Review: Everdeep Aurora for Switch

Sure thing, let’s dive in. Remember, this is going to be a bit chaotic, like a messy journal entry.

So, a couple of years back—maybe it was two?—I wandered into PAX West 2023. Yeah, that’s right, time flies or drags, who even knows? Anyway, stumbled upon this game called Everdeep Aurora; honestly, it’s like chill incarnate. Seriously, no baddies lurking around—just puzzles, exploring, and that’s it. So yeah, piqued my curiosity, and when I had the chance to dive in for real, I was all in.

Oh, there was an image or something, too, but let’s be honest, who focuses on that stuff, right?

Digging for Mom or Something

Alright, so picture this: the game throws you into the paws of Shell, this kitten. Yup, a kitten! And she’s on this mission to find her mom. Meteor showers wreaking havoc, and everyone decides underground’s a safer bet. Imagine, Shell with this dinky drill—digging like her life depends on it until she finds her fam.

Now, here’s when things twist up on you. Deeper you go, crazier it gets. You meet all sorts of folks. Like a girl who can’t find her dog (I mean, join the club, right?), and a frog with well… daddy issues, I guess? Oh, and this sneaky snake who cons everyone—yeah, sketchy. But the trick is, you gotta help them to get cool upgrades like a better drill. Be nice, basically.

Ah, here’s another pic. Must’ve missed it before. Anyway.

The Roller Coaster of Exploring

Everdeep Aurora—it’s like a sandbox! Shell accumulates all these random items—hats galore! There are documents—like lore stuff, gems for the drill, and oh, extra energy doodads. It looks all retro, like Game Boy Color style. There are some wild twists, though. One minute you’re at dice, next you’re in a crane game? Yeah, it got weird. There’s even these old-school cutscenes, go figure. You could finish it pretty quick but the final parts—so many options, so many endings. That’s the fun, going all out exploring.

Now, here’s the buzzkill—getting lost, grrr, it’s real. No markers to show you the way. Would it kill them to add a radar or something? Meet a character, think oh yeah! and then forget what they want the very next second. And you gotta remember strange NPC requests, like this otter’s letter—but where did that little fella go? Not showing up on the radar, that’s where. Also, Switch? It jitters—annoying, just a little. But hey, it should work on older tech, right?

Whoops, another visual here. Does anyone really check all these out?

Is It a Journey Even Worth the Fuss?

Honestly? Everdeep Aurora kinda left me with mixed vibes. Music? Rad. Graphics? Top-notch. Characters—you could write sitcoms about them. But clue-finding? Maddening. You just wander around, wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do. Couple of markers and—bam—it’d be unbeatable. Right now, it kinda depends on how long your patience lasts before throwing your hands up in frustration in this labyrinth of tunnels.

Gameplay’s a solid 6/10, graphics and sound hitting a 7/10, replayability—yeah, another 7. Love it or hate it, Everdeep Aurora thrives on those chill vibes we all crave. Characters? Interesting. But without clear guidance, prepare to repeatedly facepalm, trying to figure where—or why—you’re headed anywhere.