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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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

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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.
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