- Publisher: DONTNOD Entertainment
- Release Date: Apr 28, 2026
- Also On: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
- Summary:
- Developer: DONTNOD Entertainment
- Genre(s): Action Adventure, General
- # of players: No Online Multiplayer
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 16
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Mixed: 11 out of 16
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Negative: 1 out of 16
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Apr 28, 2026Aphelion does well in both providing a good story with emotional pull, while also providing an experience that differs from the studio's previous works. The investigative portions may feel light, but they also provide a nice break from the stealth and climbing sections. The investigation, stealth, and climbing make the game feel more involved than what some may expect for a genre that can border on being walking simulators or Western versions of the visual novel. The presentation is great, and the runtime feels just right, making Aphelion an experience that's well worth checking out.
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Apr 28, 2026Aphelion is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi adventure of loss, desperation, survival, and importantly, hope. Despite a few very late-game wobbles, this is one mission for humanity you should undertake.
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Apr 28, 2026It’s a game I’d recommend with caveats: Adjust the settings, be patient, and expect to die more than you think you should. If you can meet it halfway, there’s something worthwhile here.
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Apr 28, 2026Aphelion is the most classic of DON'T NOD's games. On paper, but also in practice, it lacks everything to be a good title, but at the same time it lacks the magic, the originality, the quality necessary to shine. While Remember Me and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden undoubtedly represent two of the French studio's finest achievements, not to mention the usual Life is Strange, this sci-fi adventure falls behind those titles. While there are no major flaws, and while the game strives to offer sci-fi fans an experience comparable to Interstellar, Solaris, or Deliver Us Mars, for a game primarily focused on story, it lacks a twist, a completely convincing and engaging level of writing, and the digital direction and top-notch sound are all missing. The gameplay is just okay, completely lacking in depth and even repetitive over long periods, especially in the sections where you play as Ariane. With Pragmata and Saros vying for the attention of sci-fi fans, Aphelion risks coming away with more broken bones than it deserves. It's not a bad game, but it certainly chose the worst time of year to try to win over genre fans with its slim, yet undeniable, qualities.
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Apr 28, 2026Aphelion offers a compelling sci-fi premise and an immersive soundtrack, but stumbles in its execution. What should be an emotional and epic journey ends up getting lost in a rushed pace and repetitive gameplay, which turns exploration into a tedious climbing (or mountaineering) simulator.
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Apr 28, 2026Aphelion is hugely ambitious, but saddled with an unengaging narrative and dated mechanics that result in a rare misstep for Don't Nod.
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Apr 28, 2026Narratively dry, mechanically unrefined, and entirely devoid of surprises—Aphelion fails to live up to the high standards set by previous Don’t Nod hits.