Elderand Review – Symphony of the Fight

thesixthaxis.com:

I’m a sucker for a good Metroidvania, and everything I saw of Elderand in previews and demos ticked all the boxes. The bright and colourful pixel aesthetic, the array of hideous beasts and the blood-soaked combat all brought back memories of the days when Konami actually released games. Promising action-packed platforming and the light RPG mechanics that characterised the very best of Castlevania titles, Elderand became one of my most anticipated indie titles of 2023. Could it possibly live up to my expectations? Nearly. So very nearly.

Graphically, Elderand is massively influenced by the adventures of the various Belmonts, combining a medieval fantasy aesthetic with a horde of monsters ranging from mutated insects to screen filling bosses. Everything is topped off with more blood than a vampire’s shopping list and a set of environments far more varied than the traditional castle setting.

The backstory to Elderand is refreshingly low-key. Rather than beginning with an end of the world scenario, you play as a mercenary on what seems to be a normal mission before everything starts to unravel. It isn’t long, however, before you get caught up in a standard Lovecraftian tale of otherworldly creatures and prophecies. As you explore the world of Elderand you’ll find a host of notes that offer insight into the wider lore but in truth the story mostly takes a backseat here. The main focus is the challenging combat based gameplay.

When you first begin your time with Elderand you’ll find yourself dying fairly frequently. The combat is unforgiving and enemies hit hard. You have a relatively effective combo, a block, and a backdash to avoid enemy attacks. You quickly learn that a careful approach is required, and the combat takes on a