Aura Of Worlds PC Review

Sometimes simple is best. Aura of Worlds has a fairly basic premise, make your way through levels and defeat guardians. While it looks, on the surface, like a different take on games like Terraria or Dead Cells it has its own tweaks and charms.

You first start with a tutorial to get you used to the controls and some of the abilities you will be able to use as you make your way through the levels… It’s a good introduction to the game and lets you get accustomed to the feel of it. You have a main hub from which you can select a starting point (after you have made some progress). But each world is procedurally generated so you won’t be going back to a totally familiar landscape… more a theme.

While you might be tempted to run in and try and kill all enemies in a level… you might end up finding you don’t have time as a gas descends from the top… forcing you to rush down in the hopes of finding an exit before the gas reaches you. You might see a tempting chest across a passage and head towards it, only to find traps springing out of the ground or roof. Essentially you will be rewarded by surveying your surroundings as best you can (granted when you have gas, lava or some other threat moving towards you, your time might be a bit limited). One of the real strengths of Aura of Worlds is that you can often use the levels to your advantage (well between them killing you at least). If there are enemies just out of your reach but a lantern is close enough… you can strike the lantern, causing it to burst and send burning oil (hopefully) over your enemy and dispose of them for you… just be careful you don’t get caught in it yourself.

The different equipment you get as you start a run can make a big difference to your chance of survival as well, you might get a shield or a grappling hook, or perhaps the ability to blink over a short distance. The handful of abilities at your disposal open up a great deal of different approaches to the challenges that will stand between you and completing a level. But even with a handy collection of potions and weapons… the bosses are still going to put you to the test. There is a skill setting and depending on your experience level you may want to drop it down, it can be quite frustrating to make your way through the level only to come face to face with a boss who just wipes the floor with you…. though if you do manage to defeat that boss there is a satisfying sense of achievement that comes with it.

There’s no real story as such but you will encounter some NPC’s that give a little bit of “life” to the world. There is word that a story might be in development and the game certainly is actively being improved which is nice to see.

Final Thoughts:

If you want a fun little challenge, levels that are different each time you play and the ability to use your environment to your advantage more than you might expect… this might be for you. It’s a pretty decent price and whilst it can be quite grueling at times… the chance experiences of intentionally or accidentally beating situations means there’s a lot of value in replaying. A nice little game to have in your collection.