LogFAQs > #962121554

5. Astalon: Tears of the Earth

It seems we get a brand new metroidvania-type game each year. This is typically fortunate, as talented developers can take hold of an inherently satisfying gameplay loop. Astalon: Tears of the Earth is one of the best members of this ever-growing genre, though it unfortunately came out in a year where Nintendo decided to start making new Metroid games again. Fortunately, Astalon: Tears of the Earth errs further toward the Castlevania side of things, which we will never have to worry about seeing again, beyond pachinko machines, NFTs, and, somehow, one of the best animated franchises ever made. I have no doubt Astalon: Tears of the Earth would be well-enjoyed by a majority of people who would play it, but it is unfortunately being shafted by games like Metroid Dread, which is really good, and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, a game so boring that I have booted it five times and played for a total of forty-five minutes.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is quite good. I dont really have much to say about it beyond this. If a game so adequately does its job that I can not even spend a page attempting to write vaguely-related dialogue about my experience with it, you know it has probably figured itself out. I played Astalon: Tears of the Earth intensively over the course of two days, and by the end, I did not want it to end. I then played the extra modes, which werent very good, and I realized I had only thought I didnt want it to end. Needless to say, the extras werent worth playing because the main campaign of Astalon: Tears of the Earth is so perfectly paced if you choose to shoot for the true ending.

The only legitimate flaw I feel has any weight is how Astalon: Tears of the Earth would have been better if it removed its roguelike elements. It feels like it was presented as a gameplay mechanic to match the story, but the game evolved in a way which made this feel pedantic. Youre constantly unlocking shortcuts both small and large, so its not as if being sent back to the start is particularly challenging. It just adds boring treks to disrupt the pacing of the otherwise fantastic level structure. You can also destroy the games difficulty scaling if you intend to fully upgrade your characters stats. The difficulty is probably at its best around the halfway point but when I was doing some clean-up on my final playthrough, I gained a massive advantage from dumping my points into stat upgrades. Playing naturally, you wont even come close to achieving fully maxed stats, but it still feels a little silly to make the maximum level so high when theres nothing to fight for beyond a higher difficulty with new game plus.

But those flaws barely function as complaints and are miles away from something deserving legitimate criticism. Do not sleep on Astalon: Tears of the Earth. This is one of the best indie games on the market this year, and itll likely be remembered, at least by me, as one of the best pieces of an otherwise oversaturated genre.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth Score: 5/6