Clockwork Ambrosia Reviews
I found Clockwork Ambrosia to be fun, but not as fun as I was hoping. The weapons do get absurd, but it takes too long to get there, a lot of the exploration can end up feeling unrewarding, especially as most weapons feel like there's one or two best builds for them, and swapping between weapons feels too sluggish, minimising the overall customisation I was hoping for. I like it, but I don't think it's going to stick with me.
Clockwork Ambrosia mixes classic Metroidvania exploration with one of the most ambitious weapon customization systems the genre has seen in years. It’s messy, creative, addictive, and occasionally frustrating, but it never feels boring. While pacing issues and repetitive rewards hold it back from true greatness, there’s still a lot here for fans of deep experimentation and fast-paced combat.
Overall, I had a fun time with Clockwork Ambrosia and its heavily moddifiable gun-based combat, stunning pixel art visuals, and vibrant soundscape. However, a lacklustre narrative and signposting, unsolvable tech issues, as well as missing quality-of-life and fundamental design elements, led to frustration, confusion, and left me feeling somewhat deflated by the end of my 16-hour playthrough.
Clockwork Ambrosia is a highly entertaining and charming homage to the classic run-and-gun action platformers of yesteryear, and whilst the sometimes-fiddly controls and brutal death penalties can be frustrating, the sheer creativity of the gunsmithing, the joy of exploring its world, and the gorgeous presentation make it well worth your time. I had a lot of fun with the game, with it clear throughout that the developer put a lot of love and care into those fourteen years spent crafting the game.
The weapon mods are clever, the world is fun to poke around in, the pixel art has personality, and the basic loop of finding gear and slowly becoming stronger works. But the rough technical state, weak map, uneven pacing, and occasional difficulty spikes make it harder to recommend without caveats.
Beautiful and fun, Clockwork Ambrosia takes a retro approach to build a vast and demanding exploration experience, with little help in finding the next destination, which can be frustrating for those who don't want to feel lost. The combat is interesting because of how we can modify weapons with many accessories, encouraging experimentation to test what is most appropriate for different situations.
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While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Clockwork Ambrosia nonetheless makes it all the more entertaining with its tough bosses, gun mods, great traversal power-ups dished out for the intrepid explorers, and exhilarating shooting controls and feel. As someone who adores both search action titles and run-and-guns like Contra and Gunstar Heroes, this one's a match made in heaven.
Clockwork Ambrosia is a Metroidvania throwback that does everything right, and the gun mods make for some seriously exciting collectibles.
Clockwork Ambrosia is a solid Metroidvania experience. The weapon customization gives players near-infinite loadout combinations, significantly changing gameplay and lending itself well to replayability or even a challenge run for those inclined. From the weapon-modifying combat to the killer soundtrack to the beautiful pixelated art style, Clockwork Ambrosia is a game you shouldn't skip out on.