TL;DR
Etherborn tries to replicate the magic of Monument Valley but falls flat with uninspired level design, repetitive puzzles, and jarring graphical issues like aliasing and poor blur effects. While its unique gravity mechanic and low price offer a glimmer of hope, the game feels like a rushed imitation rather than an evolution of its inspirations. Read the full review to understand just how much this game misses the mark.
It is rare that a game elicits this level of disappointment. Etherborn unfortunately manages to make a series of questionable design choices. Its only redeeming quality is its relatively low price point.
Etherborn is set in a world governed by atypical gravitational rules. The player controls a voiceless, featureless avatar, navigating the environment and solving puzzles.
Etherborn‘s core mechanics are heavily inspired by the critically acclaimed mobile title, Monument Valley. However, it fails to innovate or meaningfully iterate on these established concepts, resulting in a largely uninspired experience. A key difference is the ability to fall off edges in Etherborn, an impossibility in Monument Valley. Furthermore, the graphical presentation suffers from noticeable issues, including aliasing, low-resolution textures, and a poorly implemented blur effect.
The level design feels repetitive and lacks inspiration. The game’s aesthetics, including its color palette, graphical fidelity, and character animation, fall short of the standards set by its peers. The overall impression suggests a potentially rushed development cycle.
In conclusion, it is clear that Etherborn is a significant disappointment. While borrowing mechanics can be acceptable, simply replicating them without adding original elements, or even improving upon them, is a critical flaw. The lowest possible rating is narrowly avoided due to Etherborn‘s stable performance in both docked and handheld modes on the Nintendo Switch, coupled with its relatively inexpensive price.
Review Highlights: Q&A
What kind of game is Etherborn?
Etherborn is a puzzle game set in a world with atypical gravitational rules, where players control a voiceless, featureless avatar to navigate environments and solve puzzles.
How does the gameplay compare to Monument Valley?
The core mechanics are heavily inspired by Monument Valley without meaningfully innovating on them. A key gameplay difference is that players can fall off edges in this title.
How does the game perform on Nintendo Switch?
The game delivers stable performance on the Nintendo Switch in both docked and handheld modes.
What are the visual flaws in the game?
The graphical presentation suffers from aliasing, low-resolution textures, a poorly implemented blur effect, and substandard character animation and color palettes.
