Aeruta Review

Welcome to the whimsical, bread-filled world of Aeruta which is home to many residents who are both animal and human and can swap between the two forms. Long ago, the world was suffering through a tragic war. When things were at their worst, the First Adventurers appeared, bringing the rays of dawn. Years later, many young people strive to become Adventurers themselves. This is where we find our protagonist, Chaya; she is a hybrid of human and fox, complete with ears and a big tail. Chaya says she’s in trouble because she’s lost the starter weapon she received when she graduated. What is an Adventurer without their weapon?

Fortunately, she’s found an area that has not only one, but three different weapons just sitting there: a rapier, a rolling pin, and a whip. It isn’t stealing when it’s just lying around, right? So, you pick the one you want to use on your journey. It’s not every day you get to use a rolling pin as a weapon, so that’s what I picked. Chaya says leaving the other weapons behind would be a waste, so she grabs them all.

The first mission takes place in Bakersfield, where a super chubby dough monster falls out of a tree, and apparently, it’s attacking me. Here, we learn how to dodge attacks: by using the right shoulder button, you become invisible for a split second so you can pass through the enemy and counter-attack. Once the enemy is defeated, a lump of dough remains on the ground. You then receive a call from the academy to check if you’ve reached the mission site yet, and Darcana reminds you that your actions during the mission will determine if you qualify as an Adventurer. Remember that any destruction or behaviour that leads to complaints may reflect poorly on the guild.

Aeruta is a side-scrolling action game combined with a bread-selling mini-game. The gameplay loop reminds me of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, and it’s very satisfying! You bounce between battling and completing missions, then working at the bakery with Effie, trying to be a helpful Adventurer of Light (since you did kind of blow up her oven with that floating dark force).

Working the register is very different from fighting. The first thing you do is select what Today’s Bread will be and how many batches to make. Teddy Bread is the first type you’ll be baking. Once the bakery opens and a customer wants to pay, a box pops up where you must enter the button prompt as fast as possible. Take too long, and they’ll get angry and even leave. This money is important, as sales give you funds to upgrade the bakery, and new recipes are discovered by collecting ingredients on your travels.

The combat in Aeruta feels smooth and responsive. Chaya can attack, dodge, jump, and parry with some weapons. I primarily used the rolling pin, smashing enemies with its unique attack, Drive, which lets you transform dough into magical bread that targets foes. It’s hard to find something more satisfying than defeating enemies with a kitchen gadget, though many of the monsters are adorably cute, so I felt bad hitting them. You can cycle through different weapon types if you want to change up your attack style for each area.
While adventuring, there are multiple paths to follow, each with unique stops before encountering the boss. Some feature weak or strong enemy battles, others allow you to rest and replenish health, and some are perfect for gathering ingredients for your bakery. If you’re defeated in battle, you’ll wake up in bed. Fortunately, you don’t lose the ingredients you’ve collected, so it’s never a complete waste of time. Plus, you get to see Chaya’s adorable fox form when she transforms to jump into bed and sleep.

If, instead, you successfully clear an area, you’re presented with your Adventure Results. This screen shows all the items you’ve collected and your Adventure Log, which recaps what you did on this run, such as defeating one elite stabby crab or jumping 32 times. Some achievements are totally random, but it’s funny to be recognised for doing silly things, especially after a tricky boss fight.

When you return to town, you’ll notice that outside the bakery stands a bread statue. If it’s glowing, you can spend the bread energy you’ve earned by working in the bakery here. It grants you buffs for your next journey; there are four different ones available if you have enough points. Some make you stronger, increasing the damage you deal, while others reduce how much damage you take. The more popular the bakery becomes, the more energy you’ll have to use. Fifty unspent energy can even be used to revive once during an adventure.

This game screams charming and whimsical, with its beautiful watercolour aesthetic and gorgeous pixel character artwork. The music in Aeruta is cheerful and carefree; it never makes you feel stressed or tense. The conversations between Chaya and Effie are light-hearted and silly, even though Effie calls you an “arsonist fox” for accidentally blowing up her oven. Their banter is always entertaining and gives the game a sweet, cosy feeling. As overly dramatic as Effie can be, it’s still fun to gather ingredients, bake bread, and take a break from all the beat ’em up action by working the register for her.

Aeruta is a wonderful game that anyone looking for a wholesome and sweet side-scrolling experience will enjoy. With adorable characters, a silly story, and a fun bakery mini-game, it’s hard not to smile while playing. The loop can become a little repetitive after a while, but the charm, humour, and heartfelt moments more than make up for it. The game takes around 20 hours to complete, but that’s fine; it doesn’t overstay its welcome and never feels like a chore to play.