Environmental Station Alpha

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23

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  1. Germashko
    Feb 11, 2017
    9
    Amazing, hard (in a good way) metroid game with post-game secrets that rival La-mulana in the level of convoludedness.
    It's a great game just as metroid-clone with good level-design and boss-design, but post-game mind-bending secrets elevates it to another level. I have infinite respect every game that put so much work in stuff that most people wouldn't even find.
  2. CharlyPlayman
    Feb 3, 2017
    7
    A good metroidvania game but too difficult to my taste from the Overgrowth Boss, in fact, i found the game too difficult to enjoy.

    PROS: Fun to play + Interesting gadgets + Clear map + Very good and varied music

    CONS: Too difficult from the middle of the game + Sometimes you don't know where to go
  3. Spazer
    Mar 28, 2016
    10
    This game is the perfect Metroidvania, a pure jewell of gameplay. My crush for 2015 (and one of my favorite game ever).

    It has an amazing ambience with awesome music !

    The creator has brilliantly understood what we were waiting for this genre. I don't see any drawback, this is a must have !

    And I just can't wait for a sequel.
  4. stop9091
    Jan 22, 2017
    4
    This game is really an punch in the eye. While I enjoy pixelated graphics, for example Modora or Axio Verge, this is an entirely different level, we're talking about VIC-20 resolution here.

    It's a shame because the mechanics, although derivative, are actually enjoyable good.
  5. skohl
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    This game went under everyone's radar, probably because it has NES-style pixel graphics. Or maybe the low price convinced players it doesn't have a lot of content. Don't let the simplicity fool you, this is the best designed Metroid-like game of the 2010s. Well I guess Hollow Knight does some things better, but it doesn't have the aforementioned NES graphics which make a huge difference inThis game went under everyone's radar, probably because it has NES-style pixel graphics. Or maybe the low price convinced players it doesn't have a lot of content. Don't let the simplicity fool you, this is the best designed Metroid-like game of the 2010s. Well I guess Hollow Knight does some things better, but it doesn't have the aforementioned NES graphics which make a huge difference in gameplay, in terms of navigation and finding secrets.

    Just be warned the game is pretty hard. It was designed with experienced Metroid players in mind. The bosses will frustrate you, some room traversal challenges are brutal, and you are expected to find false walls to progress. (However on that latter point, you don't have to randomly shoot every block looking for secrets. There are visual/environmental cues.) But this genre is notorious for having awfully designed bosses (look at Axiom Verge, or Iconoclasts for examples), so ESA is still much better in that regard.

    The music is great too, directly inspired by Metroid. So if you like this genre, and you haven't played ESA, try this one. It's exemplary.    … Expand
  6. HSuke
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    This is a difficult recommendation. It's a great Metroidvania, but it's not for everyone. It's very difficult both in platforming and combat. In addition, the later puzzles require community knowledge to solve its puzzles. It'll be quite difficult complete this game on your own because of some of the more obtuse puzzles.

    This game is hard for a Metroidvania. Unlike Dark Souls, there's    This is a difficult recommendation. It's a great Metroidvania, but it's not for everyone. It's very difficult both in platforming and combat. In addition, the later puzzles require community knowledge to solve its puzzles. It'll be quite difficult complete this game on your own because of some of the more obtuse puzzles.

    This game is hard for a Metroidvania. Unlike Dark Souls, there's no consistency behind many of its features. The hookshot is frustratingly hard to use (but it can also be fun after lots of practice). A lot of movement with it require pixel-perfect shots. There are so many places you can spend 10 minutes trying to make a single jump praying that RNG lands in your favor.

    The worst part of the game are the blocks and walls. It's visually impossible to tell which blocks can be broken. A block with one specific design might be breakable in one room but invulnerable in another. I spent half of the game shooting every single block guessing which ones could be broken. Most games don't randomly hide required sections of the map behind non-obvious hidden walls. Some blocks can also magically disappear when you step on them. Once again, there are no hints as to which blocks. It's a horribly dumb design for the Metroidvania genre, which generally has strong consistency.

    There is one aspect I really like about the game, and that's the challenging boss fights. The boss fights are quite fair and consistent. It'll take many tries to beat each one, but it'll feel like such an accomplishment when you do.    … Expand
  7. fluggy2003g
    Jan 18, 2023
    5
    Metroidvania is my fave genre so thought id give this a try. Starts off kinda middle of the road. Gets a bit better then you get lost and spend hours searching where to go next or how to get to a highlighted (doesnt make it any easier) place on the map. I dont mind backtracking but this is dead end after dead end after dead end. You can literally spend hours wandering around and getMetroidvania is my fave genre so thought id give this a try. Starts off kinda middle of the road. Gets a bit better then you get lost and spend hours searching where to go next or how to get to a highlighted (doesnt make it any easier) place on the map. I dont mind backtracking but this is dead end after dead end after dead end. You can literally spend hours wandering around and get nowhere.. or worse, get stuck in an area you cant get out of. The graphics would be fine ... if only you could tell which pixels were backround and which were foreground. Its easy to think a line of background pixels is a platform and fall or walk into a wall you thought was in the background. Boss fights so far are all manageable but the "rewards" are scant. Ive just beaten a boss that gives me no power up and actually makes the game infinitely harder by turning on all the invincible robots and defense turrets in the whole map. . Im all for a challenge but for all the things this game gets right the devs forgot that the game should be fun too.… Expand
  8. C45513
    Jan 13, 2021
    9
    Incredible metroidvania with intriguing story, interesting power-ups and great map design.
  9. The_Nametag
    Feb 10, 2020
    8
    A low-res Metroidvania with some very clear Metroid influence in it, don't let this game fool you. It may look somewhat simplistic, but the game is deep with many layers to discover, secrets scattered everywhere. I do have some issue with it. It felt like it was dropping some inputs now and then (and I confirmed that when scrolling the map, it would just ignore some inputs there).A low-res Metroidvania with some very clear Metroid influence in it, don't let this game fool you. It may look somewhat simplistic, but the game is deep with many layers to discover, secrets scattered everywhere. I do have some issue with it. It felt like it was dropping some inputs now and then (and I confirmed that when scrolling the map, it would just ignore some inputs there). There's some issues with the risk/reward balance, such as diminishing returns on health tanks - no matter what order you pick them up in. Some of the end game items, however, are exceptionally powerful, but can be a real challenge to get. There's some multi-form bosses that are more tedious than challenging, because they can't be too difficult if you're expected to do so many phases on one life bar. And, despite the low-res graphics, the screens can be really busy where it's difficult to tell what's foreground, what's background, and what's an enemy. It may sound like I didn't like the game, but quite the opposite. The flaws are flaws, but the game as a whole is a fantastic experience that i highly recommend any metroidvania lover play. It's not a perfect game, but it's a worthy addition to any collection.… Expand
  10. DingerDonger
    Dec 23, 2020
    9
    To this day I am absolutely stunned that this game did not get much attention. I admittedly haven't finished it but I love it as far as I've gotten. If you enjoy hard Metroid inspired games this is a definite pick up. The attention to detail in the level construction and puzzles is magnificent. Fantastic artwork (if you're into pixel art), great soundtrack, and super fluid controls wrapTo this day I am absolutely stunned that this game did not get much attention. I admittedly haven't finished it but I love it as far as I've gotten. If you enjoy hard Metroid inspired games this is a definite pick up. The attention to detail in the level construction and puzzles is magnificent. Fantastic artwork (if you're into pixel art), great soundtrack, and super fluid controls wrap this package up nicely.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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  1. Destructoid
    Apr 28, 2015
    70
    Environmental Station Alpha didn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to Metroidvania games, but it certainly helped satisfy my appetite. The amount of secrets and post-game crypticness might be great for some, and it does extend the playtime quite a bit, but as a completionist I found it to be more legwork than I'd like. Call me crazy, but I don't like tons of cryptography in my games.
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