Aphelion Reviews
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.
Aphelion is hugely ambitious, but saddled with an unengaging narrative and dated mechanics that result in a rare misstep for Don't Nod.
Exciting and cinematic, Aphelion is a stunning space adventure that will surely stay in the hearts of players who enjoy this style of game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Aphelion feels like watching a beautiful sci-fi film that stumbles on the small details. It leans heavily on an interesting story with two protagonists who deserved a bit more depth, while leaving the gameplay feeling too simple, even if the potential is there. The soundtrack and the visual design are stunning, with the planet Persephone being a real feast for the eyes, but the stealth sections fall short, the invisible walls pull you out of the experience, and the idea of having two playable characters is largely wasted. It could have been so much more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Aphelion is a project that impresses above all for its ambition, identity and coherence: DON’T NOD has chosen to move away from its best-known and tried-and-tested formula with the clear intention of creating an adventure that is more compact, more direct and less branching, yet no less personal. The linear narrative could have been a risk but – in reality – it is the best way to give strength – thanks also to a top-notch soundtrack and sound design – to a story of survival and relationships set in a scientifically credible context. The gameplay, whilst less brilliant than the narrative and artistic aspects – partly due to less-than-ideal input lag and questionable precision, as well as the excessive presence of scripted sections (which unfortunately affects the final rating) – completes a formula that is certainly not flawless but which ultimately offers an experience that, however imperfect, we are sure will be appreciated especially by lovers of science fiction and films such as Interstellar, Gravity, Ad Astra and The Martian!
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aphelion is fascinating and visually stunning adventure that has some of the best audio work that I've ever witnessed. Gameplay-wise it is quite simplistic – and that may drive some people away.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
All in all, Aphelion is a game I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with. It’s taken me to unprecedented heights and deep lows.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Aphelion is a game that relies on atmosphere, narrative, and setting to drive its journey, but ultimately relegates gameplay to the background. The combination of linear exploration, simple challenges, and repetitive mechanics means that player engagement varies considerably throughout the game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Aphelion tells an engaging story with a lot of interesting lore and the switch between protagonists is well integrated into the plot and adds to the experience. However the technical issues and the rather shallow gameplay prevent it from competing in the top tier of Don't Nod-titles. While the various ideas in Ariane's sequences add good variety there's never that much of a challenge gameplay-wise and the stuttering and bugs only intensify the feeling that the game would've needed a little bit more finetuning before its release.
Review in German | Read full review
Developed by Dont Nod, Aphelion is a story-driven adventure game set on an icy, inhospitable planet. The focus is not on fast action, but on atmosphere, emotion and the gradual discovery of a mystery. The game thus joins a growing group of titles that emphasize experience over gameplay intensity.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
"A cinematic survival journey into the depths of uncharted space" Aphelion offers an experience heavily reliant on atmosphere and psychological tension, with a cohesive visual world and clever sound design that complements the gameplay. However, it suffers from limited innovation in some mechanics and a clear reliance on familiar elements. Despite this, the DON'T NOD touch is present, and the game delivers a unique experience that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of this genre.
Review in Arabic | Read full review