Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Every so often, you'll hear people complain that they didn't spend hundreds of dollars on a modern console to play 8-bit games. I don't subscribe to this way of thinking. For as much as I love bleeding edge graphics, what I'm ultimately looking for is a great game. That's how I would describe the new game Astalon: Tears of the Earth by first-time developer LABS Works. Although it may look like it should come on a Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge, this action-packed adventure is a throwback that gets almost everything right. I would put this up against any one of those massive-budget triple-A releases coming out this year. And after I get done with this review, I suspect you'll agree.

Similar to movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Star Wars, Astalon: Tears of the Earth throws us into a middle chapter and hopes we'll keep up. It's the story of three brave warriors who have been to Hell and back in order to save their village from despair. It's on that mission when they discover a twisted tower that has seemingly risen from the depths of the dying planet. Little did they know that their fates would be directly connected to this living, breathing tower, forcing them to take on countless bad guys and bosses to vanquish evil once and for all.

Actually, there is one person who could have predicted this. You see, Algus the Wizard has been keeping a dark secret from their traveling companions. Knowing the importance of the mission, Algus has made a pact with the Titan of Death that will reset time whenever the team fails. Think of it like a demonic take on Groundhog Day, where our heroes are forced to continue reliving the same adventure until they eventually (mercifully) get it right.

Taking inspiration from pretty much every era of Castlevania, Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a 2D action game where our three-person squad investigates a large, interconnected tower full of ghouls and ghosts. Like all Metroidvania adventures, you'll spend a lot of time exploring the complicated tower and picking up items that will open up new areas to investigate. What makes this game stand out is that instead of playing as one character that can do it all, we'll end up needing to switch between the different characters in order to use their abilities to delve deeper into the tower. At first, you'll have to do this at one of the campfires, but you'll eventually pick up an item that will let the player cycle through the team at the mere push of a button.

The core team is made up of three wildly different characters, each with their own attacks and special moves. I ended up spending most of my time playing as Algus the Wizard, who ends up controlling a lot like Mega Man. There's also Arias the Fighter, who will hack and slash through the tower using mostly close-range attacks. They are also good at clearing blocked paths and putting out fires. Rounding out the cast is Kyuli the Rogue, who shoots devastating arrows and knows how to climb walls and other objects. Each of these heroes has their own purpose, so as tempting as it is to spend the whole time floating around with Algus, you'll need to swap out the fighters to overcome most of the obstacles.

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The other big change to the formula deals with life after death. This is not one of those games where you simply go back to the checkpoint when you die. Instead, what happens is our hero meets with Epimetheus in the afterlife, who will let you buy upgrades, power-ups and even new abilities with the gold coins the heroes picked up along the way. From there it's back to the very start of the tower, where you'll go through all the same corridors and fight the same groupings of demonic enemies. But don't worry, because it's not as repetitive as it sounds. For one thing, the tower has an elevator system that makes getting around a lot easier. We'll also find that our progress remains intact, so those doors you unlocked and shortcuts you found will still be there. This sets up a fun dynamic where you may actually want to die on purpose, not just to upgrade the adventurers, but also to get back to a more accessible part of the map. I found that I wasn't playing this in the same way as other Metroidvania games.

But even though I found that the action reminded me a lot more of Mega Man than Castlevania, it's the exploration and sense of discovery that holds the game together. The level design in Astalon is masterful, rivalling many of the greats in the genre. The tower is an absolute blast to investigate, full of hidden areas and cleverly implemented puzzles that are both unique and oh so satisfying. This is also one of those games where a large chunk of the experience is entirely optional. You can rush through and complete the game quickly, or take your time and discover entire wings of the tower that you might not have seen otherwise. There are even hidden characters and new abilities to be uncovered for those who are thorough enough. I was honestly a little surprised by how long and involved this game was.

And that's true of the entire game. From the compelling opening to all of the extra stuff crammed in the tower, this is a game that surprised me with its quality. It's especially impressive knowing that this is developer LABS Works' debut release. They've created a game that isn't just a fun throwback, but rather an adventure that looks and feels authentic to the 8-bit era. I'm sure you could nitpick that maybe there are too many colors on screen or the old consoles couldn't handle that many sprites without flickers and slowdowns, but in the moment, it took me right back to being a kid with a Nintendo Entertainment System sitting way too close to the TV. Astalon understands what made those classic games so great to begin with.

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Because there are so many of these retro-themed Metroidvania games on the market, we're accustomed to looking for the big gimmick or twist that makes it different. Astalon is a game that doesn't make one big change to the formula, but rather gives us a lot of smaller ideas that add up to something that still feels fresh. It's in the way you switch characters, the unique items you find and the way the game works in the live, die, repeat structure of Groundhog Day. All of these twists on the genre lead to a lengthy adventure that I couldn't put down. Even when the elevator to the final boss was open, I couldn't bring myself to beat the game without finding all of the rooms and secrets in the tower. I didn't want the adventure to end. It's that good.

Unfortunately, there is one thing that is genuinely bad about Astalon -- the bosses. I don't know what it is about 2021, but quality boss fights have taken a real tumble this year. This is now the third game in a row where I've complained that the boss fights are either too easy or broken. The battles are broken down into three types, none of which are especially memorable. There's a one-on-one fight with a similarly sized character that reminded me of a bad Mega Man boss. There's another type of boss that roams the tower with the regular enemies and disappear for good when killed. And then there are the bigger bosses that hold on to the colored crystals you're collecting. The bigger bosses are the most interesting, but they are also the easiest and least satisfying. They are also a reminder that this developer has not yet figured out how to create memorable boss fights. They did an excellent job on the gameplay and level designs, but their boss game still needs some work.

But let's be honest here, you don't play these types of Metroivania games for the bosses. Sure, it's nice when they kick ass, but we're here for the exploration and item upgrades. That's where Astalon: Tears of the Earth really shines. It's like a greatest hits collection of all your favorite 8-bit games, brought together by an authentic presentation and a masterfully-crafted tower full of surprises. Astalon is yet more evidence that you don't need bleeding-edge graphics to make a great action game.