Everdeep Aurora Review: A Quest of Safety and Discovery | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: PC (Steam)

Also on: Nintendo Switch

Price: $19.99

Everdeep Aurora captured my attention almost immediately the first time I saw screenshots of it. Was it the cute void cat that caught my eye initially? Maybe. But its classic art style brought back this nostalgia that I haven’t felt for some time. Everdeep has a design that reminds me of Gameboy graphics, and this even includes the colors the developer used. Between the gradient hues and the playstyle, I felt as if I was sitting in the backseat of my mom’s car, playing my Gameboy, and trying my best to see my game when the wave of streetlights would illuminate the screen.

During my playthrough of Everdeep Aurora, I played as a cute void kitten named Shell. Who, I must say, communicates with the most adorable little meows to the NPCs. The game started off with a reveal of the initial plot: Everyone must evacuate to the depths below to avoid the “apocalyptic meteor shower” happening on the surface! But where is my mother? I found out quickly that she had gone ahead into the Everdeep and I needed to find her. To get to her though, I was handed a drill from a frog friend on the surface. It was then I knew my task: I must drill my way through the rocks to delve deeper into the Everdeep to find my mother.

Mechanically, I enjoyed using the drill. Though, I never used it for combat. One of the key points of the entire game is that it is completely free of any combat! Definitely a plus as I made my way through the rubble. It took three attempts to get through one square of rock that would then allow me to drop further down. However, I had to be creative with what blocks I got rid of. Shell could only jump so high after all (at least until I found upgrades later on) and I needed to retrace my steps at points to access the blacksmith or other parts of the environment that I may have missed. The drill had a charge that only lasted so long, and I found out that when I ran out of that charge, I wasn’t stuck. I could still drill away to the next charging station, but it only took an extra two attempts to destroy each block. Tolerable and barely an annoyance.

Throughout our journey into the Everdeep, Shell and I met a vast amount of unique creatures. Each of them had their own mini stories, and occasionally some quests for us to go on so we could access other areas. Some of these quests linked to others, which offered a creative way to connect everyone beneath the rocks, even if they didn’t quite get along with each other. The text based dialogue in Everdeep Aurora is done in a way I’ve seen before. If you’ve played games like Undertale or Animal Crossing, you too will be familiar with reading what characters are saying while hearing their voices in short bursts in the background. But this does not, in any way, detract from the experience! In fact, it perfectly fits the playstyle and atmosphere of this game. 

When playing Everdeep Aurora, I highly recommend using a controller. Even the game itself tells you to use one. While playing with a keyboard is certainly possible, I can say with confidence that Everdeep feels most comfortable with a controller. Navigating the menus is immensely easier as well, even if they were a bit confusing initially. Once I fiddled with the options, though, I was able to figure out how they programmed it. It's different, but refreshing since I personally haven’t seen anything like it before.

Final Grade: A-

Everdeep Aurora is a 2D exploration game set during a devastating meteor shower that is forcing the entire world to evacuate into the safety of the depths below. Its charming graphics gave me a nostalgic feeling as I, Shell the kitten, drilled my way through the rocks on my own personal quest for protection. Through text based dialogue, each enchanting character I encountered told me their stories and uncovered the secrets of Everdeep and the location of Shell’s mother. If you’re looking for your next indie adventure, look no further than this delightful gem from Nautilus Games!

Review code provided by Ysbryd Games and Stride PR