As a fan of Metroidvanias, I will always make time to try out new interpretations that sprout from all developers. Elderand is no exception and does not fail to meet the standards. From the moment I picked it up, I was hypnotized by almost every aspect. Whether it was playing on my PC or taking it to go on the Steam Deck. Every moment spent staring at the gorgeous backgrounds, to doing my best to progress through the increasingly difficult areas, made me feel as if Elderand added a few cool tricks to the old dog.
Players take on the role of a hired mercenary, a person who is seemingly destined to banish a powerful evil from the realm. All players need to know is that there is a man by the name of Amon who rules over some wicked individuals who desire to reshape the world in a terrible manner, and it is the players’ responsibility to prevent them. While playing, there are lore-filled notes that players may read that give more weight to the world and paint the bigger picture of the current circumstances.
Players begin their playthrough with some light customization to their character. For example, players can pick one of three character heads and the color of their hair. The tutorial area, where players will familiarize themselves with the majority of the game’s mechanics, is simple, but highly effective. Elderand marks a spot in each new scene that explains the basic mechanics and how each new piece of equipment works. Such as the basic attack combo and how to defend yourself with a shield or by dashing. My only complaint is not introducing the locked features of the campsite during send tutorial area (more on that later).
Players will acquire a variety of tools, armor, and other equipment during their journey that will aid them in their travels. Swords, staves, whips, and daggers are some of the available weapons; each has advantages and disadvantages. The strongest weapons are often swords, whereas staves have little attack strength, but allow players to perform ranged spells. Whips and daggers, on the other hand, deal small damage but can be swung more quickly. In addition to stat enhancements, the armor players uncover could also contain other qualities like immunity to certain status ailments or the ability to deal damage to foes directly. Moreover, players may acquire and purchase certain materials to enhance their weapons and armor, giving them a variety of options for tailoring equipment to meet their play style. Not only can players find a play style they like, but they can actually have two sets. This makes it easier to balance situations on the fly rather than in midst of intense moments.
As for enemies, Elderand has a plethora to choose from. Whether players are fighting elemental spirits, various knights, or even bandits, there is a variety to see. This allows the game to always feel fresh and not so repetitive. As for bosses, they are well-designed and will definitely make you consider your actions after every death. Not only do you have to learn their patterns, but once you hit a certain point in their health bars, they will change it up and make them more difficult to evade. This is where players might need to utilize two sets of equipment and stock up on some potions prior to fighting.
When players reach the game over screen, Elderand does not take away any experience. Instead, players must load their most recent save again. As players’ experience reaches a specific level, leveling up occurs as a result of defeating foes. The character point players receive next can be used to affect a few stats that determine how players play the game—dexterity scales with lighter weapons, Magic scales with magical weapons, and Strength scales with heavier weapons. If players choose, players can also add points to players health. There are many different potions, and players can occasionally obtain new equipment and weapons from killed adversaries as well as in chests. Thankfully, blocking and evading both need endurance; attacking does not.
Elderand excels in its exploration and level design as well. Despite the small size of the map, the surroundings are wonderfully diversified and concentrated. Several Metroidvania-style games give players the freedom to travel wherever they like, but practically all of their options will be blocked by obstacles that force them to subsequently acquire additional tools or weapons, so players will need to locate the one path that they can use. Most of the time, players have a little more flexibility to move about the different places of Elderand, while certain areas are sealed off because players require a specific item to provide them additional skills.
There are some minor issues that plague the game. As I mentioned before with the campfires, you have two gray-out options. One is fast travel, which allows you to travel between campfires with ease. Players have to unlock it by finding the ability. The same goes for the other option, stat reset, which once it becomes available, isn’t even worth it as you are closer to the end of the game. Another issue I ran into was managing money to buy better equipment. Just replenishing potions and arrows became increasingly difficult. That may gear more toward playstyle than actually being an issue. But overall, I didn’t run into any technical issues and everything worked great. Especially when it came to the Steam Deck.
If you enjoy Metroidvania games but have played through all the classics, Elderand will be a great addition. Elderand merits praise for its strong and interesting boss fights, well-designed stages, and satisfying exploration. For $20, it would be fitting to pick up a copy when you need something new to entertain you between big releases and enjoy every moment of it. I highly recommend grabbing Elderand and finding out for yourself whether it is at home or on the go.
