Developer: Elden Pixels
Publisher: Elden Pixels
Platform: PC (Steam), Switch
Tested on: Switch
Alwa’s Legacy – Review
After Alwa’s Awakening comes the sequel, Alwa’s Legacy, which starts where Awakening ended. Once again you’ll take on the role of Zoe, but this time she has lost all her memories and you’ll have to help her regain them. Alwa’s Legacy was published and developed by Elden Pixels and we got a chance to test the Switch version of the game. We’ve already reviewed Alwa’s Awakening, which you can check out here.
Story
Alwa’s Legacy is a sort of sequel to Alwa’s Awakening. You start with Zoe waking up about where she left off in the previous game. The graphics have changed a little but it’s that this zone represents the end zone of the previous game. Zoe has lost all her memories though, so she has no idea who she is or where she could be. The young person who woke her, tells her to head to the library and to watch out for monsters. Luckily, she is still carrying a staff and can defend herself.
In the library, there is an old lady that gives her a book that might help her regain her memories, however, it’s empty. It seems she must collect gems to get pieces of her memory back. These gems are located in various temples spread across the region. So, she must gather them all to gain all her memories back.
There is a story present in Alwa’s Legacy, but it’s more in the background. You hardly encounter any NPCs, and when you do, they tell you more about the environment, rather than actual things that have to do with the underlying story of the game. As you collect the gems you do get some pieces of Zoe’s memory back but it’s just little pieces and not an entire chapter.
Graphics
Alwa’s Legacy has certainly been modernized compared to its predecessor, making it look cleaner with still a hint of retro attached. The pixel art style looks very nice and is worked out nicely for characters and backgrounds. The characters are really detailed and look very different. There are also plenty of different enemies for each specific region you go to. Some enemies, like the skeleton, will appear in all sections with the same looks.
The backgrounds are varied in the regions with each temple having its own design. Even the environments before the temples have their own specific design. There are some parts underground, some parts on grasslands and even some in ruins. The variety is really a nice change of pace and adds to how big the regions feel.
Sound
The music in Alwa’s Legacy is great, each little region has its own track which fits the atmosphere. The retro style of the entire soundtrack really puts the entire game in a more nostalgic atmosphere. Besides music, there are also plenty of other sounds present that are very important. Some enemies make noise as they are about to shoot, warning you to quickly get out of the way. Other enemies warn you that they are about to appear on stage by making a sound specific to them. There are of course plenty of other sound effects present such as the magic noises when you use one of your gems or just the simple jumping noise. There will just be one sound that you will really come to dislike, and that is of course the sound when you run out of health.
Gameplay
Alwa’s Legacy is an adventure Metroidvania title where you help Zoe regain her memories. The game is a sequel to Alwa’s Awakening but if you haven’t played the previous game, you’ll still be able to play without issue. When you start the game you first get to play with the old lady that guides Zoe, who gives a little background info. Later, when Zoe meets up with her, she receives a book. This book is what will help her regain her memories but at this moment it is still blank. As mentioned above, she will need to collect gems from temples to be able to unlock more pages in the book.
As you start to play, you will only have Zoe’s staff with which you can do a simple melee attack. Sadly, you can only attack left or right and not downwards. You are completely free to go wherever you want to in the game, however, some places are locked behind walls, water, or other similar things, that you need an ability to pass through these obstacles. As you unlock more abilities, you’ll have to backtrack several times to either unlock secrets or to progress to another temple. Luckily, you do unlock a map in the first town, so you can sort of track where you’ve been. However, this map doesn’t allow you to zoom in, or place any sort of marker. Sometimes it also isn’t clear that you’re able to continue in another direction, mostly because the map is tiny when you are playing on your TV.
As you unlock more abilities, you will be able to not only progress but also use different kinds of attacks. You start with a square block that you can use to push buttons, but you can also drop it on enemies. You then unlock a bubble that allows you to float up and you also unlock an electricity ball that can hurt enemies and push-buttons. All these abilities can also be upgraded. To upgrade abilities you will need little blue orbs that you can find hidden all around. With these blue orbs, you need to go to the wizard in the first town and make him unlock the upgrades for you.
In the first town, there is a warp save point, which allows you to warp to other locations. At first, there are only a few of those but by using a tear, which you also find hidden at random places, you can turn any save point into a warp. This makes traveling much easier. Of course, tears are usually not that easy to get, so the number of warp points will still be limited. At times you get a tear for free because otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to process.
Alwa’s legacy can be frustrating at times, because of the earlier mentioned tiny map, as well as all the backtracking you will need to do. Just the backtracking wouldn’t be so much of an issue if the entire game wasn’t a giant maze. Without any way to put down markers, it is pretty hard to find back areas after you unlocked the ability to access it. Since every time you switch between an area block, the enemies respawn, making backtracking also one big battle. To make matters worse, the game has a death counter, so if you’re failing one particular part, you’ll be able to see the death counter get bigger and bigger. However, the feeling of satisfaction when you finally find the hidden secret or beat your way through a difficult area will be that much bigger.
Conclusion
Alwa’s Legacy is a really fun game that can be frustrating at times. The frustration, however, is just a part of the type of game this is. The game, for the most part, plays smoothly and allows you to experience a taste of the old days. Thanks to the different abilities and upgrades, you’ll be able to play in your own style. Progressing will also depend on how you play the game, since you choose where you want to go. If you’re a fan of Metroidvania type of games, then you’ll definitely want to check Alwa’s Legacy out, but even if you aren’t familiar with a Metroidvania game, Alwa’s Legacy is generally still a fun and entertaining game.
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