#elden pixels

“Retro” is a word that's got thrown around a lot the last 10+ years. More often than not, the term is loosely applied wholesale to sell games to the crowd into the “retro” style. The 8 and 16-bit era achieved such a high standard that many developers today want to use that style (for better or worse) to capture the fans of that era of video gaming.

There’s more to “retro” than just the looks. People are so fond of that era because developers pushed their limited technology to its limits and gave us stories and slick aesthetics in classics like Ninja Gaiden, The Legend of Zelda and Vice Project Doom.

The point I’m trying to make is that Alwa’s Awakening feels like a true player of that era. The graphics, and scenery represented by a limited color palette looks as if it could run on original NES hardware. The music is a perfect companion to the looks and presentation. Not only is it well done, but it sounds authentic to the late 80s/early 90s soundtracks. Something else I appreciated was how some of the songs had a modern arrangement, without stepping outside of the lines of what the NES was capable of. The presentation here is solid.

Gameplay is just as good. Alwa’s Awakening is a puzzle-platformer set in a Metroidvania style world, where backtracking is a necessity. Truthfully, I don’t give these types of games much of a chance because I’m dumb, but I was so invested in crawling around the caves, avoiding spike pits and using my powers to reach different parts of the map that the exploration element kept me hooked.

There’s plenty of combat here. Areas are inhabited by enemies and they’re a handful of bossfights throughout. You use your staff to hit enemies and will later find a magic power that allows you to shoot projectiles. Your magic powers in the game drives the platforming but they can also be used to block and avoid enemy attacks. The three magic powers are a staple in Alwa’s Awakening and it’s fun using them in platforming and combat

I can’t brag enough about how well this game controls. A criticism I heard when researching this game was that the jumping is “floaty” Within the context of the gameplay, where you’re always trying to reach new platforms and heights, I appreciate the floaty jumping because I don’t want to drop like an anchor every time I mistime a jump. The platforming is precise and any time I missed a platform or jumped over something, it was my fault.

The story is simple but great as a motivation for the gameplay. You control Zoe, who finds herself in the desolate world of Alwa, a once peaceful place taken over by Vicar and his four goons. Your goal is to find four ornaments to unlock Vicar’s lair and destroy him. I like simple stories and this keeps in line with the early classics of the 8-bit era perfectly.

I can’t nitpick Alwa’s Awakening. It’s just too damned good. After the 9 hour adventure was over, I was more than happy with everything it had to offer. Presentation, gameplay, controls, everything here was a joy. I recommend Alwa’s Awakening to anyone who wants an authentic classic gaming experience. There’s something here for everyone and Elden Pixels did a super job with this game.