Perennial Order Review Summary

Unique, engaging boss designs: The game features unique and well-designed boss encounters that are mechanically varied, visually distinct, and require different strategies. Boss fights are a core strength, offering a balanced challenge and rewarding experience.

Excellent, well-balanced co-op mode: Co-op mode is a standout feature, seamlessly integrated and enhancing the overall experience. It allows for strategic collaboration and shared enjoyment, without making the game dependent on it.

Intense, fair one-hit death: The game's one-hit death mechanic creates intense, high-stakes combat encounters that demand precision and strategic play. Quick respawns and the absence of tedious runbacks mitigate potential frustration, respecting the player's time.

Unique, immersive art style: The game boasts a unique and captivating art style, often described as a dark, gothic, or plant-based aesthetic. This, combined with detailed world-building and lore, creates an immersive and memorable experience.

Fluid, deep combat system: The combat system is fluid, responsive, and offers depth through various abilities and build options. The 'instincts' system adds an extra layer of customization and strategic decision-making.

Final boss: uninspired, frustrating, RNG: The final boss is a major point of criticism, described as uninspired, frustrating, and relying too heavily on reused mechanics and RNG. Many reviewers felt the fight was a disappointing culmination of the game's challenges, with some considering it a low point in the overall experience.

Tedious backtracking, no fast travel: The lack of fast travel and a mini-map makes backtracking and exploration tedious. Players spend a significant amount of time walking through areas, which can become frustrating, especially when revisiting locations for secrets or missed items.

Visual clarity, depth perception issues: The game's art style and perspective can cause depth perception issues, leading to wonky hitboxes and difficulty reading enemy attacks. The dark visual presentation and cluttered environments also contribute to visual clarity problems.

Unclear, fragmented story presentation: The story is presented in a fragmented and unclear manner, similar to Dark Souls, which some reviewers disliked. The narrative relies heavily on lore text that is often vague and uninteresting, failing to create a compelling experience.

High difficulty, potentially frustrating: The game's difficulty is a recurring theme, with some reviewers finding it too challenging and frustrating. Some felt the game lacked leeway for leveling up or brute-forcing through challenges, making it unsuitable for players who dislike difficult games.

Soulslike combat with twists: The game incorporates Soulslike elements, such as challenging combat, limited player capabilities, and a parry/counter mechanic. However, it also introduces unique elements, such as a one-hit death mechanic, requiring players to master timed dodges and counterattacks.

Core gameplay: boss rush: The game is primarily a boss rush, focusing on encounters with unique bosses and minimal regular enemies. Exploration is present, but it mainly serves to enhance the atmosphere, provide side quests, and offer character upgrades, creating a world with lore to discover.

Unique, directional combat controls: The game features a unique combat system that utilizes the right stick for omni-directional attacks, requiring precise timing and directional input. This control scheme differs from traditional button-press attacks and may require some getting used to.

Customizable skills enable varied playstyles: Players can customize their play style through various skills, equipment, and 'instincts,' allowing for diverse builds focused on dodging, attacking, or parrying. This customization encourages experimentation and adaptation to different combat situations.

One-hit-death core mechanic: A core mechanic of the game is the one-hit-death system, where any single hit results in instant death for the player. This mechanic emphasizes precise play, memorization, and a low margin for error, creating a challenging experience.

Stable online, solid controls: The game generally offers a stable online experience with solid controls and hitboxes. Players have reported smooth co-op gameplay across different regions and internet speeds, indicating good server performance and netcode.

Well-optimized, runs smoothly: The game is well-optimized for different control schemes and hardware. It runs smoothly on Steam Deck without requiring graphical adjustments, and the controls are appropriately mapped for Xbox controllers. The Steam Deck remains silent during gameplay, indicating efficient hardware usage.

Occasional bugs and disconnects: Some players have reported encountering bugs, such as breaking out of the map or swarm queue issues during the final boss fight. Disconnections during long fights have also been mentioned, but some bugs can be solved with a restart.

Few bugs encountered: Many reviewers have experienced very few bugs during their playthroughs, suggesting a stable and polished game. This indicates that the game is in a good state regarding technical issues.

Bosses obscure view sometimes: Boss fights can sometimes be visually obstructed due to the terrain, which can hinder the player's view and make it difficult to track enemy movements and attacks. This can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.

Strongly recommended; buy this game!: The game is overwhelmingly recommended as a must-buy, especially for fans of the genre, with many reviewers considering it a hidden gem and urging others to support the developers. Reviewers highlight the game's high quality, unique aspects, and overall enjoyment, often stating it's worth the price and deserving of more attention.

Great for genre fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of Soulslike, boss rush, and Metroidvania games, often drawing comparisons to titles like Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, and Titan Souls. Reviewers suggest that those familiar with these genres will find the game particularly enjoyable and rewarding.

Difficulty and controls are frustrating: Some reviewers express concerns about the game's difficulty, controls, or specific boss encounters, leading to frustration and a lack of recommendation in its current state. One reviewer uninstalled the game due to frustration with the final boss.

Support the indie developers: Reviewers emphasize the importance of supporting the indie developers behind the game, praising their passion and dedication. They encourage players to purchase the game to help the developers create more unique and artistic titles in the future.

Hoping for sequel/DLC content: Several reviewers express a desire for more content, such as a sequel or DLC, indicating their enjoyment of the game and a wish to see the world and gameplay expanded upon. Some reviewers worry about the game not selling enough copies.

Co-op and replayability features: The game offers several features that enhance replayability and co-operative play. These include a New Game+ mode with harder bosses, a boss rush mode, and support for both local and online multiplayer (up to 2 players). The game's design encourages co-op partners to banter and strategize.

Brilliant implementation of information indicators: The game has undeniable indirect connections to Furi, Shadow Of The Colossus, Dark Souls and Hollow Knight. The implementation of non-traditional information indicators, using sound, visuals, and ambient effects to inform you of attacks or boss stages, is brilliant and immersive.

Support for developers, sequel hopes: Reviewers express support for the indie developers and their unique vision, with some hoping for a sequel. One reviewer noted a quick and helpful response from the development team regarding a bug. The game is compared to the developer's previous title, Raindancer.

Themed maps add variety: The game has different themed maps. This adds variety to the gameplay experience.

Can pet the cat and dog: The game allows players to pet the cat and dog. While this is a minor detail, it can contribute to the overall positive experience for some players.