Info about Aeterna Noctis:

Official game description:
**The story continues!** Aeterna Lucis, the sequel to Aeterna Noctis and our purest metroidvania, now has a free demo on Steam. Play as the Queen of Light and add it to your wishlist!
Aeterna Noctis is a challenging 2D hand-drawn action platformer, a Metroidvania with thrilling combat that will keep you on the edge of your seat and heart-stopping platform sections that will put your skills to the test. Play as the King of Darkness and explore 16 connected areas in an epic journey to regain your powers. 
The Supreme God Chaos created the Universe and the world of Aeterna, and populate it with different races and creatures. Soon his creations turned against him, seeking to take the world for themselves. Chaos was angered, and in his terrible wrath, he cast a terrible curse upon the rebellious leaders. He named them King of Darkness and Queen of Light, and condemned them to keep fighting each other forever, until the end of time...
*   A huge non-linear story full of sidequests.
*   The world and animations have been brought to life with hand-drawn traditional frame-by-frame animation.
*   An emotion-inducing soundtrack.
*   Gameplay and mechanics that force the best out of the player.
*   Voice-acted cutscenes in 8 different languages.
*   Hours upon hours of challenges, with an emotional story full of twists and turns.
*   A new free DLC that adds more enemies, new final bosses and more game areas.
**Fluid gameplay mechanics**
In a game with such a difficulty curve that scales with progression, Aeterna Noctis features extremely responsive controls, allowing for precise movement and combat.
**High mobility**
Intuitive world design allowing the players to exploit the precise movement controls of the character, allowing you to overcome each challenge in a multitude of ways. As you become more skilled in the game, it allows you to get even faster completion times. 
**Deep, beautiful plot**
Featuring an immersive and emotional story with incredible moments, filled with unexpected twists that will immerse the players into the rich world of Aeterna Noctis.
**Traditional 2D Art**
Worldbuilding in Aeterna Noctis is completed by handcrafting each asset, animation and environmental detail in the game using traditional illustration methods by the art team, giving rise to a vibrant and beautifully assembled world.
**Freedom of choice**
Aeterna Noctis features a defined path for the storyline, but allows the player to take whatever path and pacing to navigate the expansive non-linear map featuring 16 different zones, interconnected in a classic Metroidvania style. 
**More than 40 music tracks**
Aeterna Noctis features over 40 unique tracks each with its own theme. Once the game is made available, the OST will be released with special covers of the main songs as a piano collection
**Difficulty level**
Aeterna Noctis features two game modes. If you are a lover of Metroidvania games, in Aeterna Noctis there is a perfect game mode for you, the Aeterna Mode. However, if extreme challenges and platforming are what you want, you are a Noctis Mode player. But do you know what the differences are between these game modes? We explain it to you.
**\- Aeterna Mode (A pure Metroidvania experience)**
In essence, the game has been completely redesigned to offer you as a player a 100% Metroidvania experience where action and exploration are the protagonists.
**\- Noctis Mode (Platforms and extreme challenges)**
By playing on this mode, you will not only have to explore and recover your powers, but you will also face constant puzzles, platform sections and challenges only recommended for the most demanding players.
**What if I started in Noctis mode and the difficulty is too much for me? Or... What if I started in Aeterna mode but want a more challenging experience?**
The player can switch between one mode or the other at any time without losing progress and reloading the game at the last save point, allowing the Aeterna Noctis experience to be shaped at your will. However, **there are achievements that can only be unlocked on Noctis Mode.**

Release date: Dec 14, 2021

Categories: Metroidvania, Precision Platformer, Hand-drawn Animation, Boss Fights, Skill Tree Progression, Non-linear Exploration, Challenging Gameplay

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional DLC Only; summary: The reviews discuss difficulty, achievement pressure, free DLC installation failures, and a paid DLC that can reset map exploration. No review describes a real-money shop, paid gacha, loot boxes, currency obfuscation, paid convenience, battle pass, or direct pay-to-win mechanics. The only monetization evidence is traditional paid DLC and achievement gating, which does not meet the threshold for aggressive or predatory monetization.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Moderate Dependency - Student Tier; summary: The audit reveals a primary dependency on instructional data (Tier 3: The Student), with players frequently consulting external guides for quest outcomes, ability acquisition, and mechanics. Navigation confusion (Tier 4) is also present but secondary. No evidence of farming or inventory management wiki tax (Tier 1/2). Mitigating features like a built-in map and generous checkpoints slightly reduce the burden. The overall wiki tax is moderate, scoring 50.
- Proton/Linux: score 25; verdict: Mostly works with minor Proton tweaks; summary: The Linux and Steam Deck evidence is mostly positive: reviewers report no problems with Proton 6.3-8, label Linux/Steam Deck compatibility as Platinum, and say the game runs well on Deck and Steam Machine hardware. One detailed report required Proton GE because videos did not show on Proton-Stable and mentioned minor video stutter, while Deck performance feedback is mixed. Overall, the game appears to work with only minor Proton/Deck tweaks rather than significant Linux-specific breakage.
- Steam Deck: score 78; verdict: Broken; summary: The game is labeled Steam Deck Verified but user feedback reveals significant friction. Anti-cheat software caused launch failures and security concerns (later removed), text and UI are often unreadable on the handheld screen, controller input is problematic for precise platforming, and performance is inconsistent with crashes and frame drops. These barriers collectively result in a high friction score, contradicting the Verified status.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: On Windows systems with under 8 GB VRAM, the cohort reports notable stability and readability issues, including stuttering, black-screen load failures, and crashes. These technical problems outweigh the few recommended reports, which mostly discuss gameplay or audio rather than reliable performance.
  - Sample size: 32 (1% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 9 reports): Reviews report font readability problems at lower resolutions, inexplicable stuttering, black-screen load failures, and frequent crash risk, while positive reports focus mainly on gameplay and atmosphere.
  - Caveats: 32 of 2216 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $30.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews are split. Several players explicitly defend the $29.99-$30 full price as fair or a bargain because of the large amount of content and playtime. Other reviewers argue that top-tier indie pricing is not justified for them, suggest around $15 as a more acceptable level, and recommend waiting for a sale. This supports a community fair base-game range of roughly $15 to $30, with the upper end accepted mainly by genre fans and the lower end reflecting more price-sensitive reviewers.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 45.0h
  - Story completion: 30.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 30.0h
  - Reasoning: One reviewer reports a full playthrough at about 45 hours, supporting gameCompletion near 45. Another gives 20-30 hours for the main story, so storyCompletion is set to 30. The same review says 100% completion takes more than 60 hours, and another review describes spending 36 hours while continuing to grind all challenges and bosses on Noctis mode; together these support roughly 30 hours of endgame or completionist play beyond the main story. No review provides a reliable typical session length, so sessionLength is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Aeterna Noctis often starts rough because of early difficulty, a weak starting kit, bugs, and confusing tutorials, but reports indicate it becomes fun after several hours and a few bosses as powers and progression open up. Some players enjoy it immediately, while others find the late game frustrating.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After several hours and three bosses defeated
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Early difficulty spike and weak starting character; Bugs and unpolished early experience; Confusing tutorials and poor localization; Short melee range and lack of blocking make early combat awkward; Backtracking and oversized maps slow progress; Precision platforming and trial-and-error sections frustrate early
  - Unlock drivers: Gaining more powers and growing stronger while progressing; Reaching the middle section where the map opens up with strong platforming; Persevering through initial rage and learning the challenges; Defeating bosses after multiple tries for satisfaction; Using the skill tree and gem systems to improve stats
  - Conditions: Prior experience with tough Metroidvanias such as Ori, Hollow Knight, and Ender Lilies; Tolerance for precision platforming and repeated trial-and-error; Willingness to persevere beyond the first hours; Tolerance for backtracking and very large maps; Patience with poor localization, verbose dialogue, and awkward tutorials; Acceptance of repetitive enemy design and simple boss loops; Using a controller or settings that suit the precision jumps; Choosing a difficulty and build that match the player's skill
- Player Archetypes:
  - Hardcore Precision-Platforming Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering demanding precision platforming and difficult boss fights.
    - Playstyle: Seeks punishing traversal and boss challenges, learns patterns, and retries hard sections until successful.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: masochist
    - Reference games: Hollow Knight; Sekiro; Celeste; Super Meat Boy
  - Metroidvania Genre Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Exploring a large Metroidvania world with familiar progression, combat, and collectible systems.
    - Playstyle: Explores sprawling maps, hunts upgrades and secrets, and engages with bosses and skill-tree customization.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Hollow Knight; Ender Lilies
  - Difficulty-Sensitive Casual Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Experiencing a visually rich Metroidvania world without overwhelming difficulty or frustration.
    - Playstyle: Chooses easier difficulty, explores at a relaxed pace, and avoids punishing optional platforming.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer
    - Reference games: Metroid; Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  - Completionist Challenge Hunter (buy)
    - Motivation: Chasing 100 percent completion, difficult achievements, and no-hit or speedrun mastery.
    - Playstyle: Grinds collectibles, optional challenges, and achievements while repeating sections and optimizing routes.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: completionist
    - Reference games: N/A


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:
- Top-tier Metroidvania (weight 0.24): The game is frequently called one of the best Metroidvanias, with some reviewers ranking it among their favorites. It is praised for its beautiful art and challenging gameplay within the genre.
- Fun and challenging platforming (weight 0.21): Platforming is frequently praised as fun, clever, and engaging, with a good balance of challenge and fairness. It is often cited as the standout feature that sets the game apart.
- Beautiful visuals and art style (weight 0.18): The game's graphics and art style are widely praised as gorgeous, stunning, and beautifully drawn. The visual presentation is a major positive point for many reviewers.
- Amazing music and soundtrack (weight 0.17): The music and soundtrack are consistently described as amazing, beautiful, and atmospheric. It enhances the overall experience and is considered a highlight by many players.
- Excellent gameplay and mechanics (weight 0.16): Gameplay is described as smooth, responsive, addictive, and well-executed. Many reviewers find the mechanics solid and engaging, contributing to an overall excellent experience.
- Huge map and lots of content (weight 0.11): The game features a large map with a significant amount of content, providing plenty to explore. Reviewers note the scale and volume of content as a strong positive.
- Great level design and world (weight 0.11): Level design is well thought out, with variety and unique mechanics that impress. The world setting is interesting and richly detailed, enhancing exploration.
- Challenging but fair difficulty (weight 0.1): The overall difficulty is often described as challenging but fair, never feeling unfair or overly brutal. This balance is appreciated by players who enjoy a tough but rewarding experience.
- Overall excellent game (weight 0.1): The game is frequently described as excellent, amazing, and thoroughly enjoyable across various aspects. Many reviewers express a strong liking for the game overall.
- Best platforming ever played (weight 0.09): Some reviewers consider the platforming to be the best they have ever experienced in a game, highlighting its precision and satisfaction. This extreme praise underscores the quality of the platforming.
- Engaging story (weight 0.09): The story is considered enjoyable, interesting, and captivating, with unique elements that keep players entertained. It adds to the overall experience.

Common complaints:
- Brutal, unfair platforming difficulty (weight 0.22): Many players find the platforming sections extremely punishing, often requiring frame-perfect execution and leading to frustration and repeated deaths. The platforming is described as ruthless and not always fair.
- Various bugs and lack of polish (weight 0.16): The game has numerous bugs, glitches, and jank, sometimes causing crashes or getting stuck. It is less polished than similar games like Hollow Knight.
- Tedious backtracking with repeated platforming (weight 0.11): Backtracking is extremely tedious, especially when it forces players to repeat difficult platforming sections without shortcuts. This becomes painful and exhausting, particularly in the end game.
- Excessive and janky platforming focus (weight 0.1): The game is heavily platforming-focused, with too many sections that feel janky or overstay their welcome, blurring the line between platformer and metroidvania. Even with all abilities, many areas remain difficult.
- Shallow and unsatisfying combat (weight 0.09): Combat feels like an afterthought, weak, generic, and unpolished. Many reviewers note it is brainless and not the strong point of the game.
- Game is overly long and drawn out (weight 0.09): The game feels artificially lengthened, becoming tedious and boring after the halfway point. Reviewers feel it is too long and the fun diminishes over time.
- Unclear navigation and poor map design (weight 0.09): The map is confusing, enormous, and samey, making it hard to know where to go. Visual clutter on the map causes eye strain and obscures important elements.
- Poor bow and arrow controls (weight 0.08): Aiming with the bow feels unresponsive and inaccurate, with awful button mapping and finicky controller aim. The teleport arrow ability is also annoying to use, especially on controller or with reversed controls.
- Poorly balanced difficulty curve (weight 0.08): The difficulty curve is unreasonable and uneven, with spikes that feel unfair and frustrating. This is compounded by the game's length and challenging platforming.
- Clunky and imprecise controls (weight 0.07): Controls feel slippery, unresponsive, and not tight enough for precision platforming. This clunkiness exacerbates the difficulty of challenging sections.
- Sparse fast travel points (weight 0.04): Fast travel points are very few and far apart relative to the map size, forcing players to redo long stretches of platforming and backtracking.
- Visual clutter obscures threats (weight 0.04): Excessive foreground clutter often hides enemies and projectiles, causing players to get hit without seeing what hit them. This adds to the frustration.
- Weird and unintuitive hitboxes (weight 0.04): Some hitboxes are garbage and not intuitive, leading to unexpected hits or misses. This is particularly problematic in a precision platformer.
- Nonsensical and unengaging story (weight 0.03): The story is clichéd, messy, and fails to engage players, feeling nonsensical and boring. It detracts from the overall experience.
- Lack of parry or blocking options (weight 0.03): There is no parry or counterattack mechanic, and no blocking options, which limits combat depth and frustrates players expecting more defensive options.

Gameplay feedback:
- Metroidvania genre with platforming (weight 0.29): Players frequently describe the game as a Metroidvania that emphasizes platforming and exploration. Many note a large map, ability unlocks, and backtracking as key elements.
- Challenging platforming difficulty (weight 0.28): A common theme is that platforming is very difficult, with many traps, spikes, and precision jumps. Players often cite platforming as the main source of challenge.
- Precision platformer core (weight 0.19): The game is frequently described as a precision platformer requiring tight controls and exact jumps. Many feel it leans more toward precision platforming than traditional Metroidvania.
- Boss fights with patterns (weight 0.18): Boss fights are a notable feature, often requiring players to learn attack patterns and dodge mechanics. Some bosses have multiple phases and bullet-hell attacks.
- High-difficulty Metroidvania focus (weight 0.17): Reviewers repeatedly highlight the game as a high-difficulty Metroidvania with demanding platforming sequences and hard boss fights. The combination of Metroidvania structure and hard difficulty is a core identity.
- Noctis difficulty mode (weight 0.16): Many mention a specific hard difficulty mode called Noctis, often described as the original design difficulty. Some note an additional mode called Aeterna.
- Platforming-heavy gameplay (weight 0.14): Players consistently note that platforming is a major focus, with a large amount of platforming content throughout the game. It is often described as platforming-focused gameplay.
- Multiple difficulty settings (weight 0.13): The game offers multiple difficulty modes, including easy and hard options. Players appreciate the ability to adjust difficulty, even after starting on hard mode.
- Precision platforming mechanics (weight 0.1): Platforming requires precise timing and execution, using abilities like jump, dash, and Crystal Arrow. Players must make air adjustments and land on disappearing platforms.
- Teleport arrow mechanic (weight 0.09): A core mechanic is the teleport arrow, which allows players to fire an arrow and teleport to its location. This ability is used for both platforming and puzzle solving.
- Combat and platforming mix (weight 0.07): Combat and platforming are both core mechanics, though some describe the game as platforming first and combat second. The game includes an upgrade system and world building.
- Skill tree progression (weight 0.07): The game features a skill tree system for character progression, with points earned from defeated enemies. The tree includes branches for melee, ranged, and healing.
- Backtracking for progression (weight 0.06): Backtracking is an important part of progression, with some areas requiring revisiting. Some players note a lack of shortcuts when backtracking.
- Platforming-lite difficulty option (weight 0.06): A post-release difficulty mode simplifies platforming sections, making the game more accessible. This option is appreciated by players who find the platforming too challenging.
- Platforming similar to White Palace (weight 0.05): Several players compare the platforming style to the White Palace challenge from Hollow Knight or to Ori. This indicates a similar precision platforming experience.
- Jumping sections in main path (weight 0.05): Platforming jumping sections are integrated into the main path, making them unavoidable. Players note these sections are full of jumping challenges.
- Arrow shooting mechanic (weight 0.05): Shooting arrows is a key mechanic, used to activate mechanisms and solve puzzles. Precision arrow shooting is often required.
- Fast travel system (weight 0.05): The game includes fast travel points, though some are restricted or not available at the beginning. A fast dash ability is also mentioned.

Performance notes:
- Poor overall PC optimization (weight 0.14): Many players report severe performance issues, including low frame rates, stuttering, and GPU usage at 99% even on high-end hardware. Lowering settings often fails to improve performance.
- Frequent crashes and stability issues (weight 0.09): Crashes occur regularly, sometimes hourly, and can cause loss of progression or save data. Some players experience occasional crashes, while others face frequent ones.
- Steam Deck performance inconsistent (weight 0.06): While some find the game runs well on Steam Deck, others report poor performance and limitations. One user notes it should be rated Playable rather than Verified due to microscopic text and unusable control remap.
- Long loading times (weight 0.05): Loading screens are excessively long, occurring frequently even between small scenes. Some players find that load times are only acceptable with nearly minimal graphics settings.
- Controller support broken (weight 0.04): Controller support is badly broken, with misread thumbstick directions causing unintended actions. Alt-tabbing also causes the controller to stop working until alt-tabbing again.
- Stutters during combat and effects (weight 0.04): The game stutters when the player takes damage and during serious particle effects. Intermittent stutters also occur in areas with pulsing background effects.
- Input lag and control issues (weight 0.04): Players experience minor input delay between button press and character reaction. Some also report being unable to control direction properly, wasting output.
- Switch version has performance issues (weight 0.03): The Nintendo Switch version suffers from glitches and crashes, along with general performance problems.
- Control-lock bugs and stuck characters (weight 0.03): Control-lock bugs occur multiple times early in the game, and characters can get stuck due to bugs.
- Minor graphical and sound glitches (weight 0.03): A single graphical glitch in a puzzle dungeon was fixed by changing graphics settings. A sound bug also played audio that should not have occurred.
- FPS capping helps smoothness (weight 0.01): Capping FPS at 60 helped keep things smoother for one player.
- Game sometimes stuck at 30fps (weight 0.01): The game sometimes gets stuck at 30fps even on hardware that should run it smoothly.
- Black screen on death (weight 0.01): A room reload and black screen occur on death.
- Hits not registering, dodging wrong (weight 0.01): Minor bugs such as hits not registering and dodging in unwanted directions are reported.
- Lag in graveyard map (weight 0.01): The early graveyard map is laggy, which one reviewer says can be fixed by raising the frame rate.
- Lag in Endless Coast area (weight 0.01): Severe lag occurs in the West Coast of Endless Coast.
- Fog of war after crash (weight 0.01): After a crash, fog of war appeared on the map.
- Runs decent on older hardware (weight 0.01): The game runs decently on three-generation-old hardware.
- Performance update ineffective (weight 0.01): A performance update did not fix the issues according to one player.
- Console patch planned (weight 0.01): A console patch is planned to improve performance.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for Metroidvania fans (weight 0.26): Many reviewers strongly recommend the game to fans of the Metroidvania genre, often citing its exploration and challenging gameplay as highlights. It is frequently described as a must-play for enthusiasts of the genre.
- For hardcore platformer enthusiasts (weight 0.22): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy difficult platforming challenges, such as those found in Path of Pain or Celeste. It is not recommended for casual players due to its demanding precision.
- Not recommended for casual players (weight 0.17): Multiple reviewers advise against buying the game for casual gamers or those new to the genre, as its high difficulty and punishing nature may lead to frustration.
- Hollow Knight fans will enjoy (weight 0.15): Reviewers frequently state that if you loved Hollow Knight, especially its White Palace section, you will likely enjoy this game. Comparisons to Hollow Knight are common, with some even considering it better.
- Difficult but fair challenge (weight 0.13): The game is recommended for players who seek a challenging but fair experience, often described as difficult yet rewarding. It appeals to those who enjoy overcoming tough obstacles.
- Worth it on sale (weight 0.11): Several reviewers mention that the game is worth buying, but preferably at a discount or on sale. Some specify waiting for a significant discount like 90% off.
- Great for experienced Metroidvania players (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for players who have mastered other Metroidvanias and are looking for a new challenge. It is considered a great entry for those familiar with the genre.
- Not for beginners (weight 0.07): Reviewers warn that the game is not suitable for Metroidvania beginners, as it requires prior experience with similar games. Some suggest it is only for veteran players.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.06): Some reviewers give a blanket recommendation without specific caveats, simply stating the game is highly recommended or worth trying.
- Aeterna mode aids accessibility (weight 0.05): The optional easier difficulty mode, Aeterna mode, makes the game more accessible for players who struggle with precision platforming, allowing them to explore without frustration.
- Not for those bad at action (weight 0.04): Reviewers caution that players who are not skilled at action games may find the game too difficult. It requires fine action skills and perseverance.
- Fans of genre should play (weight 0.04): Multiple reviewers emphasize that fans of the genre absolutely need to play this game, describing it as essential for enthusiasts.
- Not recommended for most (weight 0.03): Due to its extreme difficulty, some reviewers cannot recommend the game to most players, as it may be too frustrating for the average gamer.
- Crashes hinder recommendation (weight 0.03): Some reviewers cannot recommend the game until crash issues are fixed, despite otherwise finding it a gem. Technical problems negatively impact the experience.
- Hard mode for masochists (weight 0.03): A few reviewers suggest playing on hard mode from the start for an extra challenge, appealing to masochistic players. Easy mode is not recommended for those seeking a tough experience.
- Challenging but not too brutal (weight 0.02): For players seeking a challenge that isn't overly punishing, the game is recommended as it offers a good balance of difficulty and fairness.
- Worth playing for exploration (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for players who enjoy exploring new worlds and don't mind challenging platforming, as it offers a rich world to discover.

Other player notes:
- Frequent Hollow Knight comparisons (weight 0.29): Many reviewers compare the game to Hollow Knight across art style, music, mechanics, and overall quality, often placing it in the same conversation as Celeste, Ori, and Metroid.
- Platforming praised as Hollow Knight-caliber (weight 0.17): Reviewers highlight platforming difficulty and design as comparable to or better than Hollow Knight's, especially the White Palace sections, and similar to Celeste.
- Massive game scope and map (weight 0.15): The game is repeatedly described as very large, with huge zones and one of the biggest maps in the genre, spanning dozens of hours of exploration.
- Aeterna Lucis sequel announced (weight 0.11): A direct sequel titled Aeterna Lucis is planned and close to release, with reviewers noting it will connect to this game's story.
- Very long playtime for genre (weight 0.1): Players report 30-60 hours to complete, with completion percentages remaining low even after dozens of hours, making it one of the longest metroidvanias.
- Unfavorable Hollow Knight story comparison (weight 0.06): Some reviewers find the story less polished than Hollow Knight's and describe the game as a wannabe or lacking polish, though still similar.
- Celeste-like precision platforming (weight 0.06): The game is compared to Celeste, Dustforce, and Super Meat Boy for its precise platforming challenges, with more emphasis on platforming than combat.
- High-difficulty achievements (weight 0.05): Most achievements require Noctis (hard) difficulty, making full completion very challenging.
- Ori and Hollow Knight hybrid (weight 0.05): Reviewers compare the game to Ori for abilities and platforming quality, and to Hollow Knight for combat and boss fights.
- Priced very low for value (weight 0.04): Multiple reviewers consider the price tag very low relative to the massive amount of content and playtime offered.
- Unfavorably compared to Silksong (weight 0.03): Some reviewers feel the game suffers in comparison to Silksong, citing unreasonableness and dragging pacing, though one notes Silksong lacks well-made platforming.
- Developed by Spanish studio (weight 0.03): Reviewers note the game was developed by a small Spanish studio.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Players are frustrated by extremely difficult precision platforming, unfair boss fights with unclear damage feedback, clunky controls (especially the teleport arrow and keyboard/mouse aiming), inconsistent hitboxes, and frequent bugs causing lost progress. Backtracking through punishing sections without shortcuts and severe performance issues further compound the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment stems from the game not living up to its reputation or Hollow Knight comparisons, with mediocre exploration, bland combat, and poor boss design. Many cite wasted potential, an unsatisfying story and ending, technical issues like bugs and poor performance, and design choices that make the game feel unpolished or unfinished.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the challenging but fair platforming, creative and well-designed jumping puzzles, and satisfying boss fights. The game's exploration, progression, unique abilities, and strong art and music contribute to a fun and engaging experience, even for those who relish high difficulty.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): Annoyance arises from tedious backtracking, vague quest guidance, and unskippable animations. Awkward controls, especially with a controller for aiming and teleportation, along with bugs, interface clutter, and localization issues, frequently disrupt the experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Admiration is driven by the game's gorgeous visuals, exceptional music, and ambitious world design. Reviewers praise the precision platforming, creative level design, and the passion of the small studio, often calling it a masterpiece and one of the best Metroidvanias they have played.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction comes from overcoming challenging platforming and boss fights through practice and skill. The game's tight controls, rewarding difficulty, and abundance of content provide a strong sense of accomplishment, especially after fully completing the game or mastering its mechanics.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger is fueled by unfair boss design, brutal platforming with precise inputs, and controls that feel inaccurate or unresponsive. Bugs that erase progress, achievements tied to extreme difficulty, and a lack of accessibility options further provoke strong anger.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement is generated by the game's unique biomes, strategic combat, and the Crystal Arrow skill that enables creative platforming. The announced sequel, Aeterna Lucis, and the sheer amount of content keep players eagerly engaged and looking forward to more.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom sets in due to repetitive platforming, limited enemy variety, and a mid-game slowdown where progression feels like a chore. Large empty maps, tedious backtracking, and uninspired bosses contribute to a lack of motivation to continue.
- Exhaustion (weight 0.01): Exhaustion results from the game's unforgiving platforming and relentless demands for precision and patience. Long, punishing sections and boss fights that require intense focus leave players feeling drained, especially during extended play sessions or second playthroughs.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy is experienced from the thrill of overcoming tough platforming obstacles and bosses, the satisfying mechanics once learned, and the overall challenging but fair gameplay. The classical music and rewarding moments contribute to a deeply enjoyable experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion often stems from unclear navigation and direction, especially in the early game, with players unsure where to go or what to do. Inconsistent visual cues, mismatched voice and subtitles, and an ambiguous ending also leave players puzzled.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe is inspired by the game's breathtaking art, vast and mysterious world, and epic set pieces like flying whales across a sunset. The level of detail, unique challenges, and atmospheric music create a sense of wonder and majesty.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from the game exceeding expectations, being more challenging than anticipated, and offering high quality for its low price. The precise platforming and boss mechanics caught many players off guard in a positive way.
- Mild frustration (weight 0.01): Mild frustration is caused by small inconveniences like having to buy map markers, an inability to max out the skill tree, and occasional wrong-direction dashes. Figuring out where to go and dealing with enemy-heavy final levels adds to the mild irritation.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief is felt when overcoming difficult sections, such as lowering the difficulty for the final boss or utilizing frequent checkpoints. Reaching the end of the lengthy game or seeing a bug fixed also provides a strong sense of relief.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): Dislike is directed at the art style and character designs, specific areas like the Cosmos zone with its difficulty spike, and the dark visuals paired with uncomfortable music. The ultra-precise platforming with tight controls also contributes to negative feelings.
- Disgust (weight 0): Disgust is primarily triggered by the Dream Kingdom map design, which hides essential information and forces memorization. The clunky teleport-to-arrow mechanic and unfavorable comparisons to other disliked titles intensify this reaction.
- Irritation (weight 0): Irritation arises from control-lock bugs, loading screens on every map transition, and a controller bug after alt-tabbing. Pixel-perfect arrow teleport timing and imprecise controls during endgame precision platforming add to the annoyance.
- Addiction (weight 0): Addiction is driven by the game's multitasking gameplay, which is challenging but strangely compelling. The super fun mechanics, constant platforming challenges, and deep progression loop make it hard to put down.}