Exile's End
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Critic Reviews for Exile's End
The price is on the lower end, but may still be too much for the entire package for most players. It can be knocked out in a few sessions in a weekend, so if you are desperate for a somewhat competent metroidvania and have plenty of patience to spare, Exile's End might have something for you.
Exile’s End is not a bad game by any means, but it never really reaches the heady heights of its influences. In what is so obviously a labour of love, this is a shame, but such is the risk with such blatant nostalgia. Often, going back is not a good idea.
Exile’s End is a true old school Metroidvania experience in both good and bad ways that will ring your nostalgia bells while pulling no punches with the gameplay.
For the price of entry and the type of game Exiles End is worth a look from fans of the genre. It’s got decent atmosphere, controls fairly well, and provides some fun exploration and fighting. It’s just not nearly as good as those that came before it, take it or leave it. I want to like the game more than I do, but getting endlessly lost, questioning my progression, and the weak start left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
… the complete care and dedication that went into recreating an excellent replica from the 8-16 bit era certainly helps offset the frustration.
Exiles End reminds me a lot of the 1991 game Crystal Caves, except Exiles End is slower and has less challenges and need for strategy. That being said, it does have the ability to save as well as checkpoints. The monsters are fairly easy to avoid or kill, especially at the beginning, and there is quite a bit of dead screen time where Jameson runs one way for awhile and then in the opposite direction with little to no interaction besides the occasional jump. While it definitely has the retro look with nice artwork and good music, it seems to be missing a lot of the feel that the retro games have.The story is decent but the game play does not provide much a challenge and frankly I cannot see myself going back to it.
Though the rough spots spoil a seamless progression, Exile's End is a challenging yet brief Metroid-styled experience at a fine price.
Despite a very slick-looking 16-bit environment and lifespan that covers several game modes, there's less to Exile's End than meets the eye - the game may look superb for a throwback to previous gaming generations but its rater flawed level design, monotonous feel and somewhat repetitive and uninteresting exploration make it an experience that does not live up to its expectations and which can't but wonder that if some things had been done differently, the game could be overall much better.
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