Astalon: Tears of the Earth | Switch Review

Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve done it. I’ve found my hidden gem of the year. Astalon: Tears of the Earth from LABS Works might not only be one of the best titles I’ve played in 2021, it could be one of the highest-quality 2D gear-gated games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Combining elements of some of my favorite genres, it also gives an intense shot of nostalgia for a guy like me who grew up in the 80s. It looks, sounds, and plays how fans of classics will remember while offering modern sensibilities that keep it from being flawed by the technology of yesteryear.

Somebody Poisoned the Waterhole!

Astalon‘s premise is simple: three warriors (a wizard, a fighter, and a rogue) enter a tower to save their desert town. Something is poisoning their land’s water supply, and it’s up to Algus, Arias, and Kyuli to find and put an end to whatever the cause. Although the plot may not seem deep, it serves its purpose quite well. There’s even a very clever explanation for why your characters are able to come back after death.

Yes, this game is a roguelike. But before you write this one off (if you’re not a fan of the genre), understand that Astalon: Tears of the Earth does something different. Most roguelikes offer a procedurally-generated world each time you come back for a new run, but not here. The world is instead completely static. Everything will be exactly as you found it on subsequent runs, a mechanic that feels fresh for this type of game. So instead of blindly working your way through a new maze, you’ll more or less continue where you left off while exploring and uncovering new locations. This should appeal more to those who are normally turned off this this style of game, since you’re not really starting over fresh.

In fact, after each time you die (and you will die, to be certain), you’ll have the chance to upgrade each of your three characters. As you attempt to work your way through the tower, defeated enemies drop orbs that act as your currency. You can spend these orbs on Algus, Arias, and Kyuli’s individual stats for strength, defense, attack speed, and special abilities. In addition, you’ll be able to purchase permanent upgrades like health, map upgrades, and several fun surprises that need to be experienced. If all of this sounds pretty standard, trust me that it gets much, much better.

The Joys of Discovery

What put the biggest smile on my face during my twenty-two hour playthrough of Astalon is the exquisite level design. I’ve played a lot of games similar to Metroid and Castlevania, but I’ve not seen such expert crafting in quite a long time. The beauty comes in two parts: its open-ended nature and the value of the items you’ll come across.

Most fans of gear-gated games are familiar with opening new areas and backtracking. But in most games, you’ll still work through main areas in the same order on each playthrough. Astalon messes with this formula for the better, giving the player the choice to go in any direction they choose and still find success. I was playing alongside a friend with whom I’d share notes along the way while we played. It felt like we were on the playground in elementary school, sharing secrets we’d uncovered and excitedly pointing each other in the right direction. What we discovered, however, was that our paths were vastly different. Something I discovered very early on he hadn’t discovered until near the end. There was also an entire fifth of the map I hadn’t discovered until I neared the finale, but it was one of the first places my buddy explored. Truly remarkable design.

The items you discover are equally satisfying. But these items don’t work simply to open a new area or allow you reach a new missile expansion. What you finds brings incredible quality of life to the gameplay. On more than one occasions, I felt myself thinking, “How did I survive without this?”, and it made the game better and better as I pushed forward. One small aspect I enjoyed was that the game didn’t give me an on-screen prompt to tell me what an item did. For that matter, I didn’t even know what I was looking for. I just grabbed whatever trinket was before me and had to do research in my menu. These items are so cool that I’m fearful of telling you what they do here. It really feels as if I would spoil the surprise.

Proceed with Caution

Astalon is far from an easy game, especially from the onset. Some players might find the formula tedious towards the beginning, as you’re thrust back to the beginning of the tower after each death. This is mitigated with the opportunity to spend your orbs, but I understand how some might give up before they see what this game has to offer. I implore you to keep pushing until completing the first major boss. It’s easily the game’s biggest hurdle, and things begin to fall into place in ways I simply can’t spoil for you here. Just trust me, this game will satisfying die hards of the genre.

One thing I will tell you is that the world is designed in such a way to make getting back to where you were easier the more you play. Sure, you’ll repeat the opening segment multiple times at first. But once you flip a switch that gives you a brand new shortcut to bypass the long path, I guarantee you’ll have a sense of satisfaction. “That just made things a lot easier” is another phrase I said multiple times. Seeing how the tower is interconnected on so many levels is truly a thing of beauty.

My only hiccups I had with Astalon were minor glitches that barely affected my gameplay. My character would disappear occasionally, but only for a few moments. I also experienced some minor lag when there were massive amounts of sprites on the screen (mostly when collecting a large amount of orbs). But these were so slight, they’re almost not worth mentioning.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth Final Verdict

If it’s not clear already, I’m in love with this game. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased copies for my co-hosts. I wanted them to see why I adore it like I do and won’t stop talking about it. Furthermore, I’m already 20% of the way through my second run of the game (on a different platform to boot). This is something I haven’t done since Bioshock: Infinite. It says a lot for me to start a game over immediately after finishing it. It’s that good.

You know how you go back to games you played in your youth and you wonder how you were so blown away? Don’t get me wrong, I love my Nintendo games more than any man should. But Astalon: Tears of the Earth truly made me feel like a kid again. I felt like I was playing an old NES game but seeing it, hearing it, and playing it through my younger self’s lens. The sense of wonder and discovery was there, and I soaked it all up with glee. I can’t recommend this one enough and hope that you’ll have the same joy it brought me.

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch review copy provided by Dangen Entertainment for coverage purposes. It is also available on Playstation, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows and Mac via Steam, Humble Bundle, Itch.io, and Good Old Games.