I’ve been obsessed with metroidvania and roguelike/rougelite platformer games for a while now. I like how they are both extremely difficult AND easy enough to pop in for a quick round without having to remember what kinds of side or main quests you might have left unfinished from the last time.
I’ve played them all, and can’t seem to get enough of them. Some of my favorites include Hades, the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, Disney Illusion Island, Dreamscaper, Dandy Ace, and Have A Nice Death. These games have become some of my most-played games on the Switch to date. And now, Aura of Worlds can be added to this list of faves!
But while Aura of Worlds is advertised as a roguelite by the developers, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s the same old schtick everyone else offers. This game is amazing, and worth every penny, and let me tell you why.
What it has in common with other roguelite and metroidvania games:
- the point isn’t to reach the end, and dying is actually a huge part of growth (awesome!)
- with each death you are able to use money gathered from your last run to power up (yummy)
What sets it apart:
- the chiptune score and sound effects by Mat Dwyer and Amanda J. Lim and the superb pixel graphics take me back to the days of late 80s/early 90s gaming
- the benefit of modern-day mechanics and responsiveness beyond what the older era games could only dream of
- while other modern roguelites start you at zero (think Blasphemous or Dead Cells or Rogue Legacy) to work your way up, in Aura of Worlds you start with amazing weapons and specials from the get go
Aura of Worlds – developed by Cognitive Forge and published on console by Hidden Trap – will be available on Steam and Nintendo Switch Tuesday, September 24 for only $14.99. (The game will also be available in the U.K. Nintendo eShop for £13.49). The game is also graduating from Steam Early Access – delivering a full 1.0 Steam release filled to the brim with goodies, new features, performance updates, and other enhancements. Get it where you play your games!
