Alwa's Awakening

 PC
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. The Overpowered Noobs
    Feb 15, 2017
    90
    So that’s the importance of a retro game, and Alwa’s Awakening demonstrates it beautifully. With a few tweaks to make it a little more palatable to the modern gamer, Alwa’s Awakening captures the joy that can come from conquering a difficult experience. It doesn’t do anything new, but in bringing back the old, it shows how fun finding your own way can be.
  2. COGconnected
    Jan 31, 2017
    89
    It finds an excellent balance between being relaxing yet challenging and is sure to be a necessity for fans of classic gaming. Alwa’s Awakening is classic gaming for the modern gamer and an incredibly enjoyable experience.
  3. SpazioGames
    Feb 4, 2017
    85
    Alwa's Awakening is a true, but beautiful, trip in the past. Everything is close to the old masterpieces of videogames, with only a few buttons that were able to do all the things a gamer needed.
  5. Meristation
    Feb 9, 2017
    80
    Elden Pixels' first game is a charming NES-like metroidvania with some good puzzles and platforming. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and may take a while to warm up, but eventually grows to become a really great (and tough!) 2D adventure.
  6. Vandal
    Feb 8, 2017
    75
    This adventure is a great choice if you enjoyed old-school games from the late 80s or early 90s. A game that feels like it's taken from another time, well-designed and really fun.
  7. CGMagazine
    Aug 1, 2017
    70
    Alwa's Awakening takes its players to pretty pixelated places filled with NES challenge, but mars the whole experience with a clumsy magic system that makes the game's difficult platforming segments needlessly frustrating.
  8. Games Master UK
    Apr 2, 2017
    70
    If you fancy a challenge and the price suits, you won't regret your purchase. Just don't expect your mind to be blown. [March 2017, p.83]
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  9. God is a Geek
    Feb 15, 2017
    70
    It's definitely worth a shot if you’re hankering for a bit of old school platforming action.
  10. Twinfinite
    Feb 2, 2017
    70
    It will get repetitive; it is formulaic; and you’ll likely have to fumble with maps and keys. These are to be expected, if not enjoyable. But you’ll run into a newer, far more potent problem: it isn’t doing anything new.
  11. DarkStation
    Mar 16, 2017
    60
    While Alwa’s Awakening nails the graphical look and chiptune sound of 80s platformers, it’s too anchored in the past for its own good. Some would say the platforming is too easy compared to those games, but it makes up for those easy spots with frustrating save rooms and making the player replay through the same few screens to get to the next point. Backtracking comes with the territory and while it’s expected in games like this, that doesn’t make it any less tedious. Overall, Alwa’s Awakening sticks to its inspirations for better or for worse, leading to a game that feels like an homage to the 8-bit era without bringing anything new to the table.
  12. GameOver.gr
    Feb 15, 2017
    60
    Alwa’s Awakening may have some shortcomings, mainly the low enemy variety and relentless backtracking, but it is nevertheless a game with challenging and clever platforming that is an easy choice for anyone who is fond of platformers from the 8-bit era.
  13. The Digital Fix
    Feb 9, 2017
    50
    Disappointing design choices makes Alwa’s Awakening difficult to recommend.
  14. Hardcore Gamer
    Feb 1, 2017
    50
    Ultimately, Alwa’s Awakening feels like the foundation to what might have been a rather more substantial revisit of the glorious 8-bit like so many before it. Though its varied locales and array of gems to find do at least give plenty of food for thought on how to achieve what may feel like a frustratingly impossible task, a lot of the finished product that comprises Alwa’s Awakening comes across as either undercooked or much too rose-tinted and reliant on nostalgia for the pure sake of it.
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Feb 8, 2017
    A really splendid example of the form, with enough original ideas of its own within the standard to make it interesting. It’s a good, solid game, that’s occasionally extremely tough, but always fair. The pixel art is lovely, and although the backgrounds are a little bland, animations go a good way to make up for that. Lovers of chiptunes will delight in its soundtrack, authentic to the 8-bit era, and well composed. It’s the sort of game that deserves to stand out, not get lost in the mix.

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 3 out of 14
  1. ArataLatam
    Mar 25, 2022
    9
    Alwa’s Awakening es un juego completamente atemporal, que pudo haber salido en la época de la NES y funcionaría igual de bien. Un título queAlwa’s Awakening es un juego completamente atemporal, que pudo haber salido en la época de la NES y funcionaría igual de bien. Un título que otorga, a grandes rasgos, un desafío interesante a la par de, valga la redundancia, desafiante a su modo.

    Te lo recomendamos sí: Extrañas los juegos de antaño. Pero, dejando de lado eso, vale completamente la pena. No te lo recomiendo sí: Ya te dije que vale la pena, de verdad… a menos que no te gusten los juegos retro o Metroidvania.

    Review:
    https://arata.lat/arata-review-alwas-awakening-pc-steam/    … Full Review »
  2. Letiste-Gaming
    Feb 14, 2017
    8
    Su peculiar mezcla de estilos (Zelda II, Solstice y Metroid) lo hace destacar con un sabor propio que nos obliga a experimentar con nuestrasSu peculiar mezcla de estilos (Zelda II, Solstice y Metroid) lo hace destacar con un sabor propio que nos obliga a experimentar con nuestras habilidades como hubiéramos hecho antaño, con unos excelentes jefes finales y un desarrollo de la aventura que no nos dará la mano en ningún momento.

    Si, es un título difícil y moriréis un montón de veces. Pero ahí esta la gracia y la magia del título, en devolvernos atrás en el tiempo cuando los juegos no eran pasilleros y no había un tutorial de una o dos horas que nos explicara como iba todo el asunto. Y consigue todo esto sin recurrir a trucos baratos como dificultad artificial o posiciones de enemigos tramposas.

    Sin ser pefecto, sigue siendo una joyita con tanto alma y dedicación en cada uno de sus sprites que difícilmente creo que os decepcione, y seguramente para el próximo trabajo del estudio y siguiendo el buen hacer de este título, nos encontremos con algo de la liga de Shovel Knight, Megaman 9 o Maldita Castilla EX.    … Full Review »
  3. Babutto
    Jun 17, 2023
    5
    Pros.:
    - Metroidvania.
    - Some nice mechanics like bubble and block. - Secrets. Cons.: - Dumb story. - Dumb mechanics of dying touching    Pros.:
    - Metroidvania.
    - Some nice mechanics like bubble and block.
    - Secrets.

    Cons.:
    - Dumb story.
    - Dumb mechanics of dying touching the spikes. It should be either a hit or a variety of damage. Because some parts of the locations make the game absolutely unplayable. And very few players would grind these levels until the end.
    - Poor health-weapon balance - too few.
    - 3 HP without upgrades - it's a joke.    … Full Review »
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