Sundered Reviews
Sundered is a sight to behold, and has a unique world that I loved exploring. However, the controller-smashing cheapness of the combat, and iffy technical performance make it tough to recommend for those unwilling to embrace the grind and conquer the challenge.
Sundered is a very fast-paced Metroidvania 2D Action Adventure that challenges you to survive in a hell, confronting waves after waves after waves of enemies. It can get extremely hard and frustrating, but if you are an old-school Action Platformer fan, you'll nail it!
Review in Persian | Read full review
Sundered proves that procedural generation and smart, hand-crafted level design are far from mutually exclusive.
Sundered is, undoubtedly, an indispensable game for lovers of the metroidvania genre. It deserves to be appreciated by all players who seek a good challenge. Its story, setting, art direction, soundtrack and gameplay are all factors that make all problems with its performance forgettable. It is one of the best games of its genre out there.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A game with interesting ideas that is let down by frustrating, repetitive gameplay.
Sundered is a must-play action game (now available on Steam and for the PS4), combining astounding animation and rewarding combat. But you're going to die. A lot.
Sundered is pretty to look at but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. It is an unforgiving game that fails to fully satisfy the gamer. Nevertheless, if savored bite by bite to prevent the frustration and repetition from exceeding your satiety threshold, it'll prove to be a pretty entertaining title.
Which leaves me in a bit of a conundrum, and Sundered with a name that couldn't be apter. The core of Sundered is fundamentally flawed from the outset, and randomly generated levels are often a bugbear of mine. But layered on top of this is a fantastic, gorgeous action game with heaps to do. All told you're looking at a good 15-hour run through, and those whose thirst is still not quenched as the credits will no doubt be pleased that each playthrough is different. If the thought of eating a beautiful crunchy red apple appeals to you, and you don't mind the worms wriggling inside, Sundered might be worth a shot.
Sundered is a good metroidvania with an astonishing art design. The procedural generation of the enemies is a bit problematic and the difficulty is not well balanced. Nonetheless, it represents a significant step forward for Thunder Lotus Games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sundered has the basic foundation for a metroidvania/roguelike hybrid down pat, but its poor handling of enemy distribution and the otherwise fine combat that comes with it sadly drags it down.
An unforgettable world, an indefatigable enemy, a somewhat meaningless protagonist, a really good time.
Sundered is an overall excellent entry into the Metroidvania genre and should be a strong consideration for fans of this style. The cycle of exploration devolving into button mashing (then death) could be frustrating for some, and stands as the largest blemish in the title. However, outstanding presentation and a compelling world highlight Thunder Lotus' vision. Memorable bosses and a narrative embedded in the deepest corners of the game create a very satisfying experience.
Sundered is an interesting take on the Metroidvania genre. Eshe's journey to collect the elder shards is adrenaline fueled and challenging. While the game is not free from flaws, it more than worthy of a spot in most collections.
Sundered, from Thunder Lotus Games, a Rogue Legacy meets Super Metroid experience that is well worth checking out.
Sundered looks and sounds beautiful, but you will quickly find it exceptionally repetitive and frustrating.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The roguelike elements didn't quite work out for me, but I'm sure Sundered will find its audience. Though I learned not to hate them, I would have preferred if the game stuck closer to tradition. It becomes a good game, but until you really become acquainted with how it works, it can be a frustrating and monotonous slog.
You're going to die a lot in Sundered, but it's all part of the plan. It's a tormented way to let players experience the terrors of eldritch monsters, but it's just so dang pretty you won't mind much anyway.
The story of Eshe is confusing and mysterious. Throughout the game there are many questions to be asked about what her goal is or how she feels about her unfortunate predicament. However, these questions fade as the drive to fulfill Eshe's unspeakable goal consumed me. I didn't care why she was doing it, I just knew that it must be important enough to put up with all of this to obtain it and that was enough for me. Parts of me wish Sundered never ended, but I was satisfied with the conclusion which made me look back at the choices I made and wonder: if I did it again again, would I embrace or resist this power?
It's not a question of if the player will die in Sundered. They will lose the struggle against the Eldritch horrors that call its world home, and it ultimately comes down to the core theme of resist or embrace. Will the player embrace the challenge, or resist it by giving up? That'll ultimately come down to how much perseverance a person has, but those that do see the adventure out will be rewarded with more glimpses into a gorgeous world and some incredibly tense combat exchanges.