Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Underneath the solid gameplay lies an interesting story and premise, with neither trying to steal the spotlight from the action and exploration. A not-imposing set of achievements and unlockables, in addition to map and items found percentages push the longevity score even higher, and ultimately I just had an incredibly tough time putting this one down. Anyone who loved whipping through games like Bloodstained, Axiom Verge, and similar indies should do themselves a favor and delve into the amazing adventure that is Astalon.

Astalon's quality is undeniable. Its character animation, puzzles and power-up progression are all top- notch, and the copious extras (like a mode where you play as one of the campaign's reoccurring bosses), all show that this was a labor of love. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 18]

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a Metroidvania that while simple-looking, brings a surprising amount of variety as far level and enemy design are concerned. With three protagonists on the player's side, we'll have to choose who to bring with us when crossing a tower based on the obstacles of each section. Overall this is an experience that gives us quite a few hours of fun and challenge.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth may be yet another in a long line of retro 2D action/platformers available for the Nintendo Switch, but it deserves to be moved towards the front of that line. Fans of the genre will find plenty to like here, so long as they’re willing to accept backtracking as a core gameplay element.

It’s a relatively lengthy game for its genre and the back half will test your patience at times, but as a whole Astalon is a terrific game that may surprise you in some interesting ways. Some issues with backtracking keep it from being a total slamdunk, but if you’re feeling nostalgic for that old style of exploratory action game that can be a little opaque in a good way, you’re likely going to have a very good time with Astalon: Tears of the Earth.

With a great variety of environments, simple gameplay, and a strong line-up of enemies, Astalon: Tears of the Earth turns out to be one of the more successful action platformers we’ve seen in recent months. It will likely only last a handful of hours, but there’s a lot here to love, and it's a relative no-brainer if you’re a fan of high fantasy Metroidvanias.

A blistering, brutal battle from start to finish, Astalon: Tears of the Earth is not for the fainthearted. It rewards talent and curiosity as frequently as it punishes inability and complacency. It will test your patience, abilities, and resolve, but the journey through the Tower of Serpents is so worth it.

This is a good metroidvania. There are better games out there, but it gets everything right, and fans of the genre will enjoy this 8-bit-inspired adventure.