Aeterna Noctis

Aeterna Noctis is a really good metroidvania and - on hard difficulty - easily the most challenging one I've ever played. Combat, platforming, story, graphics, music, world building, RPG elements, boss fights, level design, everything about it is well-made. It's just overall a very solid game. My only complaints is that it could use more enemy types considering how long it is, and that the arrow teleport ability felt annoying to use on a controller, although this could just be a git gud issue. The only reason I didn't finish it is because of its length, which is extraordinarily long for a metroidvania. In fact, 25 hours into Aeterna Noctis, I had only gotten through 53% of its runtime, and simply didn't feel like going further. I may come back to it someday, but for now I want to play something else. This is perfectly fine with me, since I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The moment I emerged out of a dark castle and saw flying whales drifting across a beautiful sunset while peaceful music played... It just felt like the right time to end the experience on a high note. TLDR: If you're a fan of the genre, you absolutely need to play this. If you're not very experienced i…

Next level platforming challenge. Hated this game in all the best ways. Fair but very challenging. Very rewarding experience getting through certain area of the game, and liked the story.

I really loved this game. The game has a notable focus on platforming, and brings in some unique mechanics that really help spice things up. The crystal arrows felt awkward at first, but I did eventually get fully used to them to the point of intuitively using them for movement during boss fights. There's also a lategame area with an especially interesting mechanical twist. In general, the diversity of the regioins is quite high, with a large amount of unexpected and interesting mechanics and/or themes being fully explored. Especially towards the lategame (excepting the stairs), the conceptual uniqueness of the regions really helped keep exploration fun. The game is also consistently quite good looking, especially all the environments. I played on noctis mode, which seems to be the original design difficulty, and I found both the platforming and combat to be pleasantly challenging without ever getting to unreasonable at any point.

+ Giant game + Great world building + Cool visuals - You don't wanna crack your joystick only on Normal difficulty... - Dialogues, especially when they teach you what buttons to push right inside the dialogues... - Poor Celestial dragon quest....

I’m speechless.The main character is barely visible literally tiny against a cluttered background that stays glaringly bright even after adjusting the settings. The bosses are insanely fast and difficult, with multiple phases and bullet hell, where is realy hard to tell what they’re doing because you have maybe half a second or less to react to an attack. Weapon system is unnecessarily complicated, and the controlling scheme is stupid, even after remapping the keys, it doesn't work right because the game insists on the default layout. I honestly wonder how players are supposed to handle parkour using mouse teleport + the 'E' key, + aiming on mouse and + switching arrows on the keyboard since you can't even bind that to the mouse wheel. We mustn't forget that the "lmenu" option is purple and hard to read and you can barely see which square you're currently on. The camera moves with the character's movement, making parkour feel really imprecise. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hasn't played the Path of Pain more than onceor anything requiring precision platforming, because that is exactly what doesn't work here since the background is so bright. It’s simply designed for a…

A sweeping adventure unfolds with a powerful blend of atmosphere, challenge, and precision. Every area offers a sense of grandeur, filled with striking landscapes, intricate pathways, and carefully layered encounters that reward patience, skill, and curiosity. Exploration feels purposeful, with each discovery adding depth to an already rich world. Combat delivers sharp intensity through fluid movement, responsive controls, and demanding enemy patterns. Each confrontation encourages mastery of timing and positioning, creating a rhythm that feels both punishing and deeply satisfying. Difficulty options add welcome flexibility, allowing a focus on action or on demanding platforming sequences that push reflexes to their limit. Environmental design stands out through dramatic color palettes, evocative scenery, and memorable set pieces that elevate every step of the journey. Music reinforces the emotional weight of each region, shifting seamlessly between quiet tension and sweeping energy to match the unfolding challenges. Progression systems support long term engagement, offering meaningful upgrades that enhance mobility, combat capability, and exploration potential. Each improvement…