Etherborn Reviews
Etherborn is a space and gravity bending puzzle game that challenges your spatial awareness, however despite a very compelling hook and lovely visuals it runs out of ideas very quickly.
If you can get past the clunky controls and funny camera angles, then you can find a lot of enjoyment in this very unique puzzler.
The challenging gameplay, gorgeous sound design, and stunning aesthetics all make Etherborn a worthwhile experience, even for those not fond of puzzle-platformers. Every level demonstrates a craftsmanship that encourages the curiosity to think and engage with the world. Completing puzzles is satisfying, even if the length of the game is not. Some minor issues may crop up along the way, but Etherborn is still a clever, fun game that challenges players and their perspective of the world.
For a platformer puzzler hybrid, Etherborn ticks most of the boxes in terms of having complex puzzles that are neither too easy or too difficult. The soundtrack and environment both compliment the game’s theme, but you don’t really spend enough time with it to be wowed. An interesting mechanic with the gravity-based puzzles means it’s recommendable to genre fans, but it’s not for everyone.
Although Etherborn is a somewhat short and often frustrating adventure, its intricate stages are mostly a joy to solve.
Etherborn stumbles at times in its execution and gets lost in an unnecessary narrative, but there's no denying the puzzle design is brilliant.
But these are overshadowed by the thin layer of frustration caused by the loose controls and overly restrictive camera. There is potential here and if you enjoy more artful puzzle games like the ones this game has been heavily compared to, it's at least worth a look. Just be ready for a few hangups along the way that might take you out of the experience.
There’s still fun to be had in solving Etherborn‘s puzzles, but given how insanely short the game is, I’d probably recommend giving it a pass until you can find it on sale.
A game with a lot on offer but currently lacking finer detail.
Etherborn has all the good ideas for a clever puzzle game. Then it ends after only four levels, never exploring its mechanics in a way that makes them stand out.
I enjoyed my time playing Etherborn, but I also didn’t feel anything special while doing so. If you’re really in the mood for a puzzle game, then Etherborn may be worth checking out, but outside of that, you won’t be worse off for skipping it.
Etherborn is a short but mostly sweet puzzler that challenges players to defy gravity in order to traverse its M.C. Escher-esque world.
Etherborn has so much potential, but its best moments are over far too quickly, leaving little replay value aside from showing people how cool the design is.
Etherborn is a compelling, gravity-shifting puzzle platformer, but its convoluted plot and limited worlds stop it from being exceptional.
Etherborn looks nice and has some really interesting puzzles but they are presented in a way that's just a little too slow, not to mention a little too frustrating, to be truly enjoyable.
Etherborn is a satisfying puzzler that has some very cleverly designed enigmas, but unfortunately some awkward gameplay mechanics hold it back a bit. It’s not that anything in the game is bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the loose controls and some samey environments do make solving some puzzles feel a lot less enjoyable than it should be. Fans of puzzlers will definitely have a good time with Etherborn though, so if you fancy taking part in some brain teasers it’s certainly worth checking out. Those who aren’t too keen though might just find themselves getting a little too frustrated with some of the game’s shortcomings.
Etherborn is a creative and occasionally maddening puzzler that will test your brainpower. However, there's not a ton of content here, and the backing narration often comes across as pretentious nonsense.
Altered Matter’s confection of abstract art, sound, and puzzle design balances increased difficulty with an unspoken delicacy.
A carefully crafted and expertly designed experience full of interesting puzzles.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The narrative and visual issues aside, the ultimate draw of this game is the complex, wonderful level designs and the intricate puzzles and they mountain over any serious concern I had with the game. Keep your head down and you should be able to crack Etherborn in around 3-4 hours, which is more than enough of this kind of gravity-puzzler for me.