Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards
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Top Critic Average
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Critic Reviews for Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards
Simply put Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards is your typical action adventure RPG. Zones are fun and unique enough to satisfy. But the frame rate dips so low at times that it's easy to become frustrated. There's nothing eccentric here, and that's ok, not every game about saving the world has to be, I guess.
I wanted Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards to be great, as I said I absolutely love the lore and mythology presented here. The cutscenes are also worth noting as they employ a graphic novel – panel approach which as everyone knows I’m a sucker for comic – well anything. Everything else about this game though, from the graphics to the voice acting just feels very uninspired and lazy. It’s really a shame because the content is so interesting, the Incans deserve more time in the spotlight and despite this misstep, I hope they get it.
Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards presents a unique setting and interesting storyline, but struggles to break out of the hack'n'slash monotony.
Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has important cultural inspirations, but its protocol narrative structure, the plastered gameplay model, and visuals that fall short of the work on which it is based weaken its full potential and make it an ordinary and forgettable game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has the potential to be an excellent game with intriguing storytelling and unique characters but it gets dragged down by a tedious combat system and a world that offers little substance.
Aluna is skillfull warrior daughter of goddess Pachamama. Ready to fight.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
We do need more games that go out there and bravely tell stories of deities, cultures and heroes that people wouldn't be aware existed. Aluna is brave in that not only does it do that, but it even goes as far asto make a very dry joke about how obsessed the entire industry is with telling the same stories over and over again. Unfortunately, while Aluna is blessed with some gorgeous art, a brilliant protagonist, and a wonderful setting, it squanders so much of what it does by being an incredibly safe Diablo clone in execution. Aside from a few technical issues with the Switch, Aluna is a perfectly competent and focused Diablo clone, but the game and creative energy behind it promise more which, to our great disappointment, the developers have failed to deliver.
Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards retains that addictive loop of loot but falters in performance. It’s clear that the game wasn’t properly optimized, at least for the Switch, leading to stutters, crashes, and graphical disappearing acts. The fidelity itself isn’t bad with a clay-like aesthetic and the focus on Inca Mythology felt fresh and was welcomed. While it could have benefited from livelier characters, the narrative sufficed and provided something to chew on as I played. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that gameplay is king here and the experience is worth having, albeit at a discounted price. Its current state doesn’t render it unplayable, but having to sit through crashes shouldn’t happen in a game that never tests the console.
