Sundered

Sundered proves that procedural generation and smart, hand-crafted level design are far from mutually exclusive. The combination of the two, and the way the play off each others’ strengths makes this one of the most engrossing Metroidvanias I’ve played in a while. The random approach to regular combat leaves something to be desired, but epic boss fights more than make up for it. If you have even the slightest interest in Metroidvanias, this is a game you need to play.

You'll have to fight the frustration that naturally comes with learning curves as steep as Sundered's, but if you manage to stick with the game, you'll find a lot to love here.

Sundered fuses a lot of ideas from different games and genres, and the result is a very unique experience, especially within the metroidvania genre. Not all these ideas work as well and some of them can be very polarizing, but if the game "clicks", it's one hell of a journey to the heart of darkness.

Sundered is a grandly accomplished Metroidvania effort that is complimented by some of the most beautiful 2D visuals to date.

A gorgeous game that requires a lot of patience and commitment, Sundered will challenge you early and often. Even with that in mind, Thunder Lotus Games has crafted another special game. The design is just wonderful, and the combat and platforming are easy enough to grasp that you don't need to be an expert action-platformer player to get the most from the experience. Yes, you will die, and it can be frustrating at times, but for every moment of brow-furrowing angst, Sundered presents an equal number of awe-inspiring segments to keep you coming back for more.

It’s not a question of if the player will die in Sundered. They will lose the struggle against the Eldritch horrors that call its world home, and it ultimately comes down to the core theme of resist or embrace. Will the player embrace the challenge, or resist it by giving up? That’ll ultimately come down to how much perseverance a person has, but those that do see the adventure out will be rewarded with more glimpses into a gorgeous world and some incredibly tense combat exchanges.

Sundered's immense sense of style carries it over any bumps in the road, and the result is one of the best Metroidvania games released in years.

With its smooth combat, rewarding exploration, and pulse-pounding battles, Sundered is worth a look from fans of Metroid and Castlevania. Though technical issues muddled my enjoyment and the punishing difficulty can lead to fits of frustration, Sundered brings an exciting and noteworthy experience to a crowded genre.

Sundered takes the 2D Metroidvania platforming formula augments it with some successful ideas that all but reward you for dying. Its procedurally generated levels are hit and miss, as the dynamic parts come off as bland in comparison to Sundered's impressive hand-drawn areas and epic boss fights. In addition, its randomly appearing enemy hordes sometimes lead it to devolve into mere button mashing and random deaths, but the knowledge that I’ll come back a little stronger each time makes it hurt less.

Visually and gameplay-wise, Sundered is incredible, even though its structure and its map the design are a little bit flawed. Still, a great choice if we like the genre and we've already play the classics.

Sundered is an amazing looking game that is not too convincing when it comes to gameplay. The combat lacks depth and there are only a few boss fights that are truly entertaining.

One thing is guaranteed in Sundered, You will die lots and lots and lots of times! But each time you will come back stronger than before. Sundered is a Fast-Paced Metroidvania 2D Action Adventure that throws you in a hell and challenge you to survive and if you are a hardcore action platformer player, you’ll definitely enjoy it even though it suffers from some serious technical issues.

Sundered is a sight to behold, and has a unique world that I loved exploring. However, the controller-smashing cheapness of the combat, and iffy technical performance make it tough to recommend for those unwilling to embrace the grind and conquer the challenge.

Sundered is a beautiful-looking Metroidvania with interesting mechanics, let down slightly by performance issues and a difficulty curve that is simply too steep during its opening hours.

A missed opportunity for an artistically-inspired metroidvania game in desperate need for a corrective patch.

An opportunity squandered. [Sept 2017, p.85]

All in all, I feel like Sundered had a great idea in place, but due to the procedurally generated rooms mixed with the nonstop enemy encounters, I felt like I wasn’t able to progress enough in a span of time to make me want to keep going. The game wants me to die and because of that, it felt like it didn’t matter if I was skillful enough to make it through, they wanted me to bang my head against a wall for about 30 minutes so I would gain enough shards to level up a few things then take it on using their progression system rather than my skills as a player. It ends up being a frustrating endeavor after a while. Now, that’s not to say there isn’t some enjoyable things to be had here, but I would be weary on spending the full price tag for now. After a little price drop or a sweet digital sale, give it a shot then.

Another promising game is ruined by the lure of procedural-generation, which is a particular shame given Sundered’s gorgeous animation and interesting gameplay ideas.

Sundered is a Metroidvania that's left us with mixed feelings. The gorgeous environments and enemy design help to make the title a visual treat. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t really offer enough downtime to actually enjoy that element. It instead serves up near-constant enemy encounters and frustrating hordes of enemies that end up irritating rather than exhilarating. While the game controls very well, and the upgrade tree is incredibly impressive, its light procedural elements still end up being the most unique feature.

Sundered is undeniably beautiful to look at, but loses its visual charm in repetitive and boring areas, and while the combat system is fun, the fighting always bogs down into chaotic melee situations when hordes of enemies jump you out of nowhere. It's sad that the game itself is so frustrating when its bosses and overall visual style are so well made.