It is rare that a game elicits this level of disappointment. Etherborn unfortunately manages to make a series of questionable design choices. Its only redeeming quality is its relatively low price point.
Etherborn is set in a world governed by atypical gravitational rules. The player controls a voiceless, featureless avatar, navigating the environment and solving puzzles.
Etherborn‘s core mechanics are heavily inspired by the critically acclaimed mobile title, Monument Valley. However, it fails to innovate or meaningfully iterate on these established concepts, resulting in a largely uninspired experience. A key difference is the ability to fall off edges in Etherborn, an impossibility in Monument Valley. Furthermore, the graphical presentation suffers from noticeable issues, including aliasing, low-resolution textures, and a poorly implemented blur effect.
The level design feels repetitive and lacks inspiration. The game’s aesthetics, including its color palette, graphical fidelity, and character animation, fall short of the standards set by its peers. The overall impression suggests a potentially rushed development cycle.
In conclusion, it is clear that Etherborn is a significant disappointment. While borrowing mechanics can be acceptable, simply replicating them without adding original elements, or even improving upon them, is a critical flaw. The lowest possible rating is narrowly avoided due to Etherborn‘s stable performance in both docked and handheld modes on the Nintendo Switch, coupled with its relatively inexpensive price.
