Overview – developed by WONDERBOY BOBI in collaboration with Storybird Games, with publishing by PQube Games, Aggelos is a retro style action adventure, with light RPG elements. As the hero, explore the land of Lumen and save the Kingdom from destruction, as monsters from a dark dimension seek to invade and take over. This title is available on all console platforms and Steam, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: This is a re-review of software that was originally provided by PQube Games, with the original coverage becoming lost since publishing. Just like my other coverage, the provision of the software has not influenced the contents of this re-review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, stating with the story.
Story – in the Kingdom of Lumen, a lone adventurer lives alone on the edge of a forest. One day, they get a feeling, as if something or someone is calling them to western woods. Picking up their sword and venturing out into the unknown. What they do not know is that this feeling is their destiny, as they are the chosen one, a hero that has been chosen by the gods to save the Kingdom from the forces of darkness that seek to conquer it.
Gameplay – Aggelos is an action adventure, with metroidvania and light RPG mechanics, where the player takes the role of the hero. This title features non-linear progression, where the player explores the different regions of the Kingdom. There is a mix between platforming and action, which is reminiscent to the games that inspired it. This also extends to the combat, where the hero is armed with a sword, which is used to cut down enemies that appear.
The creatures that appear in the kingdom start off relatively simple, with dangerous plants and animals that appear. But the further the player progresses, the more monstrous these creatures become, as monster scorpions, ghostly spirits and even minotaurs appear. As the hero defeats enemies, they will drop experience and gold. When the player reaches experience milestones, they will gain boosts to attack and defense stats.
As the player makes their way through the adventure, they will come across dungeons, which are tied to the elements of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. These dungeons are made up of several rooms, which are often filled with enemies, traps and puzzle based obstacles to overcome. To progress through these dungeons, the player must find keys to open up doors, as well as special magical rings, which will imbue the hero with magical power.
When the player unlocks the ability to use magic, they will start with three magic charges. Each spell will use up one charge of magical power, with the main way to refill magic is to attack enemies. The magic powers that are unlocked in the dungeons are important, as they will be the key to surviving the trials of the temples. Unlocking magical power will also allow access to previously unreachable areas, which will cause some backtracking during play.
At the end of the dungeons and in set points of the adventure, the player will encounter powerful bosses. These battles will take place inside closed off arenas, with the player often using the magic unlocked to fight them. Bosses that appear include a giant sentient skull, an octopus and a rather chunky dragon. If the hero can slay these imposing foes, they will gain a significant experience boost, a large amount of gold and extra heart containers for more health points.
The dungeons aren’t the only way for the player to gain new skills and upgrades, as there are merchants throughout the world. The merchants can be found in the towns on the map, where they will offer new weapons, armor and special items, including Heart containers and healing potions. There are several swords and armor sets that can be collected. These include the Samurai Masamune set, dragon set and the bubble coral set.
Players can also encounter the technique teachers, who will provide the hero with special scrolls. The scrolls that are provided will provide new weapon strikes, which will allow for more options in combat that can aid in moving through stages. By combining the different skills and abilities that have been gained, the player will be able to easily cover great distances. Successfully combining skills will make progress through the game a little easier.
Merchants and teachers aren’t the only NPC characters that can be encountered, as the player will come across various characters. These residents of the world will provide hints for progression, offering advice that may be out of order, or require an item for them to interact with the hero. Due to some of the solutions to puzzles being rather cryptic, players may need to take notes during play or just have a good memory to progress.
Since this is a metroidvania style action adventure, there are safe points that appear throughout the Kingdom. These altars allow the player to save the game and recover lost health, while also acting as checkpoints to return to if the player dies. As the player makes their way further into the adventure, they will be able to teleport between the different save points. This makes backtracking to different areas easier later in the game.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to cover the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – There is an easy to use control system, with only four buttons needed to play the game. This simplicity of control adds a good amount of accessibility to the game, making it rather easy for players to pick the game up and get into the action. As it is a retro style platform adventure, it is recommended for players to use a controller with a good D-pad. This is due to thumbsticks lacking some precision, leading to the controls feeling slippery.
Difficulty – the challenge of Aggelos is balanced rather well, with the difficulty being affected by the player level, equipment and upgrades that have been unlocked. Some of the more difficult sections can be made a little easier, with the ability to grind experience and levelling up the hero. As the game is non-linear in progression, it is possible to find yourself in a dangerous area unprepared, which may be a source of frustration to some.
Presentation – This title has a visual style that is inspired by classic 90s adventures, with large sprites and vivid use of color. All of the zones are nicely detailed, offering a good variety off themed locations that are distinct from each other. The sound is also done well, with chiptune music offering bright melodies that contrast with darker compositions. This gives the overall presentation more authenticity to what it attempts to emulate.
Final Thoughts – I played Aggelos many years ago, having a good time and very much enjoying the adventure. I revisited the game a few times since and my feelings on it haven’t changed. Aggelos nails that retro style of the 16-bit era, which is something that other attempts at the style often misses. All of the elements mesh well together, creating an experience that feels like it could appear on the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis in the 90s.
This adventure manages to evoke the nostalgia and wonder of games like Wonder Boy III: the Dragon’s Trap, as well as the Monster World games. Aggelos is a real love letter to the classics of the genre, with all the positives and a couple negatives, like the cryptic puzzles that can be a little awkward and require notes to be taken. But this adventure offers a familiar but fresh experience, which I will happily recommend to all, I even picked it up as a physical cartridge for my collection.
In the end, I give Aggelos a score of 4.5/5. This is a wonderful retro inspired adventure, which manages to nail the feel of the classic 90s adventures, with bold sprites, reactive platforming, fun yet cryptic puzzle solving and exciting battle against giant enemies. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 