Man, thinking back to PAX West 2023… feels like forever ago, doesn’t it? I remember stumbling upon this game, Everdeep Aurora. All about chill vibes—no bad guys or anything. Just puzzles and digging around (literally). I was like, “Hey, why not give it a go for real?” So here I am, gaming it up.
Okay, so let’s dive into the story because it’s… well, kinda simple at first. You’re this kitten, Shell—cute, right? Looking for her mom while meteors are raining down like some crazy cosmic event. Everyone’s gone underground. Shell gets this drill and—poof—starts digging deeper. No idea why, but the whole thing just grabbed me.
But wait, as you dig? It gets wild. There are these random characters everywhere. A girl missing her dog, a frog with family drama, a snake doing shady deals… and these otters with relationship issues. Seriously, it’s like a soap opera underground. Helping them means better gear and stuff. I’m all for helping, so let’s get that stronger drill!
So, exploring? Oh boy, it’s something else. You end up with a ton of quirky items—hats, obscure documents, gems for your drill’s battery, yada yada. The game’s got this old-school Game Boy vibe but—surprise—you might end up rolling dice, messing with crane games, or watching funky cutscenes. The game wraps up pretty quick, but it hides all these paths and secret corners, so you’re kinda hooked just trying to see it all. I loved the thrill of discovery, honestly.
Oh, side note: no waypoint markers. Yep, lost all the time. You meet someone, help them, cool—but where was I going again? Maybe throw in a radar or a quest log, huh? I’d appreciate not having to remember where that otter is with the letter. And playing on Switch? It hiccups sometimes, like weird flickers. Why’s that even happening?
End of the day, Everdeep Aurora’s kinda a hit-or-miss. The music rocks, visuals are sweet, plus the characters—super intriguing. And no combat, just exploring mysteries? Love that. But then it’s like, where do I even go? Guideposts could’ve made it fantastic. Ah well—depends on how mad you get in those maze-like tunnels underground, right?
Alright, here’s my take: chill exploration, but frustratingly lost half the time. Fun, when you know where you’re headed. Like, a solid 6.7 outta 10? So get lost—and maybe have a bit of fun with it!
