Alwa's Awakening Reviews
Alwa's Awakening is altogether a very impressive effort. It takes full advantage of its 8-bit aesthetics to create a game that wouldn't look out of place on a shelf next to Clash at Demonhead and Whomp 'Em. More importantly, this action-adventure does more than enough to stand out by relying on a foundation consisting of great controls and mechanics. Zoe's three powers strike the perfect balance. They're flexible, but they also show the right amount of restraint. The result is a tightly-designed title that is sure to pleasantly surprise even the most seasoned gamers.
Alwa’s Awakening is classic gaming for the modern gamer and an incredibly enjoyable experience.
It’s a game made by a small, four-man Swedish studio called Elden Pixels, and one that doesn’t contain an ounce of cynicism or irony; it’s made by retro enthusiasts who genuinely want to relive the glories of yesteryear. On the game’s Steam page, it is billed as a “retro game in a modern coat.”
The sunlight cuts through your slumbering daze like a razor blade. Your surroundings are unfamiliar. How did you get here? Where are you supposed to go now? A stranger approaches with a request, no, a statement. You have much to do, so much to do… No! This isn’t the recovery of a wild Friday night, this is “Alwa’s Awakening”! It’s time to embark on a quest!
Ultimately, Alwa’s Awakening feels like the foundation to what might have been a rather more substantial revisit of the glorious 8-bit like so many before it.
The small team at Elden Pixels created a game that measures up to the games that were released during the NES golden years during a modern time.
Alwa's Awakening is a true, but beautiful, trip in the past. Everything is close to the old masterpieces of videogames, with only a few buttons that were able to do all the things a gamer needed.
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All in all, Alwa's Awakening is an enjoyable retro romp built from the ground up for nothing other than retro-junkies. If you grew up on the old Amiga, NES, SNES, or even Mega Drive titles, then I'd certainly say for you to give this title a fair chance...However if you're just looking for a way to get into the subgenre...Then I'd look elsewhere.
The result is a really splendid example of the form, with enough original ideas of its own within the standard to make it interesting. It’s a good, solid game, that’s occasionally extremely tough, but always fair.
Disappointing design choices makes Alwa's Awakening difficult to recommend.
Visually breathtaking, Alwa's Awakening is a phenomenal feat for such a small team of developers. If the gameplay had been given as much attention as the art and sound, we could have had an instant classic.
Alwa’s Awakening is an incredibly accurate throwback to the NES games of old, and despite it focusing a lot on authenticity rather than trying anything new, it manages to hit all the right notes for a Metroidvania. With a lovely soundtrack, several routes to take on your journey and more, Alwa’s Awakening managed to engage me more than I was expecting it to, and for the $10 price tag I can easily recommend this without hesitation to fans of Metroidvania titles.
It's definitely worth a shot if you’re hankering for a bit of old school platforming action.
At worst, this is a well designed and well made Megaman-style game. At best it's hours of addicting yet frustrating gameplay to finish the main storyline. Given it's reasonable price ($10 USD), it's absolutely worth picking up for anyone who enjoys these style of games.
Alwa's Awakening makes a number of questionable choices with its slow gameplay mechanics, but the core experience provides fun and challenging platforming and magic abilities.
Any Metroidvania or Retro fans would enjoy this treat, it truly feels like a modern NES game. Especially at the $9.99 price point.
Alwa's Awakening is an interesting homage to a classic game that manages to stand out -- but not by much.
Despite its imperfections, Alwa’s Awakening is an enjoyable experience. The retro art style, rich colors, and music accompany gameplay that is quaint, yet engaging. Those who grew up on the NES will find it a fine tribute to games of yesteryear and those who did not will still enjoy a pleasant, playable adventure.
Alwa's Awakening takes its players to pretty pixelated places filled with NES challenge, but mars the whole experience with a clumsy magic system that makes the game's difficult platforming segments needlessly frustrating.
Alwa's Awakening is exactly what I had hoped I was in for when I booted up the title.