Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan Reviews
While it does sound like Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan has a lot of negative aspects to it, it is still a very good game overall in the end.
Even without acknowledging the unusually huge difficulties Kiro’o faced in getting it released at all, Aurion suffers a major blow but stands up as an original, memorable, and rewarding game that deserves every success.
Filled with ambition and a unique perspective, Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan could have been an excellent game, telling uniquely African stories. It is brought down by poor pacing, repetitive and tedious battles and an unfortunate lack of polish.
An ambitious first game that stumbles occasionally but ultimately impresses with fun gameplay and extensive world-building.
A game full of interesting ideas but lacks the execution.
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is staggering for an inaugural effort.
If you want to experience a different type of fantasy narrative through an underrepresented cultural lens, there is some merit to be found here. But those with a low tolerance for half-baked combat might have to look elsewhere.
All in all, I spent over 15 hours going from Zama to the farthest reaches of the game’s world and back. It’s extremely ambitious for Kiro’o Games to dive into the deep end with a game of this scope right off the bat, even with the framework they built up from years prior. Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is a game which shows tremendous heart and dedication to making a legitimately fun and beautiful game, but also some of the pitfalls of a developer’s first big title. That said, in spite of the technical issues, I do recommend playing Aurion. It’s available right now on Steam for $14.99. For those who want more of the lore behind the game, there is also a comic which delves deeper into the game’s events.
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is certainly not a perfect game, but it’s a great first step for Kiro’o Games. There needs to be more of a focus on the Central African region within the gaming medium, as there are certainly more stories that need to be told and experienced. With this as a great foundation for future projects, I will be eagerly waiting to find out what this team has in store for us next. Fans of the genre should definitely consider picking this up on Steam whenever you’re in the mood for some folklore and something entirely different than roleplaying game fans are used to.
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is a game that should be played because it extends itself into an epistemological paradigm that no other game has dared to venture: African Fantasy. Its other commendable merits of resplendent environments, captivating story, and adept gameplay are complimentary, but secondary to the fact that this game's very existence is (gaming) history.