Astalon: Tears of the Earth

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 4 out of 18

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  1. kasparius
    Aug 23, 2021
    10
    Many Metroidvanias falter in one of its most essential aspects, the ability upgrades. There are fewer feelings as incredible as unlocking an ability you've been hoping for since the beginning of a game, like finally getting a dash or a double jump, but an even greater feeling is getting unexpected ones that make you jubilant because of how they transform the way you have approached theMany Metroidvanias falter in one of its most essential aspects, the ability upgrades. There are fewer feelings as incredible as unlocking an ability you've been hoping for since the beginning of a game, like finally getting a dash or a double jump, but an even greater feeling is getting unexpected ones that make you jubilant because of how they transform the way you have approached the game thus far. I can count the games that achieve this on one hand. Not only does Astalon have such abilities in store, it hands them out at a masterfully careful pace, and I still found myself surprised and delighted by ones I found when most of the map had already been uncovered.

    There are many wonderful aspects that I could describe in detail here, but I don't want to take away from the experience of playing it blind, and I strongly recommend not looking up anything and just losing yourself in the game, it will reward this approach strongly.

    I hope I haven't given the impression that this is a game strictly for retro enthusiasts with a fondness for the NES. While Astalon: Tears of the Earth is in one hand a love letter to that era, it is also very much a modern game in its approach to game design and you most certainly do not need nostalgia or video game history knowledge to appreciate what it has to offer.

    This is a superb Metroidvania with few equals and I strongly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.    … Expand
  2. TheHambro
    Jun 12, 2021
    9
    Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a fantastic Metroidvania that takes notes from Mega Man, La Mulana, Bloodstained, Shovel Knight, and other retro-inspired platformers. It’s got bangin’ music, tight platforming, a good variety of character abilities, and a healthy amount of exploring and secrets to uncover. My small complaints are that it’s a bit buggy, and some of the playable charactersAstalon: Tears of the Earth is a fantastic Metroidvania that takes notes from Mega Man, La Mulana, Bloodstained, Shovel Knight, and other retro-inspired platformers. It’s got bangin’ music, tight platforming, a good variety of character abilities, and a healthy amount of exploring and secrets to uncover. My small complaints are that it’s a bit buggy, and some of the playable characters are more powerful than the others; otherwise, it’s a solid game. If you’re a fan of the genre, and have remotely some interest in checking this out, just pick it up and enjoy.… Expand
  3. somedude14
    Jun 21, 2021
    8
    The two big things I didn't like is you can't change characters on the fly for the first half of the game, which really adds to the backtracking and these games are already backtracking heavy. And that some rooms it feels like you have no choice but to take a hit to get through it, there's this one area in particular that during my backtracking in Ruins of Ash (you will probably die a lotThe two big things I didn't like is you can't change characters on the fly for the first half of the game, which really adds to the backtracking and these games are already backtracking heavy. And that some rooms it feels like you have no choice but to take a hit to get through it, there's this one area in particular that during my backtracking in Ruins of Ash (you will probably die a lot here, there is a long stretch without an elevator) I was always getting hit by a demon's fireball no matter what I did. But I'm sure someone will come along to do a no-hit run and prove me wrong. Not as hard as Castle in the Darkness, spikes don't kill you in one hit (they do a decent amount of damage though) and the platforming isn't hard.

    You're still going to die frequently, but again some of those will feel like the game making you take hits sometime, those adding up on really good runs (where you dodge most attacks) and that getting you killed. But you're always opening shortcuts each attempt (at least I was always making *some* progress), and this makes it easier to get back to where you left off. There's also an upgrade you can buy that gives you more HP when you break an orb that's placed in the room you last died in, so that gives you a boost. Right now the game doesn't have descriptions on items until you buy them, but there's a community guide for that now... I also had a bug three or four times where I would land on a moving platform, go invisible, then fall through the moving platform, usually into an enemy or pit of spikes, giving me some damage. Frustrating but didn't happen often enough to make me want to stop playing, and most of the platforming in this game is pretty easy. I also had another bug where I couldn't change characters with the bell or at the camp - this was before I got Zeek - but a game reboot fixed it and it never happened again.

    The soundtrack is pretty good, and it's worth checking out the Super Arrange version. Threads of Fate is my favorite track.

    Tips for new players: Get Orb Seeker right away, and pick a character you will play the most to focus on for upgrades. My favorite was the wizard.

    EDIT: They've made some adjustments to Ruins of Ash since this review, it may not be as rough anymore.    … Expand
  4. dstammel
    Sep 2, 2021
    9
    I absolutely adore this game. If you like Castlevania Symphony of the Night, this game is for you.
    Combat is very tight and remind me of Megaman. The game feels difficult at first, but every time you die you get to purchase upgrades with the currency you earned by killing enemies.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. GameGrin
    Jul 29, 2021
    70
    Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a great looking rogue-like Metroidvania game with a good story. It is incredibly challenging and can get very frustrating with the amount of backtracking, collision detection issues and lack of direction of what you need to do to progress.
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  2. COGconnected
    Jun 11, 2021
    88
    Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a great reminder of what small developers can achieve with simple graphics and simpler controls. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who craves some old-fashioned platforming action and isn’t afraid to die a lot. Just remember to turn off the flashing lights and screen shake if you’re sensitive to that.
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  3. Noisy Pixel
    Jun 3, 2021
    90
    Astalon: Tears of the Earth is an unexpected masterpiece of retro designs blended so delicately with modern roguelite elements. Death doesn’t punish the player as much as it sets them up with improved ways to approach situations. There’s a sense of discovery in every area, but this does limit direction causing some confusion when trying to figure out where to go. Further, bosses can be underwhelming compared to normal enemies, which creates an awkward balance of challenge. Regardless, this is the must-play game of the summer.
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