Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 29
  2. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. Apr 28, 2026
    45
    Despite being so seemingly narrative focused, Aphelion really feels like it boils down to "nothing happens, the end".The cast gives some great performances and the score is great to listen to, but even they can't save the dull, meticulous gameplay from feeling any less tedious.
  2. Apr 28, 2026
    40
    Coming from Don't Nod, it's a shame that both Aphelion's storytelling and climbing mechanics feels so lackluster, with Uncharted-like sci-fi action failing to make much of an impact at all. Some gorgeous alien vistas and a decent premise fail to interest for long when simply controlling characters feels clunky and uninteresting.
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  1. Apr 28, 2026
    Aphelion is Don’t Nod doing what it does best. Ariane and Thomas’s journeys across Persephone are both high stakes and highly personal. Because, in some ways, every relationship is a world unto itself, and those worlds and the hope they contain are worth venturing through Hell for.
  2. Apr 28, 2026
    Perhaps the game Aphelion reminds me most of is The Invincible. Both are essentially the video game equivalent of a short sci-fi story, something tightly paced and incredibly focused. Aphelion uses the visuals and gameplay of blockbuster action games to tell a more intimate story, and that’s what makes it stand out during this very busy moment for the genre.