Alwa’s Awakening is a metroidvania game in structure, but it is more specifically a puzzle platformer. Fighting and action are there, but quite simple and without the main character getting to become very powerful in that department. The powers acquired are not even boosting the movement array of the character (no wall-jump and no double-jump), at least not directly. The powers are tied to the wand, and allow to create boxes and bubbles. In other words, dynamic platforms to jump on!

And there you have it, Alwa is a game that will test your brain rather than your sword. The movements are not exactly very fast, so there is ample time to reflect on what you are doing. Only later on timing and quick execution will become important. Despite the low emphasis on combat, the controls are very tight with perfect air control, and the hitboxes are more than fair. The platforming part of the game is absolutely fantastic, supported by an exceptional level design. Almost each room is a treat with its small challenge to overcome, and lots of variety can be found despite the very basic tools at hand. Those tools are basic but amazingly used.

I generally tend not to like puzzle platformers based around moving a box, but there is no problem here since the box can be summoned. For higher elevation, summoning bubbles is necessary, and the flickering before they disappear leaves just enough time for the player to react and jump. This small detail is one of many little things that show that the developers understood what is a good design. Other such details are some specific obstacles obtained after getting a new power that force the player to use and learn the power if they want to go back to the main path. There are lots of hidden passages with clever hints. A box on your way that you won’t resist pushing? It falls through a hidden hole, informing you that the next area is going to feature lots of those. You have your own box so you can safely prod those holes. One of my fondest memories was discovering a secret by pushing an enemy off a ledge and witnessing it go through a hidden wall. The level of care that went into the level design and the puzzles reminded me of the great Zelda games and their dungeons, and I will not shy away from saying that Alwa’s design is THAT great.

Of course, not everything is perfect. The hidden walls are not updated on the map, which misleads the player returning to a previous area that they have to take a certain path in order to reach a certain area, while a secret passage has already been found but forgotten. Similarly, the map is not informative enough on the location of the different artifacts that can be found, which makes backtracking a sometimes tedious affair. At least the map updates in real time, unlike the horrendous map of Hollow Knight. Since I breached the topic of Hollow Knight, in that game the player was poorly guided and would explore areas without finding anything of worth for lack of a relevant ability. On the contrary, Alwa is exemplary. Upon starting the game, the world quickly reveals itself to have many locations that the player cannot access yet, hinting at a bigger world while successfully guiding the player into the one necessary direction. Any dungeon that can be accessed will systematically yield a useful item, treating the player in a much better way than Hollow Knight. Similarly, all the NPCs are actually helpful and telling what to look for. This good guidance eventually fans out as in the second half of the game it becomes less clear where to go next, and I wish the developers had been as involved there in guiding the player as they were in the beginning. What was also lacking was the number of teleporters, a few more would have saved some time.

In terms of save points, the game is adequately generous, and there is no penalty to death (everything acquired or revealed will remain so). Still, I need to put emphasis on the fact that the game can eventually become quite difficult towards the second half of the game. Coupled with a lack of guidance and an over-usage of hidden walls, a lot of players will be left in the cold. To be honest I don’t see why not all these games have adopted the system of VVVVV/You Have To Win The Game, with lots of checkpoints that allow for really difficult sections to shine. When there are lots of tricky rooms between two checkpoints, it can become annoying to have to go through the motions again and again and waste time before finally reaching the tricky part once more. Thankfully, the smart use of increasingly powerful spells can allow to subsequently bypass many rooms and let the player feel the progress of the character.

In terms of story, there is not much to say as it is clearly not the main draw of the game. Same for the graphics, even though they are competent I have never been too fond of the 8-bit style. If you want a more immersive world, go get Hollow Knight. If you want a better gameplay and a much stronger level design, get Alwa. The music of Alwa is in the chiptune style, and actually quite good. I loved many of the themes, and the dying tune is great. Finally, all the controls can be rebound, except sadly for the spell which has to be on UP + Attack. Not always practical when used during a jump, I would have appreciated the possibility to choose having a dedicated button for that action.

In conclusion, Alwa’s Awakening is one of the superior Metroidvania games. Not all that much focused on combat, Alwa shines with its tight and smart puzzle platforming, and its masterful level design (at least as good as Shovel Knight, perhaps even on the level of Zelda). At least in the first half of the game, because the second half is a bit more confusing with a map that is not informative enough and a disappointing lack of guidance. Should you get it? I will simply put it this way: I consistently had pleasure moving around in Alwa’s Awakening, and my brain was very satisfied to be involved at each step of the adventure. This was a lot of fun and I heartily recommend it, with the caveat that the increasing difficulty and the over reliance on hidden walls can put off many players despite all the subtle hints that are the mark of a good design.


Here is a video if you want to see it in action:
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=901114651

Alwa’s Awakening is a metroidvania game in structure, but it is more specifically a puzzle platformer. Fighting and action are there, but quite simple and without the main character getting to become very powerful in that department. The powers acquired are not even boosting the movement array of the character (no wall-jump and no double-jump), at least not directly. The powers are tied to the wand, and allow to create boxes and bubbles. In other words, dynamic platforms to jump on! And there you have it, Alwa is a game that will test your brain rather than your sword. The movements are not exactly very fast, so there is ample time to reflect on what you are doing. Only later on timing and quick execution will become important. Despite the low emphasis on combat, the controls are very tight with perfect air control, and the hitboxes are more than fair. The platforming part of the game is absolutely fantastic, supported by an exceptional level design. Almost each room is a treat with its small challenge to overcome, and lots of variety can be found despite the very basic tools at hand. Those tools are basic but amazingly used. I generally tend not to like puzzle platformers based around moving a box, but there is no problem here since the box can be summoned. For higher elevation, summoning bubbles is necessary, and the flickering before they disappear leaves just enough time for the player to react and jump. This small detail is one of many little things that show that the developers understood what is a good design. Other such details are some specific obstacles obtained after getting a new power that force the player to use and learn the power if they want to go back to the main path. There are lots of hidden passages with clever hints. A box on your way that you won’t resist pushing? It falls through a hidden hole, informing you that the next area is going to feature lots of those. You have your own box so you can safely prod those holes. One of my fondest memories was discovering a secret by pushing an enemy off a ledge and witnessing it go through a hidden wall. The level of care that went into the level design and the puzzles reminded me of the great Zelda games and their dungeons, and I will not shy away from saying that Alwa’s design is THAT great. Of course, not everything is perfect. The hidden walls are not updated on the map, which misleads the player returning to a previous area that they have to take a certain path in order to reach a certain area, while a secret passage has already been found but forgotten. Similarly, the map is not informative enough on the location of the different artifacts that can be found, which makes backtracking a sometimes tedious affair. At least the map updates in real time, unlike the horrendous map of Hollow Knight. Since I breached the topic of Hollow Knight, in that game the player was poorly guided and would explore areas without finding anything of worth for lack of a relevant ability. On the contrary, Alwa is exemplary. Upon starting the game, the world quickly reveals itself to have many locations that the player cannot access yet, hinting at a bigger world while successfully guiding the player into the one necessary direction. Any dungeon that can be accessed will systematically yield a useful item, treating the player in a much better way than Hollow Knight. Similarly, all the NPCs are actually helpful and telling what to look for. This good guidance eventually fans out as in the second half of the game it becomes less clear where to go next, and I wish the developers had been as involved there in guiding the player as they were in the beginning. What was also lacking was the number of teleporters, a few more would have saved some time. In terms of save points, the game is adequately generous, and there is no penalty to death (everything acquired or revealed will remain so). Still, I need to put emphasis on the fact that the game can eventually become quite difficult towards the second half of the game. Coupled with a lack of guidance and an over-usage of hidden walls, a lot of players will be left in the cold. To be honest I don’t see why not all these games have adopted the system of VVVVV/You Have To Win The Game, with lots of checkpoints that allow for really difficult sections to shine. When there are lots of tricky rooms between two checkpoints, it can become annoying to have to go through the motions again and again and waste time before finally reaching the tricky part once more. Thankfully, the smart use of increasingly powerful spells can allow to subsequently bypass many rooms and let the player feel the progress of the character. In terms of story, there is not much to say as it is clearly not the main draw of the game. Same for the graphics, even though they are competent I have never been too fond of the 8-bit style. If you want a more immersive world, go get Hollow Knight. If you want a better gameplay and a much stronger level design, get Alwa. The music of Alwa is in the chiptune style, and actually quite good. I loved many of the themes, and the dying tune is great. Finally, all the controls can be rebound, except sadly for the spell which has to be on UP + Attack. Not always practical when used during a jump, I would have appreciated the possibility to choose having a dedicated button for that action. In conclusion, Alwa’s Awakening is one of the superior Metroidvania games. Not all that much focused on combat, Alwa shines with its tight and smart puzzle platforming, and its masterful level design (at least as good as Shovel Knight, perhaps even on the level of Zelda). At least in the first half of the game, because the second half is a bit more confusing with a map that is not informative enough and a disappointing lack of guidance. Should you get it? I will simply put it this way: I consistently had pleasure moving around in Alwa’s Awakening, and my brain was very satisfied to be involved at each step of the adventure. This was a lot of fun and I heartily recommend it, with the caveat that the increasing difficulty and the over reliance on hidden walls can put off many players despite all the subtle hints that are the mark of a good design. Here is a video if you want to see it in action: https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=901114651