Cathedral Reviews

Cathedral is ranked in the 51st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10
Feb 18, 2021

Cathedral is a well-made and enjoyable action-platformer that's sure to please fans of the genre, as it showcases lots of strong level design, tough difficulty, and plenty of rewarding secrets. Even so, there's a sense that something is missing here to take the experience a step higher, as it's the epitome of 'just' another entry in an already crowded genre. All the same, we'd give Cathedral a recommendation to anybody who enjoyed Shovel Knight (or its many imitators) and is looking for something to hit that same appeal. Cathedral very likely won't be your favourite action-platformer, but it's got more than enough going for it to be worth your time and money.

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7.5 / 10.0
Apr 13, 2022

Cathedral is a hell of a challenge, but if you're up for taking it on you'll find a lot to love in this old school Metroidvania.

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7.7 / 10.0
Apr 23, 2022

From Decemberborn Interactive comes a new "retro" metroidvania that shines thanks to a great level design full of secrets, but that does not take any risks in terms of innovation.

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70 / 100
Mar 9, 2021

Even though Cathedral may not be the most original, it is undoubtedly an example of a game that understands the genre well. Fans looking for a straightforward and challenging experience will absolutely love what Cathedral has to offer, whereas those who are looking for something more unique may not find what they want. Whether you enjoy the tried-and-true nostalgic experience or not, Cathedral’s non-linear world is filled with hidden areas, shortcuts, and treasure chests that will give players hours of happy exploration.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 3, 2021

Cathedral is a pretty good Metroidvania-style game that can be difficult at times, though that tends to come with the genre.  That said though, the game looks great and for fifteen dollars, I'd say its definitely worth picking up.  As for me, I'll definitely be taking another trip through the game down the road.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 1, 2021

Cathedral is a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library. It was a lot of fun solving the puzzles and finding my way around the cathedral and surrounding areas.

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Mar 1, 2021

Sometimes, due to overlong dungeons or unduly difficult encounters, it can be too much of a good thing, but more often than not it hits the mark.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2021

After years of being spoiled by so many stylish and creative takes on the genre, Cathedral has very little about it to stand out. Cathedral‘s lack of style or personality does not leave a lasting impact despite its rock solid foundation.

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Cubed3
Athanasios
Top Critic
6 / 10
Nov 2, 2022

Cathedral is basically 10 to 15 hours of decent exploration, with some decent upgrades to find, which will help you fight some decent boss fights, while enjoying the decent retro audio-visuals. Sadly, that's the best thing this has to offer: a decent time. In a sea of similar games, there's little reason to spend any time in here, unless a collector of all things metroidvania.

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8 / 10.0
May 6, 2022

Cathedral is an enjoyable retro styled Metroidvania but also doesn’t do a lot new that we haven’t seen before in the indie space. It will challenge you and there is a ton of secrets to find, puzzles to solve, and quests to busy yourself with as you explore this world. If all that sounds up your alley then you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of this.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2021

Cathedral's real sin is that there's not much to make it distinct from other Metroidvanias on the system. It nails the retro look and the need for exploration. The lack of handholding is refreshing, and the combat is rather good, especially for the boss fights. It doesn't have anything else to pull in players, aside from the fact that the world you traverse is absolutely huge. If you're a genre fan who wants something new yet familiar to work with, Cathedral is the right game.

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GameGrin
Jamie Davies
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Mar 24, 2021

A pure metroidvania which doesn't get bogged down with superfluous mechanics, instead choosing to explore and push every facet of gameplay to its limit.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 3, 2021

Cathedral is a fine Metroid-like in terms of level design, but I just can't shake the feeling that it doesn't hit the balance between exploration and combat-the latter so often gets in the way of simply enjoying the former. If you're a big fan of the genre and are itching for a fresh take, Cathedral is a fine choice that, for the most part, gets it right. Just expect to get tired of fighting your way through every room.

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Feb 19, 2021

If you've ever enjoyed a Metroidvania before, then you'll probably enjoy Cathedral. The fewer of the genre that you've played the better, however, as the lack of original creativity will wash over you easier with less experience and fewer points of comparison among Cathedral's peers. Otherwise, it's a perfectly competent example of the genre. It's just a pity that the Metroidvania genre, in particular, is so over-saturated that we just didn't need more of it.

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Feb 24, 2021

As a simple and intuitive retro-style Metroidvania, Cathedral does a great job of presenting an enjoyable game world to explore.

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7.1 / 10.0
Feb 18, 2021

Absolutely inspired by the 8 and 16-bit eras and the likes of the classic Castlevania series, Cathedral should be quite good at scratching the old school Metroidvania itch for genre fans...

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Recommended
May 6, 2021

If you are itching for a challenging retro-inspired metroidvania that is backed by competent design, then open the doors to Cathedral!

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70 / 100
Apr 18, 2022

If you're a Metroidvania/Search Action fan and you're looking for something familiar, Cathedral will do more than enough to scratch that itch. You'll likely happily spend 20 to 30 hours exploring what this game has to offer. However, don't expect this game to be easy or feature innovative new gameplay mechanics. It's a pretty good experience if you're here for more of the same.

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Mar 1, 2021

A fantastic if not predictable game, a challenge for those that seek it

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Mar 25, 2021

Cathedral is a side-scrolling platformer. It is a Metroidvania, meaning there are several collectibles to collect throughout an expansive world. As the protagonist, a nameless knight, travel through snowy mountains, undersea caverns, and abandoned mines with a mission to demolish a demi-god named Ardur.

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