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0 Digging deep, metaphorically and literally, is the heart of the matter in Everdeep Aurora by developer Nautilus Games and publisher Ysbryd Games. Completely switching out combat for conversation and cavern delving, this exploration-centric adventure game takes inspiration from the 16-bit era and Game Boy Metroidvania classics.
In a world perpetually beset by apocalyptic meteor showers, the population has relocated underground to rebuild their lives. As Shell the kitten, you awake on the surface to find your mother gone, leaving only a vague note. To track her down, you must bravely venture underground. Using your trusty drill, you must uncover the secrets of the deep and the people who now dwell in the darkness.
I Am A Cat and I’m Digging A Hole
As one of Thumb Culture’s resident pixel art nuts, a sucker for cute cats, and having sunk countless hours into SteamWorld Dig, it was a given that this would be on my list. And there’s a dedicated meow button. Which I’m not going to press. Much.
Gameplay
Like SteamWorld Dig, Shell uses a large drill to carve her way through tiles of rock to reach different areas. Powered by tanks of Duracite, the drill will break through different materials at varying speeds until the tanks are depleted. Thankfully, you can still drill without power – it’ll just take you a while. Finding drill recharge stations will help keep your tool topped up, if you’ve got the Duracite, that is. And don’t worry if you get stuck in a hole, your friend Ribbert the frog can haul you back up to the nearest camp.
Right off the bat, like its 16-bit predecessors, Everdeep Aurora is a game that doesn’t hold your hand. Much of the mechanics you figure out for yourself, either in practice or through talking to people you meet along the way. Want to know which tiles you can drill? Go at it and find out. Don’t know what those red things are? Pick them up. Hovering over an item in the inventory will give a brief explanation. An example of this involving a dog is adorable and hilarious in equal measure.
As you progress, you’ll find valuable ores to upgrade your drill and gain items which grant you various abilities. These come in handy in platforming puzzle areas where both nimble feet and a nimble mind are needed to succeed. While not especially difficult, I love me some platforming puzzles, and these sections are highly enjoyable.
Living Under A Rock
You’ll meet a wide variety of animal characters as you dig deeper into the caverns, all giving a wider insight into the lore of Shell’s world. Like the mechanics, this is delivered in snippets of conversation or by completing side quests for said characters. Your friend Ribbert is struggling to reconcile with his daughter after a disagreement. A post bird doesn’t want to deliver letters that will end a relationship. A temple is built around an automaton that is never to awaken… or is it?
These stories and characters are interesting to piece together and learn more about, sometimes tugging on the ol’ heartstrings while you’re at it. You can feel how being underground takes its toll on these characters and how the world and its residents are now fragmented. But there’s also joy and mirth to be found, a real sense of togetherness through friendships and understanding.
X Doesn’t Quite Mark The Spot
While it is exciting to piece lore snippets together and find secret areas yourself, this is occasionally Everdeep Aurora‘s downfall. It becomes too subtle and cryptic at times. Not all characters repeat important information, so if you missed it, you’ll be figuratively digging in the dark to remember what you’re doing. This is only amplified by the fact that the map is not very well defined, and the visual style can only account for so much. Even after discovering iconic areas, the markers denoting them are very obscure (if there are any at all), and while your progress is saved, the map resets each time you reload. Say goodbye to that handy path you carved out earlier!
Some lore threads and side quests are also quite unbalanced; some are emotionally hefty with minimal map traversal or puzzle-solving, while others are quite unfulfilling after considerable amounts. This can quickly erode the desire to explore more. Even the endings are rather abrupt, as though I’d missed vital events I should have seen or played through. For several heartfelt connections, there is a sense of disconnect which prevents complete immersion.
Graphics & Audio
Like its inspirations, Everdeep Aurora channels the Game Boy aesthetics with a mix of chunky and fine pixel art. This works exceptionally well with character sprites and animations; all are very striking and expressive. The screen itself is a neat design with the square play screen in the centre and the inventory and map on each side. However, the pixel art works a little less well with these. All the document icons in the folder blend into one, and it’s easy to forget what an item is without hovering over it. But what is particularly eye-catching is the use of colour. A stripped-back approach, each level or area adopts a different 3 or 4-colour palette centred around a certain shade. What could have been quite stark is remarkably atmospheric, allowing lots of details to shine, both prominent and in the background.
The Everdeep Aurora soundtrack is a major highlight, and many times I found myself just stopping for a spell to listen or humming it after playing. An underground mansion mixes organs and woodwinds for a classic, spooky feel. Platforming puzzles have a jaunty Celtic feel spliced with medieval flutes. And a desperate situation is backed by anxious and melancholy strings. All are a joy to listen to, and many of the sound effects are tingle central! Apart from drilling, naturally.
Longevity
Given Everdeep Aurora’s highly explorative nature, completion can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. Much of the quests and areas, while interesting, are entirely optional, so how long you spend underground depends on how much you want to indulge your inner explorer. Some areas require a complete upgrade of the drill or a specific item to access, which involves some back-and-forth to gather resources or find the right item. But again, these are mostly for small lore snippets or cute hats.
Final Thoughts
While it has its fair share of graphical and mechanical debris, Everdeep Aurora is an endearing little story of trying to find home and a sense of togetherness when the world is falling apart. Quests may be imbalanced in terms of rewards, but the characters are charming. The map lacks definition, but the stripped-back colour schemes are atmospheric. You won’t know where you’re going, but you’ll lose yourself in the sensational soundtrack along the way.
Therefore, it digs up a Thumb Culture Silver Award from the deep!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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