Disclaimer: This review and another in the future may not be as detailed/analyzed enough due to me not clearing the main story. This is because clearing the main story was out of my ability and it was just too hard to me. Regardless I hope you find this review informative and enjoyable!
There are some
games out on the Xbox Live Arcade that are just downright strange and make you
think, just what drugs were the developers on when this game was being created?
Aeternum is one such game. If I had to describe it to a similar game I’ve
played I would have to unanimously go with Tecmo Kitten Adventure. Same style
but different functions/aspects. Aeternum is a 2D side scrolling shooter
developed by Wasted Brilliance where as you progress through each level, the
enemies that appear just keep getting crazier. Along with a Story mode is
arcade mode and a tutorial.
The game follows a student who
goes by the name of Ellica. She is a Demons Magic student at a prestigious
magic school known as Aeternum Academy (hence the name of the game). She’s
journeying towards another day of school specifically looking for her friend
Macy. Along the way she has to fight through enemies (flying cats…so many cats)
and very odd bosses. Oh and if it helps with the fantasy setting, Ellica is
also a succubus.
Gameplay wise it’s not too
difficult. You move with the control stick holding 1 button to fire your magic
and another button to put up a shield. As you defeat enemies they leave behind red
residue/dots, which can increase your power (max power being 400). More power
equals more streams of magic get shot out increasing your range. Power is also
needed to put up a shield with each one costing 50. You are also given what’s
called a Panic. When massive amounts of bullets/magic come hurtling your way
and you are unprepared, a shield automatically protects you.
There is also the Right Trigger
button that makes you focus. What happens is Ellica’s heart is shown a tiny bit
and she actually slows down time, this allows you to easily maneuver between
enemy fire and can also build up your graze, which is when you just get hit
barely. If you get hit you temporarily disappear and come back with less power,
the game ends when you get hit with 0 power (found myself in this position many
times and have since then given up on beating this).
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It can be very frustrating avoiding all these bullets
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Graphically the game looks good
with HD backdrops mixed with pixelated characters and lots of bright lights
coming from the enemies. In ridiculous patterns (which leads me to say if
you’re prone to seizures, do not play this game) which seem impossible to
avoid. These kinds of games are not my strong suit but I at least enjoyed
myself. The story was humorous at the parts I got up to (the caretaker is a
giant squid, sure why not) and the controls were simple enough. If you’re a fan
of these kinds of games then definitely try this out, worth the 80 MSP.
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Have fun in this mess 0_0
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Should you play this game?
Only if you enjoy these kinds of games, otherwise feel free to skip it!
