TLDR: Elderand is not a masterpiece in game design, but it's a solid, fun title well worth your time if you enjoy these sorts of games.
Full Review:
Elderand is a fun Metroidvania with great pixel graphics and enjoyable game play. I reminds me of the arcade/console games I played as a kid in the late 80s.
What sets it apart from other MVs?
The focus here is mostly on combat and exploration. There is some minor platforming, but it's not difficult and I didn't run into anything I'd call a platforming challenge during the games 10+ hour run time.
Elderand has an RPG-style leveling system. You gain XP for killing enemies and can then spend them to increase your health or one of the game's 3 damage types (strength, dexterity or magic). The game gives you a variety of weapons to go with aforementioned stats. These feel suitably different and are really fun to play with.
The game uses old-school style save points. If you die, you lose all progress you made since you last saved. This is rare enough in modern games that it actually does set the game apart. At least there are no corpse runs to get currency back!
Atmosphere. The game feels like a pixelated pulp fantasy (in particular it reminds me of Conan)
Pros:
Excellent pixel artwork. There's a room in the opening section with a dragon statue in the background that's just stunning. Multiple parallax layers give the room a real sense of depth. More than once, I stopped playing just to stop and admire the pixel art for a moment or two.
It's fun. Combat is not overly complex and has an arcdey feel to it, but each enemy moves and attacks in a different pattern. I never got tired of killing stuff and even spent some extra time grinding for materials to upgrade my favorite weapons.
Neutral:
As far as MV mechanics go, you won't see anything new here. Upgrades are pretty standard fare: double jump, air dash and a grappling hook. There are also two varieties of locked doors that can only be opened if you've found the right McGuffin for that door type.
It's a bit shorter than modern games in the same genre (8-12 hours). I was happy with the run time, but I also got it on sale for $7.99. I'm not sure I would have been as happy had I paid $19.99. Because of the length, I recommend buying this one on sale.
Cons:
Other than it not doing anything particularly original, I really don't have any gripes with the game.
izigame.me
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