplay with layers of frustrating mechanics and UI choices used to provide 'difficulty'.”
    • “Being forced to constantly roll combined with the stamina mechanic that so many games seem to love to put in makes combat slow and frustrating, and some encounters straight up unfair, forcing you to cheese or skip them.”
  • story64 mentions

    The story in the game is often described as cryptic and obscure, typical of the souls-like genre, leaving players to piece together lore through minimal text and environmental storytelling. While some appreciate the depth and atmosphere it creates, many find it frustratingly vague and convoluted, with essential quests and plot points easily missed, requiring multiple playthroughs or external guidance to fully understand. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its intrigue while others criticize its lack of clarity and engagement.

    • “The story is cryptic and intriguing in a way that will make you want to uncover its lore by slowly inching your way through its dangerous world.”
    • “The storytelling is great; I can feel the hate, passion, misery, and remorse.”
    • “The characters feel unique, and the stories they tell fit the grim fantasy style of the game.”
    • “The story is both a pro and a con.”
    • “The story and lore of the game is very opaque, almost impenetrable with the limited text we get with the bestiary, descriptions, and journal pages.”
    • “Seriously, is it so hard for developers to actually present a story rather than have characters say a bunch of cryptic buzz words while pretending to be deep?”
  • music62 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and complementing the minimalist art style. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is not only memorable but also rivals that of renowned titles like Dark Souls, with standout tracks that elevate boss encounters and exploration. Overall, the sound design and music are considered top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's immersive and thematic presentation.

    • “The music is hauntingly beautiful and sets a nice tone for each area that you explore.”
    • “The soundtrack is brilliant and for a game this simplistic - it has some of the best boss fights I’ve experienced in a metroidvania!”
    • “The music in this game is phenomenal and I absolutely love the art style, even if it makes it hard sometimes to differentiate between things in the back/foreground.”
    • “The ambiance tries to be creepy, heavy, and gothic, but fails and becomes boring; it doesn't even have music.”
    • “While most of the music is kind of boring and atmospheric, there are a few tracks that are just tremendous in their company; for example, Narcoss's and Dominic's themes, which are available on YouTube under the OST playlist.”
    • “The music is just okay.”
  • atmosphere46 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Unworthy" is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality that effectively captures the essence of the "Dark Souls" series in a 2D format. The minimalist monochrome art style, combined with evocative sound design and a haunting soundtrack, creates a somber and compelling environment that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the atmospheric depth, which is complemented by challenging combat and rich worldbuilding, making it a standout experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Unworthy is a 2D pixelated souls-like metroidvania in a very stylish monochrome look - worldbuilding, art and animation are great, sound and atmosphere are somber and uncompromising.”
    • “The monochrome graphics, while minimalist, work well with the beautiful soundtrack to create an atmospheric experience for the player.”
    • “Unworthy is a truly atmospheric experience.”
    • “It feels like too much of stuff you've seen before in other games with the bleak atmosphere and writing.”
    • “A tense and fast-paced atmosphere is broken by a lack of combat that takes me out of the experience for a moment.”
    • “The scraps of dialogue and inscriptions throughout the game do contribute to the overall atmosphere; it seems experimentation with some kind of undeath ritual has gone awry and basically doomed humanity.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration due to the need to backtrack and collect items repeatedly. While some appreciate the dual leveling mechanics that accommodate grinding, many feel that the overall experience can become monotonous, especially when facing challenging enemies and bosses that require extensive grinding to overcome. The high costs associated with in-game atonements further contribute to the perception of the game as grind-heavy.

    • “Not challenging, just tedious.”
    • “You only get the ability to teleport between save points after several bosses, so the slower backtracking feels all the more tedious.”
    • “Another minor complaint is that atonements cost insane amounts of sin after only a few points, which makes the game feel very grindy if you want to collect atonements.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the vast map, numerous bosses, and secrets that encourage exploration, others criticize it for having minimal replay value after the initial playthrough. The presence of a missable secret ending adds a layer of complexity, but overall, many feel that the game lacks compelling reasons to replay it.

    • “It's also cool that there's a secret ending path, though not so cool that it's missable and you might have to attempt it in ng++, but the replayability isn't very appealing after the first playthrough.”
    • “Also the map is huge, tons of bosses, lots of secrets and such, lots of replay value.”
    • “Tons of secrets and replayability and a great growing community.”
    • “There's only one problem with this game: the replayability is null, and it's very, very short.”
    • “I hate the fact that I paid for this game, but some content, even though minor, is locked behind a 'play the entire game that has no replay value again' door.”
    • “Replayability isn't entirely encouraged in this game.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor performance even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080, struggling to maintain 30 fps. While some users found workarounds, such as switching to windowed mode, the overall experience is marred by stuttering and laggy controls, despite the game's appealing design and story elements.

    • “If you have framerate problems, put the game on windowed mode and it should work fine, but overall, performance is good and the story, design, and secrets are outstanding!”
    • “Exploration is well optimized with a patient number of small stat-related pick-ups that aren’t too difficult to uncover in the meticulously detailed foregrounds.”
    • “People complain about bad optimization in some AAA releases, while this game can barely maintain 30 FPS on an RTX 3080.”
    • “Despite the seemingly simple graphics, this game seems to have heavy performance requirements.”
    • “How is a pixel game this unoptimized?”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players often find the emotional impact of the game to be significant, with moments of joy and exploration contrasted by feelings of loss and heartbreak, particularly when faced with unexpected setbacks like save file deletions. The balance between challenge and reward evokes a strong emotional response, as players must invest in learning and mastering difficult encounters to progress.

    • “I was enjoying this game so much and having the game erase my save file with no warning was absolutely heartbreaking.”
    • “This worked in its favor a lot of the time; however, it sometimes made me feel lost, such as burning trees for an entire bonus area, which I did not notice while playing.”
    • “You can always mitigate the difficulty by engaging in a wholesome amount of juicy exploration to grab more XP and items, but every boss requires that you learn how to fight them properly and master the challenge rather than brute forcing it.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a blatant cash grab aimed at nostalgic players of classic 2D platformers, particularly by leveraging elements from the popular soulsborne series. This approach has drawn criticism for lacking originality and relying on established franchises to attract players.

    • “This is an obvious cash grab to rope in all of us who grew up with Castlevania, Metroid, and other great sidescrolling 2D platformers.”
    • “The differentiator between this one and the smear of other 'metroidvania' cash grabs is that it has blatantly ripped off the Soulsborne series.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting that even challenging boss encounters are entertaining and lighthearted, making the experience enjoyable despite frequent deaths. The presence of checkpoints adds to the overall positive sentiment, ensuring that frustration is minimized.

    • “Even when I faced tough bosses and died multiple times, their humorous antics made the experience enjoyable, especially with a checkpoint nearby.”
    • “The game's humor kept me laughing, even during challenging moments, making every defeat feel less frustrating.”
    • “I loved how the quirky characters and funny dialogue lightened the mood, turning tough battles into entertaining experiences.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

17hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
17-17hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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