Everdeep Aurora: a frustrating yet enchanting trip down retro gaming memory lane
- Camila Domingues
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Do you miss playing fun games on your retro consoles? Miss the glory of 16-bit graphics, the repetitive and immersive little tunes, the simple but cute pixel art? If you answered "yes" to this question, then this game is for you.
Everdeep Aurora, Nautilus Games' newest release (PC and Nintendo Switch), takes us all back to our golden NES years with a game that is as frustrating as it is enchanting.
Everdeep Aurora spoiler-free review
You play as Shell, a kitty who's lost her mother and is actively searching for her. There's one tiny detail, though: the Perseids meteor shower is coming down to destroy the surface of the planet, and you have to figure out where her mother's meet-up spot is deep down the Everdeep underground and reunite with her. Before Shell (or the player) has time to freak out and wonder where Mother is, we also get introduced to Ribbert, a bard frog, who gives her a drill and explains that down in the Everdeep, she can use this tool to make paths to find and reunite with her mother.
As you wander around what reminded me a lot of Undertale-looking areas filled with unique and interesting characters, you interact with each of them, learning a bit about them or, in some cases, finding yourself getting into little missions and solving puzzles to get items the other villagers may need. In doing so, you visit settings like villagers' houses, taverns, secret passages, and so many more interesting and refreshing little areas. The open-world concept Everdeep Aurora has is really neat, especially considering the way the game world is built.
Everdeep Aurora does a phenomenal job at bringing its NPCs and environment to life, and you interact with everything in your path to Mama, including gorgeously modeled environments, adorable villagers, and maybe even conspiracy theories and mysteries. There are tool upgrades as you play the game that can be acquired over at Viktor's pawn shop, power tools that need to be charged as you use them in your adventures, and a blacksmith for strengthening them.
While Everdeep Aurora is a fun game to play, I have to admit I found myself raging at certain points due to either missing characters as I wandered around on my own and having to backtrack so much, and not being able to move from area to another because I kept forgetting what was where at all times. There are no quest logs, no trackers, no nudges in directions you should go to - nothing. I have the shittiest memory out of everyone I know, and having the map randomly reset and erase the paths you carved every single time you quit the game was maddening. This is, by far, my biggest and loudest complaint. The Everdeep is kind of like an anthill, and it gives you no sense of direction until you acquire the radar (map). Even so, there's the game reset issue. But, with the game taking about 4-6 hours to complete (about 18 if you want all 3 - yes, three - different endings), if you have the time to just sit and play this through, that won't be an issue for you.
As Everdeep Aurora stands two weeks after its release, it's definitely unique and enjoyable, but frustrating as hell. I recommend it for its fun puzzles, entertaining content, and cuteness.
Pixigonal was given a free copy of Everdeep Aurora for the Nintendo Switch in exchange for an honest review.
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