Everdeep Aurora Review

In Everdeep Aurora, an exploration-heavy 2D platformer, you play as a cat named Shell. When we first meet her, she is sitting on a bench in the rain, reading a letter from her mum saying that if she's not back before Shell reads this, then she should go and meet her at the usual place. The problem is, we don't know where the usual place is...

Walk around the area and meet a frog named Ribbet. The frog warns that this place isn't safe for someone so little. The Perseids (a meteor shower) are getting worse and crashing into the area. So, he urges you to hurry and head underground to try to locate your mother. Since you don't have any tools, he gives you an extra drill to borrow until you find something better. Ribbert, being an awesome frog, also offers to assist you if you ever find yourself in trouble — just call, and he will be there to help.

As you start exploring and drilling down, Ribbert warns you not to go too crazy with drilling, as you can run out of battery power. At that point, you'll need to find a charging station or call your frog friend for help. When you start digging, there are open areas you can easily walk through, and you can also excavate the surrounding blocks to create an open path. The blocks you demolish with red flecks give you crystals called Small Duracite, which are used as currency. While exploring, you may find doors that look like owls, which are secret entrances that lead to establishments like the Horseshoe Tavern.

Inside, we have an animal band playing instruments: a grasshopper on the piano, a giraffe on the bass, and a koala playing the banjo. The animals visiting the bar are talking about the Everdeep monster that was seen in one of the lower caves yesterday. One of the patrons claims the creature is covered with crystals, and if it touches you with its cold skin, you're done for. Another says it's a shapeless mass hunting for its next meal.

There are different types of tiles that you encounter on your travels. Some blocks are metal, so you're unable to drill through them. Instead, you'll need to search for tiles that you can burrow into. There is always a path to follow, though it may require clearing a lot more blocks. Along the way, you’ll meet many fun characters like Promoleus, a mole who hides under a large rock and likes you because you aren't noisy. You may also discover treasure boxes full of gems. Most characters are friendly and will give you helpful advice and tips for your journey.

You’ll meet a blacksmith named Remulus. He could make some improvements to your drill, but first, you need to do some searching and find information about a glove that was stolen from him; he can't do it himself due to his large size and poor eyesight. If you bring some crystal ores to him, like five Illgyrian, that will increase the drill speed, or five Cociboltite pieces will be enough to fine-tune your drill and cut battery consumption by half. After upgrading the stats a few times, the drill will hit its max.

While exploring the underground world in Everdeep Aurora, I loved meeting the other underground animals and learning their backstories, like how Aster, who takes care of the garden, was named after her mom’s favourite flower. On your adventure, you’ll find useful items, like shoes that give you the ability to make a single wall jump. Better yet, Shell picks up a small dog named Cebolleta, who rides on the top of her head.

Everdeep Aurora has a unique retro look to it. It’s not only pixelated, but there is also a frame around the play area that gives the feeling that you're playing on a handheld console screen, as the play area is confined to a smaller size. The colour palette is reminiscent of the schemes used on the Super Game Boy. At the start, it is red, cream, and a dark brown that is almost black for the background, but as you travel to new areas, it changes.

The music gives a feeling of melancholy, while other songs, like when you visit the tavern and listen to the animal band, are upbeat and whimsical; it fits the story very well. Their homes are being destroyed, and they are forced to take refuge underground. It isn’t a happy and uplifting story, though the act of clearing blocks is surprisingly calming, so the more chill music works well.

In the beginning, you don’t have any idea where you’re going, as you don’t have a map. But as you progress, you’ll be given one when you run into Ribbert, the friendly frog from the start of the game. He gives you a map to help you orient yourself. At first glance, it looks like a QR code, as it’s in black and white. The black sections are open blocks, and the white ones are areas that can be drilled. Be careful when you dig, try to make it like a staircase so you can get back out. If you go straight down, you may get trapped if you run low on battery life.

The map doesn’t have a legend and only marks bigger things like the blacksmith and the bell tower; it doesn’t show where all the NPCs are. The trickiest part of the game is trying to remember where the characters you need to complete tasks for are located. I found myself doing a lot of wandering around, hoping I would run into the person I needed to talk to.

Everdeep Aurora is a chill game full of exploration and puzzle-solving, along with platforming sections. I’m a big fan of the classic Game Boy look, and I love all the quirky animals you meet on your journey. The controls felt good; it was just the lack of a detailed map that made it frustrating at times. Constantly digging and hoping to run into the character I was looking for felt more challenging than expected.

If you like games that require a lot of exploration and incorporate puzzles and platforming, Everdeep Aurora is one to check out. I just suggest keeping your own map to track the general location of the characters you’re completing tasks for. It will save you a lot of time and frustration! Will you be able to find Shell’s mum and discover what is behind all the destruction on their home planet?