All the influences that shape Summum Aeterna are perfectly on display from the very first playthrough. Which, needless to say, is good. The prequel to Aeterna Noctis rethinks its playable formula to get closer to the roguelite premise of Dead Cells, the level structure of Castlevania: Symphony of The Night and the gameplay of Hollow Knight, being a bit of all and none in particular. And that’s why that hooks so much
After putting the finishing touch to 2021 with the latest indie candy Made in Spain, Aeternum Game Studios returns to the fray, and despite the fact that the people of Toledo have already been working on their new project for a year and a half, Summum Aeterna lands on PCs as Early Access when not even six months have passed since the release of his first film. In fact, it was technically announced three months before its surprise arrival on Steam.
A game half cooked? Fortunately, the inevitable comparisons between Summum Aeterna and the previous title are well founded and the differences play to the benefit of the king of darknessthe immortal protagonist of this prequel. Yes Aeterna Noctis baby from the metroidvanias of a lifetime, the new incursion into its universe combines the essence of the roguelites with the classic platform action and adds a curious nuance: the fruits of our previous game serve so that the player himself forms the next .
Something that is understood a little better in motion through our gameplay, in which its roguelite essence is clear: fight, be eliminated and start over keeping what you have won.
At VidaExtra we have had the opportunity to play the development version of Summum Aeterna, we have been defeated by practically each and every one of the enemies included in the current version of the game. Sometimes by mistake, others by recklessness and, as expected from the previous chapter to Aeterna Noctisthe difficulty is both a hallmark and an attraction in itself.
The game has a way to go, everything is said. Two worlds, two different areas and three weapons is much more than an appetizer, but also the tip of the iceberg of what is expected and should be required of the final version. Our impressions about Summum Aeterna They are already positive and the truth is that seeing the route time scheduled for this year, we will get there, we trust that they will get better. Above all, because the deed of the warlord condemned to eternal life already has what it takes to consolidate more and better the universe of Aeterna Noctis.
Half metroidvania, half roguelite and 100% indie Made in Spain
The universe of Aeterna it is a cruel place and full of dangerous creatures. That can be disturbing at first, but the King of Darkness, our protagonist, is made of a special paste. As explained to us between loading times, of the horrors that Summum Aeterna will put us ahead we are the worst of all. Which, being honest, also has its point.
Needless to say, being a prequel it is not necessary to have touched Aeterna Noctis, although at the level playable we will start with an advantage: the sensations of action and fast platforming in which the reflexes and the precision of the controls make the difference are there. However, the first of the differences will be noticed in the level design. Or, rather, in the absence of design in the novels.
It’s not that Aeternum Game Studios has renounced that very successful visual style in which traditional animations serve as a contrast for classic sensations to the controls, but -as a good roguelite, the levels that we will go through will be generated just before starting the game. And it is from here when Summum Aeterna it differs from Dead Cells: we will have a certain power of decision when choosing how the generated world will be.
Regardless of what has been achieved and what has been advanced in Summum Aeterna, When we are struck down we will be rewarded with a series of special objects that we can exchange to improve our character, our skills and a type of resource: the seed. What’s more, if we look closely, during the course of the game we can see on the right side how these elements are accumulated and generated before being eliminated.
What is interesting is that the levels of Summum Aeterna they are generated by germinating the seeds obtained from previous games and each one of them has its own genes that condition the elements of the world to which we will travel, including the amount of dangers, treasures or singularities that we will encounter. At launch we can get up to 20 types of world mods and it is expected that little by little more will arrive.
In fact, and this is the really curious thing, in addition to the fact that there are different types of seeds, we can combine those that are similar to generate new rarities that lead to more interesting generated worlds and combine conditions at our whim. And, although we did not design the generated world, we can choose what kind of gaming experience we will find.
Smooth gameplay like silk. Twisted and Machiavellian levels
Although the so-called Mechanics of Seeds prevails as the element that differentiates Summum Aeterna From other action roguelites, what must be its claim is still in the sensations at the controls. And there Aeternum Game Studios knows how to transfer what has been learned and inherited from its debut feature to adapt it to any type of scenario generated.
The essential: the protagonist Summum Aeterna moves just as smoothly as the King of Darkness from Aeterna Noctis and inherits many of its essential moves. We will have at our disposal and from the beginning those double jumps, the impulses that allow him to cross dangers without suffering damage and those always convenient stomps with which to finish off our enemies after a pronounced fall, intentional or not. Logically, as we advance, we have better skills.
The way we approach buffs comes from how we manage our loot while playing and how we perform on-screen from where we emerge from being eliminated. Because the king of Darkness is immortal, but we can assure you that it is not invincible.
That is to say, the treasures found, the enemies struck down, what was explored and, as a general rule, the way in which we squeeze each scenario adds up and we can exchange it for improvements and weapons. And, since there is no time constraint or stopwatch like in other roguelites, it naturally encourages us to get lost and explore. That we try to avoid the most dangerous sections even when it is not necessary.
Although, on the other hand, being much more austere when it comes to recovering health, we are fully aware of what is at stake and what we risk by not moving forward.
And not only that: one of the elements that we can unlock is a type of room in which it appears a kind of wheel of fortune spun by death itself in which we are granted an improvement, a huge limitation and a condition to eliminate the latter. Giving even more variety to each level. A success, if we feel lucky enough to ask to spin the wheel.
Good wicks for a good action roguelite, of course, although as we already mentioned, it is still early to fully appreciate the great vision behind Summum Aeterna: being in the early access phase there is still a lot of content to come. The good news is that this year it will round off its attractions.
Summum Aeterna hooks, and his future for 2022 looks phenomenal
The release version of Summum Aeterna, or rather Early Access, serve to strengthen its experience as a game and deservedly distinguish it from what Aeterna Noctis offers. But also the tip of the iceberg: beyond the two worlds that are already offered, with their respective bosses and scenarios, the first major update will add more enemies to the game and even a new type of seed to increase its variety.
Aeternum Game Studios settles the immediate future of its new game by unfolding a roadmap with established plans full of news for each summer month. Moreover, it is expected that between now and the end of the year Summum Aeterna offer a total of four worlds, six game areas and a good batch of improvements, new challenge systems and types of weapons to overcome them and, of course, more variety of seeds.
That said, the plans for the Toledo studio go even further: as we were told, the idea is to give this prequel the same treatment as Aeterna Noctis and release it on all gaming platforms. Being, for all intents and purposes, one more example of the ambition and talent that can be expected from a Spanish video game that knows how to bring the best ideas from East and West to its field.
Summum Aeterna it’s challenging, intense, tight on controls, and crafted animation that doesn’t go unnoticed. Its early access is now available on Steam for some very amortized 15.99 euros that will make us suffer with its quick games, will have us hooked with each great achievement achieved and will tempt us hopelessly to play the penultimate game with each new type of seed obtained. And that, despite the fact that everything that lies ahead, is always the penultimate, it is already a very good sign.
Summum Aeterna (Early Access)
- Platforms: PC and other systems to be announced
- Multiplayer: No
- Developer: Aeternum Game Studios
- Company: Aeternum Game Studios
- Release: June 16, 2022 (Early Access)