The Knight Witch
The Knight Witch
Game
Game2021
Aeterna Noctis
Developer Aeternum Game Studios S.L
Aeterna Noctis is a 2021 Metroidvania video game developed in Spain by Aeternum Game Studios. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
238 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 30, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
64
Fresh
126 positive · 70 negative
95% range 57–71%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 126 | 70 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 11 | 2 | 14 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
888 of 1,176 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
67% recommend · 125 yes, 61 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 186 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (1,627 of 2,185 positive).
Many players praise the challenging platforming and compare it favorably to Hollow Knight and Celeste. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the game overly long and frustrating, especially in later sections. [4][5][6] Several players note that the game's difficulty leads to mixed opinions, with some loving it and others finding it unfair. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
It's the most controversial game for me to review. I beat this game on Noctis (the "intended" difficulty) in 55 hours by 109% (I assume that 1% is beating all boss-rush dlc challenges, which I don't care about). At first I was very pleased with the game and couldn't understand, what people don't like about it... now I know. The main reason is - the game stops to be fun and starts to be annoying (most of the time). …
- [9]
Uhhhhhh I agonized for a long time whether to give it a thumbs up or down, but the verdict is down. Aeterna Noctis has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but I feel it was squandered by trying to be too much for too long. If you know nothng about the game, imagine Hollow Knight meets Celeste but not as good as any of the inspirations. It prides itself in being a precision platformer Metroidvania, but the platforming is not as good …
- [1]
tldr: If you enjoyed Hollow Knight (especially the white palace) and Celeste chances are you'll like this game a bit. I'd say it's the second most fun I've had with a metroidvania. Really just give it a try, pick it up on sale if you're not confident. I and I'm sure many others have heard a multitude of things going into this game. The majority of which are about the difficulty so I'd like to speak on that first. If …
- [7]
A fantastic, challenging metroidvania, with very difficult platforming, excellent bosses, unforgettable music and beautiful art. It's a shame that it got so many negative reviews just because it's difficult, and it even has an easier difficulty mode. It deserves much better reviews. Feedback for the devs: The art looks incredible, but sometimes, it is a bit too detailed and makes it a bit hard to see certain …
- [2]
Very good metroidvania with focus on platform. It is like HK white Palace all over the game
Summarised from 34 of the 229 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
67% of the 186 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Aeterna Noctis. The complaint that keeps coming up: game is too long with excessive empty space and backtracking. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch versions of Aeterna Noctis both received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 50% of critics. Concluding his review of the game for Push Square, Ollie Reynolds wrote: "Ultimately, although there's a distinct feeling of déjà vu when playing Aeterna Noctis thanks to its unmistakable similarities to Hollow Knight, it thankfully manages to nail the most important elements in a Metroidvania: exploration and combat."
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 238 · most liked firstStreaming Aeterna Noctis and then starting a game I’ve been really excited for: Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass! Come hang out :3 twitch.tv/itisidog
neutral · AI labelView post →It's the most controversial game for me to review. I beat this game on Noctis (the "intended" difficulty) in 55 hours by 109% (I assume that 1% is beating all boss-rush dlc challenges, which I don't care about). At first I was very pleased with the game and couldn't understand, what people don't like about it... now I know. The main reason is - the game stops to be fun and starts to be annoying (most of the time). Platforming stops to be fun when you obtain crystal arrows, because devs think…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I play a ton of Metroidvanias, and I really do not like this one. I find it overly frustrating for essentially mediocre game play, and overall just not worth the time. I have too many other games I really enjoy to waste time with this kind of jank. If the game were really special and had good controls or unique combat it might be worth it but it doesn't... it's just mid in all respects, but tuned to be difficult and very punishing on death for no good reason. Don't get me wrong... there's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I 100% percented the game, every questline and item. My overall take is the game is very good, but it's not an instant buy for the casual gamer. There's a lot to like here especially the art, music, the level design, it's all great. Yet towards the end, the game sacrifices its staggering levels of charm on B.S. kinds of challenges. For me, everything was going super great, I was loving every minute of it, that is until a certain temple where killing enemies forces you into reverse directions…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Uhhhhhh I agonized for a long time whether to give it a thumbs up or down, but the verdict is down. Aeterna Noctis has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but I feel it was squandered by trying to be too much for too long. If you know nothng about the game, imagine Hollow Knight meets Celeste but not as good as any of the inspirations. It prides itself in being a precision platformer Metroidvania, but the platforming is not as good as Celeste, and the combat is not as good as Hollow Knight. It tries to do…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The world is amazing, some biomes look amazing and the story is amazing. But I just cannot recommend it. The first half was some off the most fun I had, but this game is brutal, and this comes as someone who finished the C sites from celeste so I had parkouring experience. The combat and exploring is "normal" difficulty but the parkouring feels frustrating. You will not even unlock shortcuts to skip tedious parkour sections so traversal feels slow, even late game. The game even focuses on these…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Annoying game through and through. Credit where it's due : obviously, a ton of time and love were poured into this game, and the artistic direction in particular is remarkable. If we're strictly focusing on the gameplay, though, it's not a very compelling game. Combat is honestly brainless. A lot of enemies, both regular and bosses, have annoying patterns that either involve a lot of waiting around before you can do anything, or are just really overkill and unreasonably hard to dodge. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I DID IT. ROLLED CREDITS ON AETERNA NOCTIS! 91% completion. I am NOT going for the other 9% no thank you. Game is hard enough with the platforming.
positive · AI labelView post →Like many of the other reviews, the game is just too big for its own good. Like the map is unnecessarily big with lots of empty space for no reason other than atmosphere. Makes the game terrible for exploration and retracing your steps. The temple level is also aggregious with the fact that after you complete it, it doesnt simplify itself to make retravel easy and is filled with annoying invisible puzzles. The overall gameplay is extremely simple with mostly just mashing the attack and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →tldr: If you enjoyed Hollow Knight (especially the white palace) and Celeste chances are you'll like this game a bit. I'd say it's the second most fun I've had with a metroidvania. Really just give it a try, pick it up on sale if you're not confident. I and I'm sure many others have heard a multitude of things going into this game. The majority of which are about the difficulty so I'd like to speak on that first. If I were to guess I think many people (and reviewers) played the game on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll echo a lot of other comments: The game is good, but it's not fun (at least for me) If you want a metroidvania with challenging platforming that seems to go on forever then this game is for you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This platformer game is one of the worst. It is hard, not because of the gameplay, but because of the poor level design and bosses. Among 10s of platformer games, with 100% achievements in titles like silksong, grime, blasphemous and others, Aeterna Noctis is the first game I uninstall it after giving up in it, many chances to improve were given , early game, mid-game and in late game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: Excellent visuals and character art: The backgrounds and character animations are highlights, with wildly varied and interesting environments ranging from gothic crypts to eerie flesh tunnels to sci-fi facilities. It creates a cool world. Excellent Platforming: Movement feels tight and responsive. The platforming challenges are tough but fair, with death usually being the player’s fault. Later movement upgrades like the teleport arrow make navigating deathtraps thrilling (but also very…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good metroidvania with focus on platform. It is like HK white Palace all over the game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →3 PC Games For $10 - Pick From Cool Metroidvanias, Roguelikes, And More. Fanatical Platinum Collection Build Your Own Bundle - February 2024 Edition Aeterna Noctis Cookie Cutter The Crackpet Show Diluvian Ultra Dust & Neon Farm Together Final Vendetta Friends vs Friends Interstellar Space: Genesis Complete Edition Luck be a Landlord Maneater Monster Prom II: Monster Camp Murderous Muses Oaken Retro Machina ScourgeBringer…
neutral · AI labelView post →Unfortunately, there's something about the visuals that irritates my vision and it makes it really hard to get into the game play. The screen feels blurry, too bright, and like my eyes are working really hard trying to absorb what is going on. I have pretty good vision, but this game was making me think I was developing eye problems. Can't recommend the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aeterna Noctis was a grueling platforming experience but so incredibly fun! Best part of this game was just the challenging exploration elements. The parts that were not so fun were the LARGE amount of side quests and the way too difficult boss fights. Highly recommend this game though! Owlboy next
positive · AI labelView post →Horizon Forbidden West was okay... I think I liked it a bit less than the first one but also a bit more?? Idk it's hard to explain. Basically gameplay/characters were good. Story was not. Plus they nerfed the cauldrons from the first game and that was a bummer. Anyway now playing: Aeterna Noctis
neutral · AI labelView post →I can't believe I am seeing any negative reviews for this game. It might be my favorite metroidvania of all time. If you exclude roguelike/roguelite this is probably in my number 1 spot. Best in class gameplay and mechanics. Tons of versatility in builds and ways to play. Incredible platforming. Fast travel is great. It leans on some ideas of other games and improves on them. The only downsides I can see in the game is that its long and challenging. But that is what I wanted so it's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is probably the best game i ever played. For context, I loved Hollow Knight and Ori, where we have a challenging platforming and also story. Aeterna Noctis, felt like Hollow Knight (very challenging) but not mental as the "Path of Pain" (Hollow Knight part where you will want to kill yourself). The saving locations and teleport are quite balanced. One thing that really annoys me in some platform games (i.e., Hollow Knight) is how unforgiving dying can be (re-spawn far away) or lose…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game sucks. It isn't fun. The story is generic, written by a clear hack. The game's difficulty is derived from its poor controls and ridiculous platforming. The combat's difficulty is derived from its cheapness. I go 67% of the way through this game before I chose happiness and moved on.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a beautiful game, and I liked the piano soundtrack. But I'm not having fun playing it. Being difficult is fine, even desirable; but this game is brutal, too over the top, specially in the platforming sections. I'm almost halfway through it but I don't know if I'll ever finish it, it feels more and more like a chore.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm convinced that Noctis difficulty was never play-tested, and locking achievements behind it is ridiculous. Avoid at all costs.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game has tons of bugs. But the biggest and most annoying bug is the map loss. When I finished the game at 5%, I lost the map once. After playing for 11 hours, and completing 28% of the game, I lost the map again. This is really annoying, because RPG games rely a lot on maps. I asked for the game back, and a refund, but unfortunately it was not granted. I had a lot of trust in this game developer after playing their game Afterimage, but now I am so disappointed. In the future, when buying…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m now well into Aeterna Noctis, got 4 out of 7 shine fragments and I’m loving it. Glad I waited for the devs to patch the game a bunch. Playing on Deck as the Switch version was really ugly sadly, and this game deserves to look as good as it is! #Metroidvania
positive · AI labelView post →Aeterna Noctis is a really good metroidvania and - on hard difficulty - easily the most challenging one I've ever played. Combat, platforming, story, graphics, music, world building, RPG elements, boss fights, level design, everything about it is well-made. It's just overall a very solid game. My only complaints is that it could use more enemy types considering how long it is, and that the arrow teleport ability felt annoying to use on a controller, although this could just be a git gud issue.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unless they fix the crashes, this game is going to get a thumbs down from me. It's a shame because the game itself is great. The game is known to crash and you can read similar incidents from other people as well. When the game crashes, your entire map is erased, making you revisit the places to get it drawn again. This is simply unacceptable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On the 90% sale it's worth it, because for the first ~10 hours it was fun. Precision platformer shaped like a metroidvania. The metroidvania bits feel shoved in for no reason because the design doesn't care at all about them- enemies and recovering after you die are jokes when every room has 1 or more respawn points and enemies die in a few hits cuz skill tree will make you deal a bilion damage, the enemies might as well not be there at all, just wasting time. The charms system and skill tree…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Everything in this game is just kind of annoying. Nothing is as simple as it should be, even things like warping at checkpoints or talking to NPCs involve jumping through some hoops whether its extra steps or strangely precise positioning to talk to some NPCs. Its a lot of little things that just got to me more and more as I played. Almost every enemy is annoying in some way, with a number of them just being invulnerable until you stand in front of them long enough for them to attack, or…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →6/10 I keep teetering on if I want to leave a positive or negative review on this game. There are moments its great but there a few major issues that make me wanna rip into it. The devs need to live stream themselves playing this game, start to finish so we can all see how good and fun it is. They'd never do it cuz they know they made a bs game that hides behind the "its difficult" bs. Don't buy this game unless you're a hardcore metroidvania fan or really into overly aggressive…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →tried too hard to look good , only looks distracting instead , games can be both minimalist and detailed you know
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aeterna Noctis, developed and published by Aeternum Game Studios, stands out as a compelling entry in the Metroidvania genre, blending challenging gameplay with a richly detailed and interconnected world. Players step into the role of the King of Darkness, embarking on a quest to regain lost powers and restore balance in a realm shrouded in mystery and ancient lore. From the outset, the game sets a tone that is both atmospheric and foreboding, inviting exploration and demanding mastery of its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finally. After like 3 days of trying(About 6 game hours) I finally beat the Doppelganger boss in Aeterna Noctis. Can finally get into dark areas so tomorrow we shall see what new death traps I walk into.
neutral · AI labelView post →Currently playing Aeterna Noctis. If you need Souls level difficulty in platforming, this is it. I die to enemies only because the platforming is insane at times and drains my health. I only have 28% of the game done at the moment. But Super Metroid is a good 2nd option
positive · AI labelView post →I don't like to bash indie game studios as I'd like more indie games but this game feels like a flop. It's like the design team played Hollow Knight and then said, "I know how to make this worse" and then proceeded to make this game. It doesn't stay true to the feel of a Metroidvania but liberally uses the tag. The controls are clunky, the game play is punishingly difficult to control but not in a way that feels like it's fun to learn. Celeste's difficulty doesn't come because it's clunky but…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aeterna Lucis - Official Teaser & Gameplay Reveal | The Sequel to Aeterna Noctis. Releasing in September
neutral · AI labelView post →Some of my favorite Games to play include: 🎮Resident Evil 🕹️Final Fantasy 🎮Hollow Knight 🕹️Legend of Zelda 🎮Crash Bandicoot 🕹️Spyro the Dragon 🎮Metal Gear Solid 🕹️Sonic the Hedgehog 🎮Banjo Kazooie 🕹️Mario 🎮a Metroidvania style game for example Aeterna Noctis 🕹️Devil May Cry 🎮God of War 🕹️Ori
neutral · AI labelView post →This game was pretty good ngl. It has some of the best boss fights I've ever encountered in a metroidvania, and very satisfying parkour. Cool scenery and art design, even tho it's not for everyone and I would understand the reasons, and the story is simple, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Exploration is good, sometimes not that much, quests are fun (except the collector guy's one) and overall? I had fun. Not the best metroidvania but you should really give it a try if you like the genre.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When this game hits it really really hits. When it's jank or unfair... well. Had a blast, but actually did not complete it. I finally decided to call it quits after the whole castle in the sky puzzle stuff, iykyk. For 90% off? I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Don't be afraid to use a guide!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing on the original Noctis mode and most of the way through the game but I'm not having fun and the game feels like a chore to play that I'm dreading. For a Metroidvania, it feels a bit soulless with enormous but samey maps that are the opposite of tight map design and at late game, are a complete nightmare to traverse - traps and platforming challenges everywhere with almost no breather. You cannot just go from A to B to get to places - you need to go through something like the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finished the main game at 100% on Noctis mode, with the only thing left to do being the DLC content. Aeterna Noctis is platforming focused. And in that area it is a 10/10. You have to enjoy hard platforming to get the most out of the game. You could play on Aeterna mode, but the game's brilliance is in its hard, sometimes bonkers hard (mind boggling even) platforming. Immensely satisfying and difficult. One area in particular is amazing for just how challenging it is, and beautiful also.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fantastic, challenging metroidvania, with very difficult platforming, excellent bosses, unforgettable music and beautiful art. It's a shame that it got so many negative reviews just because it's difficult, and it even has an easier difficulty mode. It deserves much better reviews. Feedback for the devs: The art looks incredible, but sometimes, it is a bit too detailed and makes it a bit hard to see certain projectiles and enemies. This was almost never an issue, but it might be worth…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Their previous game, Aeterna Noctis, is listed as: Nintendo Switch 2 Compatibility Information Unsupported – Problems with game progression have been found. So I’m guessing they are waiting on Nintendo for sure.
neutral · AI labelView post →What an insane game! Insanely hard. Insanely good. And insanely polished. I am not a masochist enough to get no-hit achievements, and I already died 676 times, but I very, very, very much enjoyed the challenges this game issued to me. Maybe not the bosses, because some of them were harder than souls-likes and made me mad, but platforming was brilliant! Even the most ridiculous ones like in Cosmos (HOLY ♥♥♥♥ what a map!). Precision and timing needed for some platforming was... insane. But I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far it's Hollow Knight with better platforming, I can't put it down Excited for the rest!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite possibly the most boring and annoying game I've ever played. After a certain point, I felt like I was exclusively going on tangent after tangent without any sense of real progress being made. Sunk cost fallacy got me good with this one
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a lot to like about this title, which makes it all the more impressive how thoroughly you end up hating it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too uneven and VERY frequently you'll find yourself having no clue what to do next.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What is main things for platformer? Control and clarity. Both are trash. At first you think "Wow, control is actually ok". Then you get teleport bow. Character move while you trying to target and your aim goes 360 on slight movement of mouse or stick. Good luck to shoot 40 degree in jump (and there are such moments). Wanna hit and dash? You will dash into enemy because for 5 years devs didn't bother to fix movement. Like they didn't bother to fix character stuck (and you need to unplug…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I 100%-ed the game on Noctis, but it was hell of a labour and not of a good kind This game is basically a precision platformer with clunky controls, shaped to look like a generic metroidvania. It abundantly consists of very demanding parkour sequences, similar to Path of Pain. But Path of Pain was completely optional, here you have to play through all of it to get bosses and items. If you think Silksong was unreasonale and dragged too much at times, this one is so much worse, in most regards.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyone who has given this a negative review might be mentally ill. Aeterna Noctis is a top tier metroidvania (not saying this lightly) with some of the best parkour and platforming mechanics in the genre. The map is HUMONGUS with a ridiculous amount of content It's a little hand-holdy in terms of telling you what to do, but I think it's necessary for a game this large. Only negatives is that the visuals and animations are a little too busy for when you're trying to fucus on movement/combat.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a difficult review. I was having highs and lows with this game, alternating genuine moments of fun and moments of hate. But what gave me the "ok, I'm done. I can't anymore" it's the feeling "WILL THIS GAME EVER END?". It's not that the game is long, too long, unnecessarily long. It becomes kind of ridicule. Suddenly I was exploring the universe and planets (????). What started as a nice metroidvania, more platform oriented like Ori, with simple controls, got more and more gimmicky,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is probably one of the more tightly designed metroidvanias I've played. Compared to other popular titles like Nine Sols, I had complained there that the builds weren't relevant enough. Except the final boss, everything else could be handled with the basic setup. With Aeterna Noctis, switching out gems for different builds is actually useful and can make a significant difference. For example, against the slime boss with constant adds, switching to gems that promote blood and convert blood…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don’t care for the game mainly for two reasons: its world-building and its writing. The world feels like a collection of loosely connected themed areas rather than a cohesive whole. After playing games like Nine Sols or Hollow Knight, the difference is night and day. The writing, on the other hand, is downright dreadful—it feels like something penned by a teenager. Take the Goblin King side quest, for instance: it’s utterly ridiculous. The main character tries to act tough and dismissive,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I opt to pick `No` since this game is not for me, but it still might be for you, below are the reason why i pick no This game started off fine for me and actually feels good after i got dash (very early on), double jump, and wall jump. But then after i got the arrow abilities i notice that we can do 360 degree ranged attack and when i research it turns out the game will go heavily on this 360 degree mechanic later in the game and as someone who only use keyboard for metroidvanias (i suck at…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely LOVED this one. I can't believe it is getting such negative reviews. It is EXCELLENT! I played on the easier of the two difficulties but this was still definitely difficult for me. I never got discouraged, and ended up loving every second I played it (although there were two areas I absolutely hated, but they weren't THAT bad; it was still worth slogging through them). The platforming was my favorite part of the game, for sure. I found some of the bosses to be fun, some not so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game suffer from bad visual designs, the first areas are just too cluttered, the effect in the virtual world where the platform morph is cool looking but quite bad for platforming clarity. The camera by default zoom out way too far to see your character detail so you really can't see any animation on him, I'm also using a 27 inch monitor btw. The dash has a cooldown which is super weird because there is no visual indications when the cooldown is back, but it still replenished after you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Giant White Palace ahh game Yes, I did 109% it, because I'm a loser
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recommended for those who hates themselves
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Weirdly this game gives me PoP Lost Crown vibes and I loved Lost Crown. Looking forward to digging in further to see how far the similarities go.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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