Aaru's Awakening

 PC
User Score
2.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 115 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 115
  3. Negative: 82 out of 115

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  1. Erald
    Apr 9, 2015
    0
    It's very simple: Avoid this terrible "game" . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . . ...........................................................................
  2. qtf
    May 18, 2015
    0
    This game is so bad. I got it for free on ps4 and still felt robbed, the general idea is ok but the execution is horrible. The controls aren't accurate, the levels are unispired and boring. The whole concept is poor and simply not fun. And the audio narration between the levels is probably the worst thing about it, made by a child and not a good one. It is obvious why it was free on psn,This game is so bad. I got it for free on ps4 and still felt robbed, the general idea is ok but the execution is horrible. The controls aren't accurate, the levels are unispired and boring. The whole concept is poor and simply not fun. And the audio narration between the levels is probably the worst thing about it, made by a child and not a good one. It is obvious why it was free on psn, 99% of the stuff you get there is free for a reason.… Expand
  3. Jovannamedic12
    Mar 4, 2015
    0
    I'm a new metacritic user for the simple sake of sharing my disappointment with the game. The game is terrible, do not buy it.
    Unresponsive controls, disgusting sensitivity, extremely boring game play. This game wins the best prize for worst game, ever.
  4. Black_Fox
    Feb 27, 2015
    1
    I was really excited for Aaru's Awakening after the beta and loved it, but this game is basically just an extended beta. The game turns out to be very boring. I couldn't play it more than an hour. Stay away from this game.
  5. xEternal
    Mar 1, 2015
    1
    Unfinished game: avoid like the plague. Even with patches.

    THE GOOD:
    - Nice graphics
    - Enjoyable music

    THE BAD:
    - Tons of bugs and glitches
    - Combat system (teleportation and charging)
    - Controls are clunky and do not flow well
    - Terrible frame-rate, complete lack of optimization
    - Laughable dialogs (narrator voice)
    - Game crashes frequently and at random
  6. ZELDAK
    Mar 1, 2015
    0
    I really wanted this game to be good. I tried playing it on three different occasions (thinking it was just me), but each time I played it - the game went completely flat after a couple of hours.
  7. ZaKiR
    Feb 28, 2015
    2
    Fun at first for maybe a few minutes but everything about this game is repetitive. The sound and graphics are the only positive for me and even those aspects don't break any new ground.
    Graphics: 1 Story: 0 Sound: 1 Performance: 0 Gameplay: 1
  8. galaxysummer
    Mar 1, 2015
    0
    The control scheme and gameplay is so clunky and dated that the game is barely playable. It's certainly not enjoyable. Aaru's Awakening is a waste of time and money for anyone other than an old school 90's SEGA Mega fanboy.
  9. Bumblebugbee
    May 12, 2016
    7
    I am a sucker for stylized, artistic, games. Its no surprise then that Aaru's Awakening caught my attention. The cel-shaded environments combined with the beautifully painted backgrounds make this a truly gorgeous game. However, it takes more then really good art to make a really good game. Thats not to say this is a bad game but it certainly carries with it some baggage that weighsI am a sucker for stylized, artistic, games. Its no surprise then that Aaru's Awakening caught my attention. The cel-shaded environments combined with the beautifully painted backgrounds make this a truly gorgeous game. However, it takes more then really good art to make a really good game. Thats not to say this is a bad game but it certainly carries with it some baggage that weighs down the overall experience. This test of reflexes and patience may not be for everyone.

    The story of Aaru's Awaking is a tale of four gods. The gods decided long ago to split the day into four equal parts Dawn, Day, Dust, and Night. You play as Aaru. A buff looking creature that lies to serve Dawn. You're warned by you're master of an evil presence invading Night and must traveling through all four kingdoms to face this threat. As Aaru travels through the realms the other gods sow seeds of doubt into his mind and he begins to question if he is on the right path. This makes for a pretty interesting story which is narrated though story book cut-scenes between each realm.

    After seeing someone play it on Youtube, Aaru's Awaking quickly caught my attention. I proceeded to download a demo and was instantly impressed. Not only was the game fun to look at but the mechanics were very clever. Aaru was fairly maneuverable but the key mechanic of the game is teleportation. This is accomplished by pressing the left mouse button to project out a ball of light then press the right mouse button to appear at the balls current location. This makes for some unique platforming especially when combined with Aaru's dash ability.

    For a simple concept the developers certainly push it to its absolute limits. The later levels become extremely technical requiring immense speed and precision. Although the first couple stages help get the player into a rhythm it still seems like the difficulty ramps up a bit too quickly. I don't mind a challenge but I definitely didn't realize what I was getting into. Towards the end of the Night chapter, especially the boss stage, it became so hard I just wanted to pull my hair out. This was the point where I stopped having fun and I decided to stop playing soon after. (About 80% through the game)

    I'm glad I tried this game. It had a really unique mechanic at its core and some pretty clever level design. My favorite part is still the wonderful art and original soundtrack. That being said, I was so focused on trying to stay alive I didn't get to enjoy the music that much. (Not to mention in the end I got so sick of hearing Aaru die I took off my headset.) Whether or not you'll like this game really comes to down to how much you like a challenge. I don't quiet have the reflexes to really enjoy this game to the end but I'm sure there are gamers out there who do.    … Expand
  10. egillorn
    Feb 25, 2015
    9
    graphically a masterpiece! one of the most beautiful game I´ve seen. gameplay also well above average. very well reccommended to all those who like these sort of games.
  11. Noi
    Feb 25, 2015
    9
    A really interesting game, very visually pleasing with a narrated story-line.
    It sticks to the old-school way of making things difficult, don't expect a lean back easy experience. Some of the puzzles will require all of your focus, that are very satisfying to finish. A fun part of the game is to take on the time challenges for the levels since there's an easily accessible leaderboard for    A really interesting game, very visually pleasing with a narrated story-line.
    It sticks to the old-school way of making things difficult, don't expect a lean back easy experience. Some of the puzzles will require all of your focus, that are very satisfying to finish. A fun part of the game is to take on the time challenges for the levels since there's an easily accessible leaderboard for each level.

    Overall a great experience.    … Expand
  12. critical_games
    Mar 4, 2015
    10
    Don't quite get the harsh reviews the game is seemingly getting.
    First of all, if you are not an indie gamelover, you should not be buying this game(Unless it really attracts you).
    The handling of the game is similar to what we were used too in the "Good old days". For the graphics part, I find the game to be extremely beautiful! The graphics aren't too high standard nor are they by any    Don't quite get the harsh reviews the game is seemingly getting.
    First of all, if you are not an indie gamelover, you should not be buying this game(Unless it really attracts you).
    The handling of the game is similar to what we were used too in the "Good old days".
    For the graphics part, I find the game to be extremely beautiful! The graphics aren't too high standard nor are they by any means low.
    When it comes to the actual playing of the game, I quite enjoy it. BUT it's often a really HARD game!..
    Which I LOVE, so many games these days are just plain EASY!
    This game gives you a real challenge, if you think you will not be able to handle a difficult game that might test your nerves, don't buy it.
    I haven't yet had any issues with bugs/crashes, so I will not comment on that part.

    All in all, it's a GREAT game but only for the RIGHT people.
    Compare it to the category it's in, which is Indie Gaming!
    Almost forgot to mention that visually this is an masterpiece.    … Expand
  13. SeventhChimera
    Jun 6, 2017
    10
    Hello, SeventhChimera here. I'm number one on the leaderboards for a level in the PS4 version of this game. I challenge you whiners to beat my score on the 'Champions are made' level. You say the controls are clunky, but it's probably your reflexes or lack of understanding with trajectory.

    Graphics: Comparable to Rayman Legends, Earthworm Jim, and Dust: An Elysian Tail. Have you ever    Hello, SeventhChimera here. I'm number one on the leaderboards for a level in the PS4 version of this game. I challenge you whiners to beat my score on the 'Champions are made' level. You say the controls are clunky, but it's probably your reflexes or lack of understanding with trajectory.

    Graphics:

    Comparable to Rayman Legends, Earthworm Jim, and Dust: An Elysian Tail. Have you ever played Chuck Rock on the SNES? The slime stuff and a few of the enemies remind me of that game too. This is a game that many 80's and 90's gamers will enjoy. If you grew up with Sega and SNES then you'll feel at home with this game too. The price was a bit steep before it became free this month on PS4 so get it while you can.

    Sound and BGM:

    Day, Dusk, Night, Dawn, and the end game. Five BGM tracks, and very good sound design. I have to admit that you don't get much bgm for $15, but what is there is very well done.

    Level Design, Mechanics, and Replay Value:

    28 levels as far as I can tell. I'm very close to the end though, so the game is rather short. There is a leaderboard system in place, and until the PS4 is hackable, the scores posted will remain legit. Since I don't play the PC version, so I can't claim that the controls are well done for PC, HOWEVER... they are very fluid on PS4. I have no clue what you guys are complaining about. If you want another game that lets you map your controls then this isn't one of them.

    You dash with L1 and Teleport with R1 and R2. That's three buttons, the x button mafia probably hates this, but guess what? How many simple x-button masher games do you people need before you have had enough? That being said, the bumper controls are what make this game unique, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

    Difficulty:

    Here is the reason people are low balling the game. This game plays out like Super Meat Boy when you're approaching the end. There is a single level that I had some trouble with, 'Hopeless' because you have to use everything that you've learned through the past three boards, very rapidly AND you have to let yourself fall, then teleport, then dash. So it uses gravity, teleport, and tests your ability to split-second dash your way through breakable walls all while avoiding spikes and thorns.

    One hit completely decimates you in this game, making you start back at the last checkpoint, (some of which are unfairly placed.), and so I think a lot of you guys are just butthurt that you can't even beat some of these levels and get easy achievements. The shoulder buttons are flat this time around (On the PS4), so if you're playing on the PS3, yeah, you have every reason to gripe about the controller, because the PS3 controller's shoulder buttons suck.

    All in all, I can't recommend it on PC or PS3, because I could see how complicated the controls would be on those two platforms. I do, however, recommend it on PS4 because of the redesigned ergonomic controller. My only gripe about this game is the difficulty.

    Aaru's Awakening has a steep learning curve for those of us that are not naturally good at trajectory or banking shots off of corners. This is a game for you if you are one of those pool shark kinda people, you'll absolutely love the mechanics. There is a lot of thought needed to get around some of the challenging obstacles that the levels throw at you.

    Fifteen words summary:

    Aaru's Awakening is great fun for pool sharks and people that enjoyed Contra or Worms.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 18
  3. Negative: 6 out of 18
  1. Brash Games
    Aug 30, 2015
    50
    Aaru’s awakening is a gorgeous game with a great story. Due to the sheer difficulty of the game, replayability is very low. Once I got through each level, especially the boss level, I did not want to go back and play it again. As a matter fact it makes you lose interest in the game period.
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  2. TheSixthAxis
    Mar 18, 2015
    40
    I loved the art style of Aaru’s Awakening, I loved the story premise it had, and I loved teleporting. I did not love the rest of the gameplay decisions along the way.
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  3. Ragequit.gr
    Mar 9, 2015
    75
    Aaru's Awakening is a fiendishly hard game that harkens back to an era where side scrolling games were made for patient and persistent gamers. Fans of the genre will appreciate the nostalgia trip but it's possible that some of them will be put off from its high difficulty and unforgiving gameplay. If you think you' re up to the challenge, then you should check it out, especially at a discount.
    Read full review
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