2.5/5 ★ – DSullivan's review of 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure.

Found this indie metroidvania serviceable but ultimately unexceptional. Distinctive artstyle is promising, but the monochromatic colors, bland score, and generic traversal mechanics make every area feel uniformly flat. I’ve seen praise for the story and lore, but I found the writing too expository and puerile to really take notice — and there’s enough of it to make it a minor annoyance. What redeems the experience are tight, responsive controls* and decent map progression. Gameplay peaks with some fun bosses that offer solid intermediate challenges — think Hollow Knight-lite (sometimes to a derivative degree). Playtime: 7.5 hours Completion: 83% (2/3 endings). * Whoever thought it was a good idea to perma-map dash/dodge to -left trigger- needs to be institutionalized though. That’s some sicko shit.