The original Aeternoblade was a game I always had my eye on, but never quite had the desire to pick up for myself. At the risk of sounding like a bit of a snob, I tend to focus my purchases on things I know I want to try, and I very rarely take risks when it comes to my own purchases. That is one reason we review so many games for Phenixx Gaming, we can try things out so you don’t go in blind and wind up wasting your cash on a game you’re not happy with.

I decided to try Aeternoblade II both to satisfy my curiosity and to figure out why so few people actually talk about this game and its predecessor. My findings were a mixed bag of things I expected, and a few things I didn’t. To start, Aeternoblade II has not one, but three protagonists. You play as returning protagonist Freyja, as well as Felix and Bernard. Each has different skillsets and abilities which change the way you approach combat.

Freyja, for example, has average strength attacks and can use a unique ability to place a marker down, and instantly teleport back to it to escape from damage or to solve puzzles. Felix, on the other hand, can step into an alternate reality, perform actions like attacking enemies or hitting switches, and then step back into the normal reality. This enables his alternate version to do things independently, helping to solve puzzles and fight battles with double the strength.

Another difference from the original (from what I understand) is that not only are there side-scrolling levels, but levels also shift into 3D levels with puzzles and battles that are on a free-roaming 3D plane. I personally found the transition between the two somewhat jarring. It doesn’t really telegraph to you when you’re about to enter a 3D area, so one minute you’re in a side-scrolling scenario, and in the next, the camera turns.

Another issue I found, was with the map. As with most Metroidvania games, being able to read your map is very important. Aeternoblade II’s map is very unhelpful, and doesn’t telegraph where you need to go, nor is it easy to pinpoint places you want to return to. The game also doesn’t really give you a warning when you are about to enter a boss room, so you often are unprepared or, at the very least, haven’t explored all other avenues before attempting a boss.

However, that doesn’t mean that Aeternoblade is all bad. The progression system is actually somewhat interesting. By killing enemies you collect yellow orbs, which can be used to upgrade each characters’ stats as well as their combos. You can also collect Relics, which can be equipped to each character to augment their stats, capabilities, and more.

The combat is difficult, yet interesting. The time-based mechanics and each character’s abilities mix up the typical hack-and-slash formula in a way that keeps combat fairly interesting as you learn new ways to use each ability to the fullest extent. The challenge puzzles also add a little bit of variety, teaching you to use the time mechanics in ways you may not have considered before.

Each environment is full of interesting puzzles and places to explore, though I will admit that the graphics remind me of the type of visuals you’d have seen in a mobile game a few years back. The difficulty ramps up in frustrating places though, so the longevity of my enjoyment dropped pretty quickly as I played through the game. After a while, the new wore off, and parts of the game became a slog.

Despite the mixed reception from this review, you should know that Aeternoblade II isn’t a bad game. I would go so far as to say that it isn’t a great game, but it isn’t bad. I wouldn’t dive into it expecting it to be the next Castlevania: Symphony of the Night though. I would also mention that there are a lot of grammar mistakes in the menus and dialogue, so I found that a bit jarring personally.

The mechanics are solid, and I find that the time-based abilities give it a unique flair that most Metroidvania games lack. However, the difficulty spikes, bland visuals, and terrible map put a damper on what is otherwise a pretty decent game. My suggestion is that if you are a fan of games that do different things with established genres, then give Aeternoblade II a try.

However, if the art style puts you off, or you aren’t a fan of games that have steep difficulty spikes and no real way to mitigate that, then it might not be a wise purchase for you. Overall though, fans of Metroidvania games might find this one to be a hidden gem if you like a bit of a challenge.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Aeternoblade II was provided by PQube for this review.

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Aeternoblade II

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Interesting Time Mechanics
• Simple Controls
• Unique Character Designs
• Interesting Progression Systems

Cons

• Simple Graphics
• Difficulty Spikes
• Slow Storyline
• Lots of Grammar Mistakes in Text
• Map is Hard to Use