Gestalt: Steam & Cinder
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Critic Reviews for Gestalt: Steam & Cinder
A fantastically polished Metroidvania, with some of the best 16-bit style graphics ever seen and impressively deep combat and role-playing elements.
Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is a rock-solid retro metroidvania that borrows some of the best aspects of its main inspirations.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a charming metroidvania with a unique world that's ultimately undone by its overstuffed and underwhelming storytelling.
The narrative facet and its lack of ambition distance it from the best of the genre, but in the rest of the sections the gears of Gestalt: Steam & Cinder are perfectly placed and give rise to a metroidvania as solid as it is recommended.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Gestalt: Steam & Cinder! It has a story that left me a little frustrated by the end, but the way there was full of good mechanical writing, solid character development, and a healthy amount of proper noun-led mystery world-building. The top-shelf visual quality cannot be understated, with incredibly detailed and well-animated 2D art that can hang with the classics easily. And while combat was the messiest part, there was still fun to be had running around the world, fighting weird enemies, and using skills and combos powered by cool animations. I would definitely keep paying attention to Metamorphosis Games, especially if there are more stories to come from this world in particular.
Despite a few odd design choices, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is an enjoyable Metroidvania with an intriguing world, and exhilarating combat.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder looks and plays the part of a competent action game. However, its heart lies more in its narrative. While I admire the ambition, Gestalt left me asking, both as a game and as a story, one simple question: "so what?".
Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is a good metroidvania that lacks any significant flaws, but at the same time has a hard time excelling at anything beyond its gorgeous pixel art. A solid choice if you're a fan of the genre, just don't expect it to make you forget about Silksong.
Review in Italian | Read full review
