Last week is the most explosive time of Epic Games Store, as it has bombarded players with 12 free games including the best titles you can find in the industry like Celeste, Darksiders II, and Hello Neighbor. And as the new-year event has come to its end, it's also the time for Epic to slow their paces.
After giving away two Darksiders games and Steep recently (which you still have some hours left to claim), Epic has announced that they will bring Sundered: Eldritch Edition to the free shelf. The special thing about this week's free game is that it supposed to be For The King - a turn-based RPG game, but due to some technical issues, they've replaced it with Sundered.
The freebie will be available on Epic Games Store starting from tomorrow (January 9th). Sundered is a beautiful comic-style Metroidvania that takes the inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, which takes you to the battles with hordes of creepy monsters. You can see its gameplay in the trailer down here:
About Sundered: Eldritch Edition
Sundered is a Metroidvania game from the mind behind the Nordic journey of Jotun - and I must say - they have a lot in common. Taking the settings of a horrifying world with the vibes of H.P. Lovecraft, the game will put you into the role of a lonely wanderer namely Eshe.
This world is corrupting, and humanity is suffering from the reigns of giant bosses. You have somehow ended up in the caverns where the enemies are hiding, and no one else but you can confront them to save the world. In order to slay them, you'll have to collect the power from the broken artifacts, and sometimes, it might cost your own human values to gain those powers.
What will you choose? Resist its influence or embrace yourself for greater powers?
Gameplay features
Sundered is a Metroidvania that stands out for its hand-drawn graphics. Taking control of Eshe, you'll have to travel through various levels, slaying enemies on your way and get the ancient sinister power to get to the final bosses.
Speaking about its gameplay, the game has a lot in common with its brother - Jotun, to the point that I can only feel the differences in the concept. Featuring a lot of chaotic monsters that I can't even call where they come from, Sundered will throw them into your face not one by one but a whole pack at a time. Hence, you'll have to choose when to fight and when to flee for a better time.
The combat in this game is quite smooth, as you can use your melee weapons to slash down your enemies in style. It includes a series of normal attacks combined with some aerial and dashing ones, which you must combine to cope with certain situations. At the same time, you'll have a wall jump and a double-jump to make your platforming easier.
The developer Thunder Lotus' aim with this game is to make you die and die a lot, but you'll lose almost nothing for each death. Instead, you'll be taken to a Hub when you die, and it's the time for you to use your skill points on upgrading your stats, unlocking new abilities as well as equip new items and customize your characters.
Keeping in mind that the Eldritch Edition of the game include the latest Magnate of the Gong updates, which adds not only a new boss and new areas coming with it, but also the multiplayer co-op support as well. You can invite up to three more friends in and start diving into this world together (and die together).
Overall, Sundered: Eldritch Edition is a satisfying Metroidvania with smooth combats in beautiful hand-drawn visuals, decent platforming with hidden areas and multiple endings, as well as co-op chaos as well.
It will stay on the free shelf for the next seventh day, so you will need to claim it before January 17. Have fun!