Sands of Aura

Item: Sands of Aura
Rating: 56
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-07-02

Summary

Exceptional level design and visuals
Deep weapon and build customization
Rewarding exploration experience
Poor map and world design
Significant difficulty and balance issues
Frequent bugs and instability

Emotions

Frustration29%Satisfaction24%Disappointment17%Excitement8%Anger3%

Reviews (sample size): 179
Helpful reviews: 89%
Unhelpful reviews: 11%
Protest reviews: 0%

56%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
44%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 410
Negative points: 586
Gameplay points: 521
Perf. points: 30
Rec. points: 158
Misc points: 197

Point	Description	Importance
Exceptional Level Design Description 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. Importance 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.	68%
Impressive Visuals & Art Description 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. Importance 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.	59%
Highly Praised Game Description 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. Importance 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.	28%
Deep Weapon Customization Description 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. Importance 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.	26%
Rewarding Exploration Description 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. Importance 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.	26%
Fluid & Engaging Combat Description 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. Importance 20%	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.	20%
Accessible Souls-like Experience Description 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. Importance 20%	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.	20%
Rich Story & Lore Description 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. Importance 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.	17%
Engaging Characters & Content Description 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. Importance 9%	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.	9%
Fair & Diverse Bosses Description 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. Importance 9%	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.	9%
Balanced Difficulty Curve Description 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. Importance 9%	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.	9%
Well-Written Quests Description 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. Importance 6%	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.	6%