Angeline Era Deep Look
While some obtuse narrative elements and tough challenges will mean that it's not for everyone, addictive exploration and strong puzzles ensure that it should still find plenty of fans.
Indie developer Analgesic Productions has made a name for itself offering adventures with various twists on classic gameplay styles. Its latest title, Angeline Era is an action adventure RPG built around the "bumpslash" system, where players automatically attack foes or interact with things by simply running into or colliding with them. While some obtuse narrative elements and tough challenges will mean that it's not for everyone, addictive exploration and strong puzzles ensure that it should still find plenty of fans.
The game follows Tets Kinoshta, a young hero who is summoned to the land of Era, which is populated by humans, fae, angels, and various beasts. He is tasked with collecting Bicones in order to uncover the truth about the Angel's mothership, Throne, and the land of Era itself. This quest is largely freeform, with Tets needing to investigate the world to unlock paths to new locations, occasionally picking up clues about the locations of the Bicones. Early on, he meets an angel called Arkas, who becomes an ally on his quest. The game's story draws inspirations from Celtic and Christian mythology, though its narrative elements generally come in bite-size chunks that don't necessarily follow one another. The world and its events are all a bit obtuse, and a lot of its happenings feel rather disparate, but it does have its emotional moments, particularly when it deals with the themes of betrayal and grief.
[caption id="attachment_179729" align="aligncenter" width="640"] To progress, players need to find stages by searching the world map.[/caption]
In order to progress, Tets must find various hidden stages throughout the isometric world. These require players to actively search for their locations, usually in places like the end of paths, a possible forest entrance, a clearing, and the like. Once a stage is found, players engage in a short first-person mini-game where they press directional buttons or an action button to evade hanging branches, break through a fence, and so forth, which they must complete before they can enter. Within stages, the camera switches to an angled view looking to the north, with each stage taking players through a series of screens that require a combination of defeating enemies and solving navigational or platforming puzzles to clear. When a stage is cleared, this usually results in blockages on the world map being removed, allowing players to explore further. It certainly doesn't appear that there is a set order to doing things, and there are lots of routes available to explore from the outset.
The "bumpslash" system means that combat is all about timing. There is no parrying or dodge rolls to get players out of danger, so they need to be agile and pay attention to enemies to know when and where to be able to hit them safely. Many encounters feature hazards, such as damaging spikes, explosive traps, and even rotating laser beams. Different enemies require their own methods for defeating them, such as one that automatically launches itself at players, which can therefore be readily lured into spikes. Boss fights also provide noteworthy encounters and challenges where players will need to identify attack patterns and play smartly to emerge victorious. The game provides quite a significant challenge even on its normal difficulty, especially to those who are new to the system. Fortunately, the game allows players to freely switch between an easy difficulty setting, which still isn't a guarantee for victory, but does make it considerably more forgiving, while the masochistic are taken care of with an even more challenging option.
By and large, the stage system works very well. Stages are relatively short, and it's very easy to get into the pattern of completing a quick stage, doing a small amount of exploration to find the next one, and repeating. Very often, if a particular stage is proving troublesome, there's nothing to stop players just moving onto the next one and potentially coming back to it later. That said, some of the obtuse ways that stages, and some of the pathways within them, are hidden can be a bit annoying.
[caption id="attachment_179736" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The classic bumpslash system means that combat is all about timing and staying agile.[/caption]
Angeline Era' s character-building elements are light, meaning that the game often feels more like a platformer than a true action RPG, especially with how most of its puzzles play out. As players complete stages, they gain scales, which are used to level up for a small amount of extra attack power and health. Players can also eat food to gain temporary boosts. A gun is obtained early on, but it has limited ammo (replenished by melee strikes) and only fires directly upward, making its use restricted by context. Further weapons can also be unlocked later on in the game.
The game features understated 3D graphics hearkening back to the late 1990s, complete with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and plays very well on Steam Deck. Although its camera angle can make certain platforming elements more of a challenge, it's generally pleasing to look at and all of the enemy designs are nice and distinct, giving players the information and tells they need. An understated music score also largely works in the game's favour, providing a decent atmospheric backing while the happenings on screen are what necessarily drive most of the attention.
While Angeline Era perhaps isn't a game that gels with my personal gaming sensibilities, it's clear that the game has been crafted with a lot of care and has plenty of appeal. Its developers have worked with the bumpslash system at its heart to create a very strong gameplay loop, and it's readily apparent that those who enjoy its challenges will find the experience addictive and rewarding.
Disclosure: This article is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher.
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