Review: Everdeep Aurora (Switch)

Hey, so like two years back, I was at PAX West 2023 — just wandering around, and stumbled upon this game: Everdeep Aurora. Super chill vibes, imagine no bad guys, just puzzles and wandering about. I remember leaving the place all curious, so when I finally got my hands on it for a proper playthrough, I jumped right in.

Speaking of the game, it’s got this kitten named Shell — cute, right? All she’s doing is trying to find her mom. The world’s gone a bit nuts ’cause of this meteor shower, everyone’s hiding underground. Shell’s got this dinky little drill and has to dig through who-knows-what to find her family.

Now, things start getting really interesting when you’re digging. Random NPCs pop up everywhere, all with stories. Like, there’s this girl hunting for her lost dog, a frog with family drama, a sneaky snake, and even otters with love issues. Seriously, the whole zoo is down there. Helping them out is key — Shell gets upgrades like improved drills and wall jumps. Kindness is currency, go figure.

Exploring is, honestly, the game’s bread and butter. Shell collects everything under the sun: hats, documents filled with lore, gems for her drill’s battery, you name it. Though it’s mostly a 2D, Game Boy Color-style trip, sometimes it throws in surprises like dice games, crane grabs, and retro cutscenes. Wild. While you can blitz through in a few hours, the endgame has so many secret paths and endings, it keeps pulling you back in. I dug that.

But — and there’s always a “but” — it gets frustrating. Navigation is a nightmare without waypoints. You get lost, like, all the time. Sure, helping characters feels rewarding, but a radar or something more than a basic map? Missed opportunity there. Plus, no quest log? You’re left juggling all these tasks from memory. It’s like, remember where that one otter is or you’re toast. Oh, and on Switch, the frame rate? Not so smooth, just saying. Expected better for this kind of game, even on older platforms.

So, is the journey worth it? Hmm, mixed feelings. Music, graphics, quirky characters — all ace. No combat, just mystery-solving, refreshing. But you’re kinda left to your own devices, which threw me off a bit. A couple more guideposts could’ve transformed the experience. Depending on your patience for labyrinths and guessing games, your enjoyment might swing wildly.

Overall, Everdeep Aurora is an exploration chill-fest with its, let’s say, “unique” guide-less approach. Love digging into the puzzles and helping creatures with their weird lives. Just don’t get too frustrated about feeling lost underground. 6.7 out of 10, if ratings are your thing.