Aphelion Reviews
For a studio with such a strong legacy in narrative gaming, Aphelion lands as one of Don't Nod's weakest projects in years. Beautiful visuals and a promising premise are ultimately buried beneath repetitive gameplay, sluggish pacing, and a story that never reaches the emotional heights it desperately chases.
Aphelion is a great sci-fi adventure that delivers on all fronts. The story, atmosphere, traversal, stealth, and visuals are all great. Ariane and Thomas give the mission a strong emotional centre, while Persephone gives the journey scale, danger, and mystery.
Aphelion is not a terrible game; rather, it is quite uneven, which is incredibly frustrating. It has brilliant moments from time to time, especially at the beginning, in the atmosphere, and in the sound design, but it too often falls back into repetition and mechanical simplicity.
Don't Nod is back, and they're doing it in style! Aphelion is a title we've come to appreciate for its top-notch storytelling, above-average scientific accuracy, and a thoroughly impressive technical execution. It's a game we'd recommend not only to sci-fi fans but also to anyone looking to enjoy a great adventure story—just the right length and with well-balanced difficulty. Finally, the price is the classic cherry on top of a delicious cake! It’s a shame that, unlike the developer’s other IPs, there won’t be a sequel.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aphelion's held back by frustrating controls and gameplay that often works against you. Even with an emotional score and a decent narrative, it isn't enough to save what could have otherwise been a memorable experience. Unfortunately, Dontnod's latest falls short on many accounts, but it's propped up by some great performances and music.
Aphelion is a fine action-adventure game. I use “action” loosely here as there isn’t that much action, but there is more than we are used to in a Don’t Nod title. With a solid enough story there is enough to get invested in here. But with game play mechanics that faulter more than they work, and a final third of the game that drags on far too long, it’s hard to recommend Aphelion to anyone other than the die hard Don’t Nod fans.
Aphelion is yet another typical Don’t Nod game. Either you’ll devour the story with gusto, or you won’t give a hoot about it. Personally, I quite like their approach and enjoyed the game, and the story in particular. When it comes to gameplay, I’m torn. On the one hand, Ari’s climbing eventually started to bore me (even though it was fun and challenging at times), and on the other hand, I found Thomas’s gameplay more enjoyable. But by switching between the two characters at the right moments, it never became frustrating. In short: if you like short, linear single-player games with a good story and a healthy dose of sci-fi, then Aphelion is for you. If you don’t like that sort of thing, then steer well clear of Aphelion.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Aphelion could have been something truly special, because on one side, you have a beautiful, atmospheric world and a phenomenal, character-driven story that sinks its hooks into you. However, on the other side, you have clunky platforming, annoying checkpoints, and late-game stealth sequences that are guilty of outstaying their welcome. If you can look past the flaws and some of the more annoying moments when playing as Ariane, the narrative payoff and gorgeous cinematic presentation make Aphelion absolutely worth your time. Just be prepared for a few annoyances as you make your way to the end of the journey.
Aphelion has some excellent moments regarding the story, but is let down by consistently frustrating gameplay where you feel punished for no reason.
Aphelion is a small game that hits hard with big emotions by embracing the very best elements of science fiction. It embraces humanity and connection while still showcasing the genre’s love of alien planets and condemnation of evil corporations.
Aphelion leans heavily on cinematography and performances, but fails to modernize its dated gameplay or deliver a truly compelling story. Despite repetitive segments and uninspired level design, it still manages to entertain thanks to its more intense, survival-driven moments.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aphelion offers a gripping sci-fi mystery with two well-written protagonists and realistic astronaut gameplay focused on survival tools. While the experience becomes somewhat repetitive due to a lack of new mechanics later on, the emotional story still makes it a worthwhile experience from DonʼtNod Entertainment.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Aphelion had everything it needed to be a good game. A beautiful world, an intriguing narrative premise, and solid performances. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that was enough, and released a product whose core gameplay simply doesn’t work. Don’t Nod unfortunately failed here.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Aphelion is easy to admire from a distance, but the closer you get, the emptier it feels. Its story relies on a relationship it never really builds, and the gameplay does little to keep things interesting in between the nice-looking moments. Aside from the performances and the immaculate soundtrack, the game is as distant and impossible to connect with as its namesake.
DON'T NOD delivers a linear, narrative-driven space adventure focused on the connection between its two protagonists. While it shows excellent direction and great characterization, it stumbles on a basic level design, repetitive gameplay, and an underdeveloped story plot. A flawed yet very fascinating interstellar journey.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aphelion is a gripping tale about two people, not just about surviving on an alien world, but also reuniting with each other. Although some players may find the gameplay too basic, those who love a good story will find themselves hooked from beginning to end. DON’T NOD have once again shown that they are masters when it comes to engaging narratives. So, with all that said, Aphelion receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
There’s a quiet confidence to Aphelion that I didn’t expect, paired with a stubborn refusal to make things easy for the player. It takes story, platforming, and familiar sci-fi ideas and creates something that feels thoughtful, yet oddly punishing. It pulled me in, pushed me away, and then pulled me back again just when I thought I was done with it.
Aphelion is a fantastic Sci-Fi adventure that really delivers on atmosphere and visual scale. While the climbing mechanics and some wonky animations act as minor speed bumps, the dual-hero narrative and the stunning world-building kept me hooked. It’s a beautiful, slow-burning experience that feels like a proper journey across an alien world. If you’re a fan of atmospheric adventures, this is a trek worth taking.
Instead of wanting to soak in the world, I often found myself pushing forward just to see it through to the end. That’s probably the biggest disappointment. This is a game that feels like it should be better than it is. There’s enough here that some players will connect with it more than I did, but for me, it never fully lived up to its potential.
This is DON’T NOD at the top of their game. Tried and true game mechanics are elevated massively by fantastic art direction, sound and creature design. Most importantly, Aphelion weaves a gripping narrative with two incredible performances from the main voice cast. As a video game, it’s not doing anything new when it comes to game mechanics, but what it does do, it does very well indeed. Aphelion is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi adventure of loss, desperation, survival, and importantly, hope. Despite a few very late-game wobbles, this is one mission for humanity you should undertake.