Ataraxie Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

Ataraxie Review, Forcefully awakened from his eternal sleep, ancient pharaoh Antef fearsomely discovers the horror his kingdom has fallen into. His throne was stolen, his cult tarnished, and the corruption, started by Apis, will soon be engulfing the world. The time has come for you to bring back order and give your people the peace they deserve.

Ataraxie Review Pros:

  • Nice graphics.
  • 337MB download size.
  • Own in-game achievements.
  • Action platformer gameplay.
  • Controller settings – can remap the controls and stick the sensitivity slider.
  • Screen borders can be earned/unlocked and set.
  • 3 save slots.
  • Two game modes – Scribe and Pharaoh which boils down to game difficulty.
  • Cool in-game cutscenes.
  • Opening tutorial video.
  • Actions – attack, duck, wall jumping, jump, double jump, and holding jump go higher.
  • Very old school in its appearance.
  • Killing enemies gives health.
  • Enemies respawn when you leave and re-enter a screen.
  • 2D game World.
  • Good soundtrack.
  • Three types of light show in the world and they affect you in different ways – blue light slows you down and you cannot double jump, red light does damage over time, and yellow light makes things disappear from your view.
  • Spend Maat points to change the light type.
  • Health bar system.
  • Metroidvania DNA throughout.
  • The map uncovers as you explore.
  • Find and collect hidden diary entries and re-read them in the menu.
  • A handy game timer is shown in the pause menu.
  • You can play mini-games at a merchant for the cost of Maat points. Three types of merchants so three types of mini-games.
  • Find and speak to many characters.
  • It’s a very basic yet endearing experience.
  • Find and earn skill points to put into the skill tree to improve and add new abilities in the sphere grid.
  • Ankhs act as save points, the place to enter the sphere grid, and fast travel between any used Ankh.
  • Fast respawning.

Ataraxie Review Cons:

  • Images and videos in the game have French writing on them.
  • Difficult game.
  • The game doesn’t do a great job of introducing you to everything.
  • Early game is just a case of always moving forward as you cannot open any doors.
  • Hitting enemies feels like a luck-based experience.
  • Parts of the world are very basic level design and repetitive.
  • Big difficulty spikes.
  • The game doesn’t do a good job of ushering or guiding you through.

Related Post: Halls Of Torment Review (Steam)

Ataraxie:

Official website.

Developer: Studio Gravenoire

Publisher: Studio Gravenoire

Store Links – 

Nintendo

  • 7/10
    Graphics - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Accessibility - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Length - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Fun Factor - 7/10
7/10

Summary

Ataraxie offers a visually appealing experience with its nice graphics and a manageable download size of 337MB. The game features its own in-game achievements and action platformer gameplay, which is complemented by customizable controller settings, including remappable controls and a sensitivity slider. Players can also unlock and set screen borders, adding a personal touch to their gaming experience. With three save slots and two game modes—Scribe and Pharaoh, which essentially represent different difficulty levels—players have options to tailor their gameplay.

The game includes cool in-game cutscenes and an opening tutorial video to get players started. The actions available to the player, such as attacking, ducking, wall jumping, and double jumping, contribute to its old-school appearance. Killing enemies restores health, but enemies respawn when you leave and re-enter a screen, maintaining a constant challenge. The 2D game world is enhanced by a good soundtrack and features three types of light shows that affect gameplay in different ways: blue light slows you down and prevents double jumping, red light causes damage over time, and yellow light makes objects disappear from view. Players can spend Maat points to change the light type, adding a strategic element to the game.

Despite its Metroidvania DNA, Ataraxie has some drawbacks. The game is difficult and doesn’t do a great job of introducing all its elements, leaving players to figure things out on their own. The early game can feel monotonous as players are forced to move forward without being able to open any doors. Combat can feel luck-based, and parts of the world suffer from basic level design and repetitiveness. Additionally, there are significant difficulty spikes, and the game lacks proper guidance, making it challenging to navigate.

On the positive side, the map uncovers as you explore, and players can find and collect hidden diary entries to re-read in the menu. A handy game timer is shown in the pause menu, and players can engage in mini-games at merchants for Maat points. The game features three types of merchants, each offering different mini-games. Players can interact with various characters, adding depth to the experience. The game also includes a skill tree where players can earn and allocate skill points to improve and add new abilities. Ankhs serve as save points, access to the skill tree, and fast travel between used Ankhs, though the fast respawning can be a double-edged sword.

In summary, Ataraxie is a visually appealing and challenging action platformer with a mix of old-school charm and modern gameplay elements. While it has its share of drawbacks, such as difficulty spikes and lack of guidance, it offers a unique and endearing experience for those willing to invest the time to master its mechanics.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!