Sundered

Attack of the FanboyKyle Hanson

Sundered takes the indie, Metroidvania genre to new heights while showing just how good these types of experiences can be. Great gameplay could have carried this game far enough, but Thunder Lotus once again went for hand drawn art and the result is truly remarkable.

DualShockersAzario Lopez

9.5/10

The story of Eshe is confusing and mysterious. Throughout the game there are many questions to be asked about what her goal is or how she feels about her unfortunate predicament. However, these questions fade as the drive to fulfill Eshe's unspeakable goal consumed me. I didn't care why she was doing it, I just knew that it must be important enough to put up with all of this to obtain it and that was enough for me. Parts of me wish Sundered never ended, but I was satisfied with the conclusion which made me look back at the choices I made and wonder: if I did it again again, would I embrace or ...

Video ChumsTyler Hall

9.2/10

The artists behind Jotun are back with a massive roguelike Metroidvania.

Sundered proves that procedural generation and smart, hand-crafted level design are far from mutually exclusive. The combination of the two, and the way the play off each others’ strengths makes this one of the most engrossing Metroidvanias I’ve played in a while. The random approach to regular combat leaves something to be desired, but epic boss fights more than make up for it. If you have even the slightest interest in Metroidvanias, this is a game you need to play.

Game SkinnyRobert Kazmierczak

9/10

Thunder Lotus Games' newest title has a lot to offer to Metroidvania fans.

Gamer EscapeJosh McGrath

8/10

Really, it’s the areas built with specific purpose that are the highlights. The distorted areas that provide plot exposition. The rooms where you find abilities and equipment. Most notably, the boss battles, which are far and away the best thing about this title.

TechRaptorLuigi Savinelli

8/10

Sundered is an interesting take on the Metroidvania genre. Eshe's journey to collect the elder shards is adrenaline fueled and challenging. While the game is not free from flaws, it more than worthy of a spot in most collections.

Game InformerBrian Shea

7.75/10

Tensions run high as I hear the gong sound and the horde descends on my position. I've repeatedly tried to get through this area, but something always goes wrong. Maybe this time will be different; I've upgraded my health and melee damage, and I've learned the enemies' patterns. After slicing through the first few weaklings and dodging the attacks of the stronger beasts, I realize I'm completely out of my league. Instead of fighting the macabre swarm of horrific abominations, I make a mad dash for unexplored territory. Using my cannon, I blast away enemies to give me enough time to wall-jump, ...

GamingTrendChristian DeCoster

75/100

Sundered is beautiful, tense, and frustrating enough to make you want to throw your controller. If you can make your way through it’s overwhelming combat encounters, you’ll find a platformer that’s well worth the madness.

Nintendo LifeMitch Vogel

7/10

On an eShop that seems to become more rife with Metroidvanias by the day, Sundered seems to fall somewhere in the middle to front of the pack. Though the repetitiveness means it doesn’t hit the same kind of highs that Dead Cells or Hollow Knight reach, Sundered still manages to offer a delightfully creepy, challenging, and content-rich experience that genre fans are sure to enjoy. If you’re not a fan of procedural generation, stay well away from this one; otherwise, we’d encourage you to give it a shot.

Metro GameCentralGameCentral

6/10

Another promising game is ruined by the lure of procedural-generation, which is a particular shame given Sundered’s gorgeous animation and interesting gameplay ideas.

Rock Paper ShotgunJohn Walker

Unscored

The result is a completely wonderful Metroidvania, but at the same time, another Metroidvania. Its distinctive animation is worthy of accolades and awards - it is simply astounding. And its novel approach to being mobbed for combat has merits, alongside some frustrations. Neither dramatically shifts the game away from the most familiar aspects of the genre, all of which it delivers extremely well. It is that lovely holiday destination, and a lovely stay you'll certainly have - the question is, fancy going there again this summer, or maybe somewhere new?