Info about Sands of Aura:

Official game description:
A ruinous cataclysm unleashed by a tormented god descended the world of Talamhel into perpetual night. The hourglass of time was shattered and its essence poured across the land, creating an endless sea of sand. The once-flourishing world of Talamhel became a putrid lesion of its former glory and those who called it home are now husks of corruption--violent, undying, unyielding soldiers of death.
But Talamhel is not lost--not yet. For generations, the righteous few have endured. You are one of those few.
On the eve of your induction into the Order of Remnant Knights, the last protectors of man, Talamhel is once-again wracked by calamity. The corruptive nature of the Night Plague has mutated, and the realm of man needs the Remnant Knights more than ever.
Track down the emergent evil and destroy it. Protect the realm of man.
From the helm of your nimble grainwake, carve across the perilous sandseas to confront the source of this newfound terror, but don’t expect a guiding light or a red X on a map. You’ll chart your own course forward--behold the open seas, and choose the heading you best see fit.
But familiarity is a far-flung concept aboard the grainwake--the shifting sands are always changing, revealing secrets, dangers, and paths unseen. Things are not as they seem…
*   Talamhel is an open world, free to explore and discover as you please.
*   Every island is a unique, colorful encounter of combat, lore, and plunder.
*   With tiered levels of difficulty, locations offer challenges that will reward those who overcome.
*   With a trusted (undead) companion rested in the crow’s nest, you’ll never sail the seas alone.
The corruption that plagues Talamhel has created a horde comprised of both man and other Talamhelic natives: The venerable Ferrum and the insectoid, hive-minded Hashara. Once warring nations have become an abominable army of undying malice.
From doomsday cultists to fallen kings, the foes that guard the answers you seek are determined to see your end. Prepare for an unrelenting, unforgiving combat experience not to be taken lightly. Swing true, dear knight, swing true.
With hundreds of weapon components to be reclaimed from the crumbled remains of civilization, there are thousands of unique weapons to be forged. Find the hilt that fits just right.
*   Cleave through the corruption with 7 distinct fighting styles.
*   Bolster yourself with dozens of armor sets, each with their own unique defenses.
*   Combine and modify your devastation with magical augments, creating a personalized build.
Starspire is the sanctuary that you call home, and its doors remain open to those you deem worthy of its hearth. Along your journey, you will encounter refugees in need of shelter and a Remnant Knight can see they find it in Starspire.
Each person deserving of Starspire will make their new home stronger and safer, but not all are deserving.
Working as an optional companion to core gameplay, Starspire offers an opportunity to test your Remnant traits of leadership and judgment. The choices you make regarding Starspire’s residents will alter your story and affect your fate, as well as the fate of others--but only if you choose to make those choices.
*   New Starspire residents unlock perks like gifts of exclusive equipment and unique services.
*   Discover the lives of others, their choices and actions, and decide their fate.
*   Engage with characters unlike any you’ve ever met, and rebuild a community.
*   Decisions not easily made: become familiar with the grey area between right and wrong.
The symphony of the sands are brought to life with an evocative, soul-stirring soundtrack composed and produced by the incredible Eduardo Lopez.
Sands of Aura will feature a fully symphonic soundtrack, with a wide selection of instrumentation--from the haunting strings of the antique Viola Da Gamba to the resonant thunders of a professional Bulgarian choir.
These are the unforgettable sounds of Talamhel. The score of a wounded world.

Release date: 27 Oct, 2023

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Soulslike Combat, Weapon Customization, Character Customization, Single-player Story, Character Progression, Management Simulation


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Exceptional Level Design (weight 0.68): The game features superb and unique level and dungeon designs, particularly improving in later areas. Reviewers highlight the handcrafted locations, intricate layouts, and density of secrets, making exploration a joy.
- Impressive Visuals & Art (weight 0.59): The game is consistently praised for its beautiful graphics, high-quality textures, and wonderful lighting effects. The art direction is described as superb, contributing to a gorgeously crafted and detailed world.
- Highly Praised Game (weight 0.28): Reviewers consistently describe the game as a "gem," "masterpiece," and "fantastic surprise," highlighting its overall quality, care in development, and addictive gameplay. This reflects a strong positive sentiment across many aspects.
- Deep Weapon Customization (weight 0.26): Players highly praise the extensive weapon customization system, including crafting, rune integration, and the unique forging system. This allows for diverse build possibilities and personalized playstyles, making character progression rewarding.
- Rewarding Exploration (weight 0.26): Exploration is consistently described as satisfying, enjoyable, and rewarding, with players finding upgrade materials and new armor off the beaten path. The world design avoids copy-pasting and repetitive quests, offering unique and varied biomes that enhance the sense of discovery.
- Fluid & Engaging Combat (weight 0.2): The combat system is consistently described as fluid, responsive, fast, and satisfying. It rewards strategic approaches over button mashing, providing an enjoyable and polished action RPG experience.
- Accessible Souls-like Experience (weight 0.2): The game is noted as a competent Souls-like, appealing to fans of the genre while being more accessible for newcomers. A key positive distinction is the absence of a stamina bar, which many reviewers found improved the combat flow.
- Rich Story & Lore (weight 0.17): Reviewers praise the game's superb and captivating narrative, noting its depth and weight. The world-building is described as fleshed out, with enjoyable atmosphere and rich, well-written history and lore.
- Engaging Characters & Content (weight 0.09): The game features interesting characters with distinct personalities, which adds depth to the story. Reviewers also note the large amount of content and high replayability, ensuring long-term engagement.
- Fair & Diverse Bosses (weight 0.09): Boss fights are generally considered fun, diverse, and challenging without feeling unfair. Many bosses are present, offering varied encounters that become manageable with proper player skill.
- Balanced Difficulty Curve (weight 0.09): The game's difficulty is praised as enjoyable and well-balanced, striking a "perfect middle ground" that is challenging but not frustrating. The challenge scales with the player's progression and skill.
- Well-Written Quests (weight 0.06): Quests are described as superb and wonderfully written, with good voice acting. Reviewers note that quests primarily guide players rather than providing traditional XP rewards, offering a different approach to progression.

Common complaints:
- Poor Map & World Design (weight 0.97): The map and world design are criticized for being poor, lacking essential features like a minimap or clear markers, making navigation difficult. The world itself feels large but empty, with underpopulated areas, invisible walls, and random death zones that discourage exploration.
- Difficulty & Balance Issues (weight 0.91): The game suffers from significant and inconsistent difficulty spikes, with many enemies and bosses being overtly tuned, often capable of one-shotting players. This poor balance, combined with unreadable attacks and repetitive enemy encounters, leads to a punishing and frustrating experience.
- Restrictive Camera Issues (weight 0.89): The camera system is a major point of frustration, characterized by weird angles, limited vertical movement, and a lack of player control. This often results in poor visibility, making navigation difficult and hindering combat effectiveness, especially in boss fights or elevated areas.
- Clunky Combat & Controls (weight 0.74): Players frequently reported that combat felt stiff, sluggish, and unresponsive, with noticeable input delays for actions like dodging or parrying. Additionally, hitboxes were often described as imprecise and inconsistent, contributing to a frustrating combat experience.
- Bugs & Instability (weight 0.71): Numerous bugs and technical instabilities plague the game, including characters getting stuck in terrain or textures, infinite loading screens, and corrupted save files. These issues severely disrupt gameplay and can prevent progress.
- Failed Souls-like Adaptation (weight 0.69): The game attempts to incorporate Souls-like mechanics but largely fails, resulting in a poor adaptation of the genre. The fusion of ARPG and Souls-like elements is seen as unsuccessful, not doing justice to either genre.
- Underwhelming Progression & Grinding (weight 0.67): The character progression and upgrade systems are underwhelming, with stats offering minimal improvements and insufficient upgrade materials. This forces players into excessive grinding for items that often feel worthless, making character advancement feel unrewarding.
- Unfinished & Unpolished Content (weight 0.67): The game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with many instances of incomplete content and a UI that feels unrefined. Reviewers noted a lack of significant updates post-release, suggesting development may have ceased prematurely.
- Vague Quest & Game Guidance (weight 0.65): Players often feel lost due to vague quest logs and a general lack of in-game guidance. The game provides insufficient hints, forcing players to rely on external resources or aimless exploration to figure out objectives.
- Unengaging Story & Dialogue (weight 0.65): The game's story is widely described as unengaging, disjointed, and difficult to follow, with an excessive amount of dull dialogue that many players skipped. The narrative fails to draw players in, diminishing overall enjoyment.
- Problematic Save System (weight 0.65): The save system is problematic, characterized by long stretches between save points, limited save slots, and reports of corrupted save files. The lack of a reliable manual save option further exacerbates these issues.
- Basic Visuals & Sound (weight 0.61): The game's visual and audio presentation is criticized for being basic and unpolished. Environments are often dark, monotonous, and lack detail, while sound effects are generic, contributing to a less immersive experience.
- Platforming & Collision Issues (weight 0.61): Platforming and collision detection are problematic, making certain sections difficult to navigate. Players frequently get stuck on terrain or encounter invisible stumbling blocks, hindering exploration and movement.
- Poor Game Optimization (weight 0.58): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues and a generally unpolished technical experience. This impacts overall gameplay fluidity and enjoyment.
- Money Loss on Death (weight 0.16): A frustrating mechanic is the loss of all accumulated money upon death, with recovery often difficult or impossible. This punitive system discourages risk-taking and exploration.

Gameplay feedback:
- Deep weapon and build customization (weight 0.63): The game offers extensive weapon crafting, allowing players to combine different parts (blade, pommel, codex) to create unique fighting styles and effects. Armor customization with rune slots further enhances build variety, enabling diverse playstyles and experimentation.
- Souls-like mechanics and inspirations (weight 0.35): The game heavily draws inspiration from Dark Souls and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, featuring souls-like combat, cryptic lore, map design, and difficulty. Core mechanics like enemy respawn, currency loss on death, and limited healing items reinforce this identity.
- Gear-centric character progression (weight 0.29): Character progression is primarily tied to upgrading weapons and armor, rather than traditional leveling. Resource scarcity for upgrades, especially in the early game, can force players to prioritize specific gear, directly impacting difficulty and strength.
- Diverse, challenging boss encounters (weight 0.25): Bosses are generally well-designed, visually diverse, and have distinct combat patterns that require players to learn their movesets. While some feature frustrating mechanics or screen-wide attacks, overcoming them provides a satisfying challenge.
- Rewarding open-world exploration (weight 0.22): The game features an engaging open-world design with unique, beautifully crafted locations that reward players for exploration. Discovering hidden secrets and new areas provides a strong sense of satisfaction and encourages continued engagement.
- Strong NG+ replayability (weight 0.2): The game offers a New Game+ mode with stronger enemies, new boss attack patterns, and additional content like hidden dungeons. This provides significant replayability, allowing players to explore different quest choices and builds.
- Intentional, engaging combat (weight 0.16): Combat requires intentionality, emphasizing dodging, parrying, and observing enemy telegraphs to find openings. While some find it simplistic, it generally offers an engaging and challenging experience that ramps up in difficulty.
- Straightforward, satisfying gameplay (weight 0.14): The game features straightforward gameplay mechanics that are easy to learn but satisfying to master. It includes a simple story structure with some twists and reasonable platforming sections, offering a generally accessible experience without difficulty levels.
- Unique sand ship travel (weight 0.13): A core aspect of the game involves sailing a sand ship across a vast desert sea to explore isolated islands. This unique traversal method is easy to control and allows players to freely navigate the open world, even bypassing difficult areas.
- Vague quest tracking (weight 0.12): While the game has a quest log, the tracking system can be vague, especially for smaller fetch quests or when navigating dungeons without a map. Quests often serve more as guidance for free exploration rather than strict objectives.
- Isometric top-down view (weight 0.07): The game utilizes an isometric or top-down camera perspective, which takes some getting used to but generally functions well. The camera is movable, providing flexibility compared to other fixed top-down games.

Performance notes:
- Poor optimization, FPS drops (weight 0.11): Many players report abysmal optimization and frequent, significant frame rate drops, especially in larger dungeon maps and certain areas, leading to a choppy experience. This is a consistent negative feedback point.
- Bugs and action delays (weight 0.1): Players encountered various bugs, including getting stuck in terrain and bugged sound effects. There are also reports of inconsistent action responsiveness, where delays after actions prevent quick follow-ups.
- Good Steam Deck support (weight 0.05): The game is reported to work well on the Steam Deck, with controls functioning effectively, making it a suitable portable gaming experience.
- FSR/DLSS visual impact (weight 0.04): Players noted that turning off FSR resolved blurriness issues, suggesting potential problems with its implementation. The game's visuals are considered fine even without DLSS.
- Long loading times (weight 0.02): Players reported unusually long loading times, particularly after death, even when respawning close to the point of demise, which can disrupt gameplay flow.
- Smooth animations (weight 0.02): The game features smooth and pleasant animations, contributing positively to the overall visual experience.

Recommendations:
- Mixed/Negative Recommendation (weight 0.4): Many players do not recommend the game in its current state, citing it needs more work, is not worth the full price, or is generally disappointing. Some players refunded the game, advising others to be cautious or wait for significant discounts or updates.
- Appeals to Souls-like Fans (weight 0.22): The game is frequently recommended to fans of Souls-like, ARPG, and Zelda-style games, particularly for its challenging nature, immersive world, and unique dungeon design. However, some reviewers noted that the "souls-like" combat tag might set inaccurate expectations or that the genre blend could be improved.
- Desired Future Improvements (weight 0.11): Players expressed a desire for future updates to include cut content, DLC, and various quality-of-life features. Specific requests include more roleplay options, manual saving, accessibility features, and fixes for camera issues.
- Specific Gameplay Mechanics Feedback (weight 0.08): Players provided detailed feedback on specific gameplay mechanics, including suggestions to balance monster health, improve boss fight patterns, and rework the fighting system and camera controls. There's also a note about controller button wear, implying intense or repetitive actions.
- Recommend on Sale Price (weight 0.07): Many reviewers recommend purchasing the game specifically when it is on sale. This suggests that while the game is enjoyable, its full price might be a barrier for some players.
- Noteworthy QoL Features/Guides (weight 0.05): The game is praised for specific quality-of-life features such as LGBTQ-friendliness, rebindable controls, 5-button mouse support, and exact progress saving. Additionally, players recommend utilizing the in-game guides for new playthroughs.
- Ignore Old Early Access Reviews (weight 0.04): Reviewers advise new players to disregard older Early Access reviews, as many of the issues and complaints mentioned in them have since been resolved by the developers. This indicates ongoing improvement and responsiveness.
- Engaging Open World Exploration (weight 0.04): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy extensive open-world exploration and uncovering mysteries. It offers a unique adventure where survival is key while seeking answers within its world.
- Localization & Action Expectations (weight 0.02): The lack of Japanese language support was noted as a barrier for some players. Additionally, while the game might appeal to exploration enthusiasts, those primarily seeking action-focused gameplay might be disappointed.
- Developer Responsiveness Noted (weight 0.02): One reviewer specifically mentioned that the developer reached out with a fix for an issue. This indicates a positive level of developer engagement and support for the game.

Other player notes:
- High-Quality Audio Design (weight 0.51): The game receives strong praise for its overall audio experience, including high-quality and abundant voice acting that brings characters to life. The soundtrack is fitting and excellent, and sound design, including cues, is well-executed, contributing to an immersive experience.
- Rich, Unique Worldbuilding (weight 0.47): Reviewers consistently highlight the exceptional and original worldbuilding, featuring a detailed post-apocalyptic sand-covered setting with remnants of past civilizations. The lore is engaging, drawing comparisons to Souls-like games while maintaining its unique identity.
- Rewarding Level Exploration (weight 0.47): The game features fantastic level design with thoughtful shortcuts and intricate geometry, often compared to Dark Souls or Hollow Knight. Exploration is highly incentivized and satisfying, consistently rewarding players with lore, new characters, equipment, and hidden content.
- Captivating Art Style & Visuals (weight 0.45): The game is consistently praised for its beautiful, unique, and detailed art direction, ranging from unsettling beauty to comforting whimsy. This distinct visual style, including character and enemy designs, significantly contributes to the immersive atmosphere and overall appeal.
- Engaging Story & Characters (weight 0.43): The game offers an interesting and impactful story, elevated by its focus on hope and community. Characters are well-developed, diverse, and relatable, with thoughtful dialogue and excellent writing that leaves lasting impressions.
- Convoluted Quest Design (weight 0.4): Some reviewers found quests to be convoluted or deliberately obtuse, with limited choices and consequences. Dialogue options were also noted as often being variations of 'Continue', impacting engagement.
- Cool Spell Effects (weight 0.37): Reviewers appreciate the visual effects for spells and special attacks, noting them as cool and thematic. Some players even triggered these effects just for their aesthetic appeal.
- Snappy, Readable Animations (weight 0.04): The game's animations are noted for being snappy and having good readability. This contributes to a smooth and understandable visual experience during gameplay.
- Diverse Enemy Designs (weight 0.04): The game features a good variety of enemy monster designs, with reviewers noting the presence of many different enemy types. This adds to the visual and gameplay diversity.
- Suggests World Additions (weight 0.04): Reviewers suggest adding more dynamic elements to the world, such as ghostly pirate ships, merchant boats, or roaming sandworms, to enhance the experience. Customization options for the sand yacht were also proposed.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Players experience frustration due to a combination of technical issues like game-breaking bugs, corrupted saves, and poor performance, alongside fundamental gameplay flaws. These include clunky combat, unbalanced boss fights, and unresponsive controls. Further frustration stems from poor quality-of-life features such as an unintuitive UI, persistent camera problems, lack of proper maps or guidance, and excessive grinding or difficulty spikes that hinder progression.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.24): Players express satisfaction primarily due to the game's strong core gameplay, including fluid combat, rewarding exploration, and well-designed progression and crafting systems. Positive feedback also highlights the game's overall quality, stable performance, and appealing aesthetics such as graphics, art style, and immersive world-building. Additionally, players appreciate developer responsiveness and the sense of accomplishment gained from mastering the game's challenges.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Disappointment stems from the game's perceived unfinished state and failure to meet player expectations, particularly regarding its "Souls-like" elements. Key issues include persistent technical flaws like poor optimization and UI problems, alongside fundamental gameplay shortcomings such as clunky combat, repetitive mechanics, and an empty or incomplete world map. Players also express frustration over a lack of updates and unaddressed bugs, contributing to a sense of wasted potential.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players feel excitement due to the game's engaging core gameplay, particularly its combat, rewarding exploration, and high-quality level design. This is often coupled with appreciation for the overall game quality, including strong visuals, immersive audio, and a compelling story. The game's ability to deliver a satisfying "Souls-like" experience and its replayability also contribute significantly to player excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger arises from the game's fundamentally broken state, characterized by severe technical issues like poor optimization and critical bugs during key moments such as boss fights. Players are also angered by infuriating combat mechanics, a punishing and tedious overall experience, and specific game design decisions, including issues with the New Game+ mode.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Enjoyment is primarily driven by engaging gameplay, rewarding exploration, and the challenge the game presents. Players also appreciate specific mechanics like the weapon system or deck building, alongside the game's unique art style, compelling story, and successful blend of genres. Some enjoyment is noted as initial, sometimes before encountering significant bugs.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is expressed for the game's high overall quality, including its strong gameplay, intricate level design, and immersive music. Players also deeply admire the evident dedication and effort put in by the developers, recognizing the game's significant potential.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance primarily stems from persistent camera problems, especially issues with the lock-on system, which disrupt gameplay. Additionally, some players find the game's dialogue to be a source of irritation.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe is inspired by the game's exceptional dungeon design, rich world-building, and detailed art style. Players are also impressed by the substantial amount of content and the high quality of the progression system.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players experience confusion due to unintuitive camera design and the overall complexity of the game's mechanics, which makes it difficult to perceive enemy actions clearly. Some players also express confusion regarding the discrepancy between their experience and the game's positive reviews.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is felt due to the game's high overall quality, particularly its immersive qualities and appealing aesthetics, including well-designed characters. The positive sentiment reflects a deep appreciation for the game's polished and engaging experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players show appreciation for the game's unique design and features, recognizing its inherent charm and significant potential for growth and improvement.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief is felt when the game's difficulty eases, making progression more manageable. Players also experience relief upon completing the game, and when developers provide crucial fixes to address issues.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players express surprise at the unexpected depth and quality of the game's world-building, humor, and character progression. This also extends to the discovery of unforeseen content and overall high quality.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is maintained by the game's compelling overall concept and design, which successfully keeps players engaged throughout their experience.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is expressed for the game's future, specifically for potential improvements and the addition of new content that could realize the game's full potential. This indicates a belief that the game could become much better with further development.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arises from repetitive or unengaging gameplay, particularly during boss fights which fail to maintain player interest.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is generated by the prospect of the game becoming more interesting as players progress, and the excitement for future gameplay experiences.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): Dislike stems from a general negative impression of the game's overall feel and core principles, leading to an unsatisfactory experience.
- Love (weight 0): Players express love for the game as a whole, indicating a strong overall positive emotional connection and deep enjoyment of the entire experience.}