Analysis: Aeterna Noctis. Cycle of light and darkness

Eternal night This is the last, but also the first game of the study Eternal game studios and, being their first game, the truth is they were round. Released on Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and PC a few days ago, Eternal night Puts us in the shoes of the King of Darkness in a 2D Metroidvania with unique mechanics and well-designed difficulty. By the way, has anyone already said that the studio that developed it is Spanish and that all the animations are done by hand? Let’s take a look at it in depth.

The eternal cycle of day and night

As we said, in Eternal night we have taken control of the King of Darkness (not the King of Darkness, something that makes him particularly angry to hear), in the Eternal fight between day and night. Light and dark, face to face. In each cycle, there is a fight between the heads visible on each side, which are immortal. The loser of the battle must travel the vast world of Aeterna to regain his powers, reach the top and, again, start the battle again. Although, yes, we already assure you that it is not that simple. The game is save several surprises and twists along the way.

As you can imagine, getting our powers back after such a battle will not be an easy task. The world of Aeterna is huge and each of its 16 zones will hide secrets and unique characters. The main thing, however, is to find the keys. Each of them will give us access to one of the doors of our house, which will allow us, after a platform phase, to recover one of our powers. Like any good Metroidvania, in Eternal night we will find places that are temporarily inaccessible, so it will be vital. While since Aeterna game studios They assure that the story can be completed in about 20 hours, the truth is that the game gives a lot more, and skill will greatly affect the length of the game.

As for the characters, it must be said that a lot of characterization work has been done. Each of them has a very strong personality, especially the Dark King himself. This character, by the way, evolves quite a bit over the course of the game, and we’re not just talking about his powers. Plus, the fact that it’s an eternal cycle between mortals creates a very interesting, if not fun, dynamic at one point.

Advance in a world full of dangers

As we commented, Eternal night It has the classic characteristics of a metroidvania. However, that’s not all it has to offer. As we progress we will also grow thanks to a skill tree, in an unexpected RPG twist. While in many cases these are simple stat boosts, it’s still appreciated to see how enemies that were a challenge now fall almost without moving our sword.

However, if there is a point where it stands out Eternal night it’s in their bosses. Each of them has different attack and movement patterns, and they are extremely powerful. However, their brilliance lies precisely in these patterns. A skilled player will be able, with effort, to defeat a boss for which he is statistically unprepared.. Although, yes, we recommend that you have at least a few powers unlocked before trying to fight them, especially those related to movement. And speaking of competence …

The dificultad of Eternal Noctis

Eternal night It is a difficult game, very difficult. The platform that the world of Aeterna demands is extremely precise, but it’s been like that from the start, even from the tutorial. As for battles, while it is true that average enemies will not pose a great challenge, bosses, as we said, are already something else. However, it must be said that this Dark souls Metroidvania is, in short, a matter of trial and error, and after several attempts, this area that seemed impossible to walk through becomes almost a walk.

However, all is not positive. Something that adds an extra layer of difficulty, in many cases unfair, is not from the world itself. In particular, there are certain situations where the camera is problematic. Although this is something that happens very rarely, It could be that the foreground has an element that covers something important on the stage, or directly to our character. In addition, there are certain points where we have to jump into the void or use a portal which directly leads us to lose a life.

However, Honestly, all this ordeal mode suffering is worth it. As we said, except for very specific details, this is not an unfair game. On the contrary, the world of Aeterna is quite generous when it comes to checkpoints, so dying will only mean reappearing a little further away. We are immortal, after all. In addition, the world and the history to be discovered are great assets. While the high difficulty may put many people back down, the satisfaction we get after completing the game is unmistakable.

The incredible artistic section of Aeterna Noctis

Let’s be frank, Eternal night enters through the eyes. The touch of stained glass and the design of each of the areas of the world of Aeterna give a unique touch to this game, a very clear visual identity sign. Go from a ruin to a biome where fire surrounds us, then enter a forest illuminated by its own inhabitants. Everything is amazing to see, and just walking through these landscapes is reason enough to want to play.

However, it’s not just the world that is visually stunning. Sure, the character design is particularly good, from the two obvious protagonists to the NPCs we meet during our adventure. Although, yes, the change in artistic styles, while understandable, creates some inconsistency and takes away immersion. While that’s not even a negative point, it’s a bit shocking to go from seeing everything as if it’s a stained glass window to 2D animation and then to a semi-3D in-game design. But, I said, nothing that tarnishes the amazing visual section, let alone when you first start playing.

Finally, not all the arts are visual. Eternal night has a soundtrack rreally exciting. From the tunes that serve their purpose to the clear immersion, to the opening theme song, a superb job has been done on the music for the game. our Dark King is also taking his first steps as a musician, and in certain moments of the adventure we can help him to play, in one of the additions that we particularly liked.

Here is the definitive, Aeterna Noctis …

In conclusion, the truth is that there is not much to say that has not already been said. Eternal night It is a game with great difficulty, but one that lovers of challenges will appreciate. However, even despite this, it has many other elements, especially in terms of its universe, its artistic section and its precise playability, which will make it a great experience, which will give us dozens of hours of pleasure. Finally, we wanted to make one final point, and it should be noted that this is the first game from studio Talavera de la Reina, and therefore the fact that they left such a difficult and round game has even more value. Finally, and as always, if you want to learn more about this kind of news, be sure to stop by your home here in the Xbox Space.