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Elderand Review


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334045837_Elderandlogo.png.4cfb03d54e77ab2b5f0515766d888cef.pngLovecraftian monsters and Castlevania gameplay seems like it'd be a perfect match. What better setting to slowly unravel the mysteries of eldritch monsters than a gameplay system that requires scouring every inch of the environment in pursuit of new items and abilities? Elderand, from developer Mantra and publisher Graffiti Games, proves that the combo makes for an engaging adventure, even if it is somewhat by the numbers.
 
True to its premise, Elderand offers a mysterious and creepy world to explore, full of bleak, bloody, and monstrous scenery. You'll need to discover much of the story on your own, through finding notes full of background information and world building that are scattered across the game's map. It's kind of a light touch approach to storytelling but it works well here for the most part—this is a mysterious world, and learning only bits and pieces of its story propels that mystery further. The downside is that when you do get into actual cutscenes or dialogue with NPCs the narrative isn't quite as engaging as it should be since you probably only have a vague idea of what's happening.
 
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Elderand adapts the Metroidvania formula pretty precisely: you've got quite a lot of territory in the map to explore, but oftentimes you'll run into gates that require some new ability, so you'll need to keep adventuring and backtrack later. There are a good amount of secrets to uncover, some more obvious than others, so players that enjoy picking apart everything in a game should enjoy the challenge here. Unfortunately you can't mark the map to remind you of out-of-reach treasure chests or other items that require further investigation, but the map is also relatively small enough that racing through old locales isn't too much trouble, especially once you've leveled up a bit and can cut through enemies quickly. The exploration abilities you gradually gain are pretty standard for Metroidvanias, but if it's not broken there's no need to fix it. Double jumps and air dodges may not be new, but it's always satisfying to reach new heights in an exploration-heavy game, especially when you can finally grab that treasure that has been out of reach for hours.
 
Combat in Elderand offers a few different options as well as customization routes. You start off with a standard sword but you'll also be able to use weapons like bows, daggers, and magic staves. Some weapons rely on your strength stat while others use dexterity or magic, and every time you level up you gain another stat point to allocate as you see fit, allowing you to focus on a particular type of weapon or try to give yourself a more balanced character. You can also swap between two equipment sets on the fly, which is particularly useful for keeping a melee set and a ranged set at the ready. There aren't actually that many types of weapons to experiment with, and in fact not even that much equipment in the game in general to really change up alternate playthroughs or playstyles, but there's enough wiggle room that you can try a couple of different approaches and see how they affect your approach to any fight. The main downside here though is that you don't have the ability to respec your stats by default, you have to unlock the ability after a decent amount of time playing. In fact it's possible to miss it entirely, which doesn't seem suited to the game's approach to having only a handful of weapon styles in the first place.
 
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Otherwise, combat in Elderand is solid, if somewhat unremarkable. Your attacks have a decent amount of weight to them so you can't go in swinging wildly and expect to block or dodge through every enemy attack—there's also a stamina meter for those defensive actions. Basically any time you encounter a new enemy you'll need to play it cool and play it safe, learn their tells and safe moments so you can get some attacks in yourself, which makes for a very "slow and steady" kind of experience. Dying can be pretty common in Elderand, but the game never really feels discouraging. It's challenging but it's a doable challenge, and one that makes victory, especially against giant horrific bosses, all the sweeter.
 
Elderand's presentation features some quality pixel art that really brings the otherworldly monsters to life—any graphics that are more realistic than this would be pretty grotesque, in fact. The art style is sharp and stylish, and makes for some fun scenery and cool monsters. The soundtrack also does a good job of maintaining a creepy atmosphere, though none of the background music is particularly memorable.
 
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Even if you're meticulous about exploring the map, Elderand is not a particularly long game. You can expect around 7–8 hours for one playthrough. However, there's also a decent amount of replay potential for speedrunning or focusing on a different weapon/combat style for a full playthrough. If you're only interested in one run though, Elderand is just a little on the short side for a Metroidvania.
 
Elderand offers an engaging Metroidvania-style game with a creepy, Lovecraftian atmosphere, though perhaps doesn't go far enough to distinguish itself in the genre. The exploration is fun and the combat has a modest amount of customization options to keep you hooked, not to mention a high level of challenge that makes progress particularly satisfying. None of it quite stands out from similar Metroidvanias, but the adventure is still fun while it lasts.
 
Rating: 7 out of 10 Demons
 
Review copy provided by publisher
 
Elderand is available now on the Switch eShop. It is on sale until 2/23 for $16.99 (normal price $19.99).
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