BioGun
BioGun
Game
Game2021
Astalon: Tears of the Earth
Developer LABS Works
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a 2021 video game by LABS Works, published by Japanese publisher Dangen Entertainment. The game's plot revolves around a fighter named Arias, an archer named Kyuli, and a wizard named Algus. The three are on a quest to save their home village from despair as most of the land has turned to desert from the atrocities of an ancient war. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
296 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
90
LovedLoved
171 positive · 20 negative
95% range 84–93%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 171 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 29 | 3 | 67 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 5 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
934 of 1,041 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
90% recommend · 167 yes, 18 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 185 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,433 of 1,584 positive).
Some reviewers find the backtracking and limited healing frustrating. [1][2][3] The game's NES-inspired aesthetics and chiptune soundtrack are frequently highlighted. [4][1][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [2]
One of the worst Metroidvanias I have played in a long while. You are constantly looking for keys, everything is locked or behind some skill I don't have, I have looked everywhere and I even made a separate map for every stuck room I have. I can't go anywhere. I was missing a white key and after wandering around for 4 hours looking for one, I was so bored that I couldn't finish the game. Shame, gameplay is fine. …
- [13]
This game is the epitome of how an indie metroidvania should be made. I can’t fathom how much I enjoyed this hidden gem, i loved how megaman-ish it is, though it has its flaws as the level design is quite erratic and sometimes makes no sense. I wish they had added more dialogue between the characters—their relationship was so charming and had great chemistry that deserved to be explored more. Definitely worth it!
- [1]
Negatives first. There is a lot of required backtracking to progress. It gets a little better about 1/3 through the game though. Not much healing in the game and I died a lot to spikes. Tons of ground spikes everywhere. Dying means even more backtracking. The bosses are too easy and with character upgrades they are a joke. Now the good stuff. The pixel art is fantastic. It reminds me of the NES Mega Man games, but …
- [9]
Legit one of the best of its kind yet made. Huge, interconnected map, lots to secrets to uncover to get to 100%, several NG+ options, and a story with a surprisingly deep amount of lore. Pulls from several sources, not a paint-by-numbers MetroidVania. Just grab it, go in with as few spoilers as possible and get as lost as you can.
- [4]
My sword is bigger than your fireballs Metroidvania styled game with 8-bit like aesthetics. Gameplay is exploration and defeating foes and occasionally taking part in boss battles. Collect orbs from fallen enemies and power up your characters. Save game at rest points where one of three characters can be chosen, each have its own ability. Story is about tower of serpents where black knight reign who poisoned people …
Summarised from 34 of the 281 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
Astalon: Tears of the Earth sits at 90% positive across 191 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Astalon: Tears of the Earth was released on June 3, 2021, on Steam, GOG, Itch.io, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. It was named as the best Metroidvania game of 2021 by PC Gamer. According to the review aggregation website, the PC and Nintendo Switch versions of Astalon: Tears of the Earth both received generally favorable reviews from critics. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 89% of critics. On January 21, 2022, Limited Run Games released physical and collector editions of Astalon: Tears of the Earth for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. All versions sold out.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 296 · most liked firstI dunno what level of ADHD I'm on that I'm procrastinating something I really wanna do with similar things I've been meaning to do for a while which is to say: instead of playing Silksong - a game I've waited 6 years for - I just finished Astalon and am downloading Nine Sols
positive · AI labelView post →Oh dang, Matt Kap's new game is out tomorrow. From the developer of Astalon and Castle In The Darkness. Also the Dragon Half (how's THAT for anime nostalgia) artist did some work on it. And Mink the dragon-girl appears as a cameo character.
neutral · AI labelView post →Here's another wip of the Astalon illustration, the print will be available tomorrow! The game is discounted for a week, Steam page link : store.steampowered.com/app/1046400/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Astalon implies there’s an AstalOFF. Let’s continue this great game! youtube.com/auroralvisage twitch.tv/auroralvisage
neutral · AI labelView post →[Humble] Return to Metroidvania Bundle ($5/$10/$14). **$5 for 2 games** - Monster Sanctuary - Gato Roboto **$10 for 3 games + above** - Astalon: Tears of the Earth - Islets - Shantae and the Seven Sirens **$14 for all games** - Berserk Boy - BioGun - GRIME
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to Metroidvania Humble Game Bundle: bit.ly/3RSdYUY #ad $14 for 8 games - GRIME - Berserk Boy - BioGun - Shantae and the Seven Sirens - Islets - Astalon: Tears of the Earth - Monster Sanctuary - Gato Roboto $10 and $5 tiers are also available
neutral · AI labelView post →Games I got so far on the Switch: Celeste Hollow Knight Silksong Portal 1+2 Dead Cells Astalon Notable that none are new to me, I already own em all and have played them before. Might have to try a new game.
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been working on an illustration for Astalon (cool action platformer game by cool indie fellows) lately, it will be available as a print later this week, stay tuned!
neutral · AI labelView post →Astalon: Tears of the Earth first playthrough! Another retro-inspired game I’ve been wanting to play for a while! youtube.com/auroralvisage twitch.tv/auroralvisage
neutral · AI labelView post →I need to stop playing games. First I was playing Astalon and decided my game needs a stat buying system. Then I was playing Mario Wonder and decided my game needs chaotic magic rifts that change up gameplay and visuals to keep things novel. #gamedev #indiedev #Metroidvania
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the worst Metroidvanias I have played in a long while. You are constantly looking for keys, everything is locked or behind some skill I don't have, I have looked everywhere and I even made a separate map for every stuck room I have. I can't go anywhere. I was missing a white key and after wandering around for 4 hours looking for one, I was so bored that I couldn't finish the game. Shame, gameplay is fine. Except for the overly frustrating mechanic that basically makes you backtrack the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →101 Game Grandomizer ♥Everybody was Space Surfin♥ Demon Cat #Femboy Plays The Grandomizer (Part 109) twitch.tv/OnekoTyago VODs will be posted to youtube.com/@OnekoTyago #VTuber | #ENVTuber | #TyaLive Today's Schedule Prodigal The Guardian Legend Astalon: Tears of the Earth Shotgunning smaller games
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is the epitome of how an indie metroidvania should be made. I can’t fathom how much I enjoyed this hidden gem, i loved how megaman-ish it is, though it has its flaws as the level design is quite erratic and sometimes makes no sense. I wish they had added more dialogue between the characters—their relationship was so charming and had great chemistry that deserved to be explored more. Definitely worth it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My sword is bigger than your fireballs Metroidvania styled game with 8-bit like aesthetics. Gameplay is exploration and defeating foes and occasionally taking part in boss battles. Collect orbs from fallen enemies and power up your characters. Save game at rest points where one of three characters can be chosen, each have its own ability. Story is about tower of serpents where black knight reign who poisoned people in village of main heroes. Talk with demon to upgrade stats, explore more and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Astalon is a fantastic metroidvania with a bunch of unique, well-executed ideas about progression. Healing is sparse with one huge exception: dying. The main gameplay loop is explore, do some bite-sized puzzles, kill some enemies, die, and do that again but better until you've found everything and/or beaten the game. I've seen reviews calling this tedious or a waste of time, but I don't remember feeling that at any point in my initial ~17 hour playthrough; you're not really repeating the same…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- Entirely too much back tracking (even for a Metroidvania) If you want to change characters you have to back track If you die you go all the way to the beginning (not where you saved last) - Pointless save points - Die to get upgrades mechanic - Very Poor Descriptions of Upgrades - Occationally you would turn a key or activate something, and if you weren't paying really close attention, you wouldn't notice the one thing that changed on the screen Was going to try continuing even though…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →【 🐱👾 Stream Schedule: 20-25 Oct 2026 👾🐱】 Continuing with the spooky vibes this week! Returning to Creeping Terror on 3DS, checking out the new Garage Heathen game demo, showing off a secret little thing, and returning to Astalon with @amdusi.as! ⏯💻 Follow on Twitch @ prroxy.live !
neutral · AI labelView post →Looking at the game selection, there's Animal Well and Astalon, no Dark Souls other than remastered but there is Lies of P, I don't think I've seen Graveyard Keeper but I did see Cenobite Maker 2 is available.
neutral · AI labelView post →I beat Astalon: Tears of the Earth, and this is such a great game. They really nailed the classic side-scrolling metroidvania vibe, and the combination of metroidvania and roguelite goes pretty well together. The story has some actual substance to it (also has a somewhat dark tone).
positive · AI labelView post →One of the best modern metroidvanias in this retro style! Is it very well-made, has an interesting story that isn't immediately obvious, original character-switching mechanic, well-thought puzzles, and overall balanced gameplay. Highly recommended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕗𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕦𝕣𝕖; 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 This is a game that's made full of love and feels like it was composed by people who deeply understand what makes a retro action platformer compelling. It blends classic 8-bit aesthetics with smart modern design to deliver a challenging but highly rewarding pixelart experience. The game starts you off with three heroes: Arias, Kyuli and Algus. From my point of view, the adventure…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey this Astalon Tears of the Earth game is kinda cool
positive · AI labelView post →Awesome Games Done Quick Humble Bundle: bit.ly/47ySIJr (affiliate) $10 for 8 items - Bayonetta - Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition - Celeste - Sprawl - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Astalon: Tears of the Earth - Sonic Adventure 2 - Sonic Adventure 2 DLC
neutral · AI labelView post →【 🐱👾 Stream Schedule: 3-8 Nov 2026 👾🐱】 This week: Game Gear games! Ninja Gaiden! An English-patched DS RPG! More Astalon! ⏯💻 Twitch: prroxy.live Altstream: altstream.online/proxyglitchcat
neutral · AI labelView post →In monster mode you control one of these purple demons (toughest minor foes in the main game). You spit fire, can fly via unlimited double-jump, and restore health by eating meat that foes occasionally drop. On the minus side, you're an ugly mofo. #Astalon #metroidvania #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Dark Knight mode has you playing as the eponymous recurring boss of the game. He has ridiculous jumps, allowing you to skip big swaths of the game, but his HP is low, needs blood pools to recover, and can't buy upgrades with orbs. #Astalon #metroidvania #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Also, the opening crawl calls the game "Astalon Chapter 2", with chapter 1 apparently not existing. Maybe doing some Star Wars kinda thing? (Couldn't get a screenshot, because any keypress on the opening crawl skips to the main menu, So you'll have to trust me.) #Astalon #metroidvania #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Pros: Of all the games that try for a retro aesthetic, this one likely does it the best in all regards, especially with color palettes. Shortcuts/Elevators/Portals are set in a way that backtracking rarely takes long (With maybe a couple exceptions). Every character is useful and fun to play with enough upgrades. Maps are fun tun to explore for the first time, the mini-map is quite helpful. Runs seamlessly. Initial load times when entering the menu or loading a save can be a bit lengthy, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice, the people that did Astalon: Tears of the Earth’s new game came out
neutral · AI labelView post →Just play it. Seriously.. it's one of the best Steam games I've ran into. Just Fantastic gameplay and puzzle solving.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 better than hollow knight
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worth it for Astalon! Loved its dense map with tons of secrets. It's character switching was a neat mechanic for some puzzles. Also, I was a sucker for its audio-visual presentation. hah The game is a bit unforgiving at the start, but lessens over time. Top-Tier Metroidvania for me. 🎮
positive · AI labelView post →Playing through Astalon: Tears of the Earth right now. I seem to gravitate to metroidvania games and the last one I played was Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. The game really lives up to the genre and what makes this one unique is that there are so many screens that it’s near impossible to follow a strategy guide. Another cool feature is the story gets embedded into every time you die. There’s a reason you keep coming back to life and it’s not because you ran out of health and have to…
positive · AI labelView post →Okay, so, I was having fun with the game, and even the backtracking was alright, since it's smart how they reveal new ways to skip areas as you play the game. The upgrade system is mysterious, and I'm a curious guy so I have to buy things even if it doesn't say what they do. There's an upgrade called death wish, and it says it increases orb generation by 10% at the cost of taking 10% more damage. So, my thought it I'll max that out first to try and get as much orbs as I can. I spent so much…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only really hard part of Dark Knight mode is the final boss fight against your dopleganger. Unlike the regular bosses, you can't just Rambo him- you have to use hit-and-run tactics and know his attacks. the ending adds little story to the game. Disappointing. #Astalon #metroidvania #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →In defiance of standard video game logic, the new kid is so agile with those blocks that he can carry them up ladders and even to adjacent rooms. Theoretically cool, but realistically I have to revisit the entire map to see if it's useful anywhere. >_< #Astalon #metroidvania #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →A decent metroidvania but a bit too old fashioned in looks and design for me. The extra game modes felt a bit unnecessary since they really didn't remix things much or was more satisfying than the base game. But yeah a decent time i suppose.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Astalon is a modern NES inspired Medroidvania. You control a party of heroes fighting through a demonic loop of death and resurrection, You will play as a warrior, a rogue, and a mage. Each character has a unique play style and abilities, and you have to switch between them to access different areas, and take on different enemies.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished [Astalon: Tears of the Earth](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/astalon-tears-of-the-earth-switch/)! Got the "Normal" ending and that's good enough. I liked a lot of things about this game, but the checkpoint system absolutely ruined my enjoyment of it. --- Playing [Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/atelier-resleriana-the-red-alchemist-and-the-white-guardian-switch/)! I remember being confused when this…
neutral · AI labelView post →Very little gaming time since since I've been busy with a Magic the Gathering project - building on a box of [Premodern](https://premodernmagic.com/) decks, a "nostalgia" format with only cards printed between 1995 and 2003. I don't have the time or interest to keep up with the crazy speed of MTG releases nowadays, so this type of format that doesn't require updates suits me better. The idea is to have a bunch of decks ready and use it as a board game of sorts, just pick up a couple decks and…
neutral · AI labelView post →The fact that you have to start at the beginning each time you start is awful, even with new paths you open. I tought I had discovered an elevator but nope, don't know what this is for. The currency is too slow to get so it takes forever before you can actually spend it. The movement is slowww, very very slow. When you this a certain character (each one has its skills), you have to go back to the fire then travel again to the point where you were stuck. Very bad design.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Negatives first. There is a lot of required backtracking to progress. It gets a little better about 1/3 through the game though. Not much healing in the game and I died a lot to spikes. Tons of ground spikes everywhere. Dying means even more backtracking. The bosses are too easy and with character upgrades they are a joke. Now the good stuff. The pixel art is fantastic. It reminds me of the NES Mega Man games, but without 'sprite flickering' or 'frame drops'. The chiptune OST is great too.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Probably one of the best metrovania games I have played in a long time. It makes me want the developers to make more episodes and develop the lore further for the world. It has a nostalgia feel for the old NES or SNES games of old. It is one of the few games I will take my time and 100% everything to unlock all of the games secrets. Both the developer and publisher should be praised.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a unique metroidvania with extra modes and I really like it even though you can make your characters very overpowered for the most part.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a fan of the 8bit graphic nor of the music really annoying. Not a fan of the Epilepsy fest either: this is the first time a game cause me migraine for the overwhealming amount of flashing lights totally unnecessary! Speaking of not necessary thing the fact that everytime I die I have to climb again from the beginning of the tower (sure there are elevator but the first times is a huge time wasting), the fact that I have to reach a bonfire everytime I need to switch character and the fact…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the very few actually competent indie metroidvanias available, the long and the short of it is if you like the genre and, like me, are sick of the endless Game Maker asset flip metroidvanias with block walls that only mete out one or two hours of gameplay, get this game. It does everything right and everything well. My feelings about it however are a bit more nuanced and mostly just amount to issues with the aesthetic and OST, which you spend a lot of time with in a game like this. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Today we're playing: "Astalon: Tears of the Earth"! This game was made by the devs of one of my favorite indie games "Castle in the Darkness": @labsworks.bsky.social! Let's sit back and enjoy some retro style fun. Stream Start:🔴NOW🔴 | #VTuber #PunBrigade | www.twitch.tv/AdventurerAlm
neutral · AI labelView post →Red key in hand, we are set to tackle the final areas of the game. Astalon wrapping up. twitch.tv/retinisg #smallstreamer #pngtuber
neutral · AI labelView post →[Game Bundle] Return to Metroidvania. $5: | Game Name | Steam Link | |-------------------|------------| | Monster Sanctuary | https://store.steampowered.com/app/814370/Monster_Sanctuary/ | | Gato Roboto | https://store.steampowered.com/app/916730/Gato_Roboto | $10: All above, plus: | Game Name | Steam Link | |----------------------------|------------| | Shantae and the Seven Sirens |…
neutral · AI labelView post →[Game Bundle] Awesome Games Done Quick 2024. $10: * Bayonetta * Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition * Celeste * Sprawl * Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night * Astalon: Tears of the Earth * Sonic Adventure 2 * [DLC] Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
neutral · AI labelView post →【 🔴👾 LIVE NOW 👾🔴】 It's time for a new game on this Steam Deck Sunday! Join me and my partner @amdusi.as as she guides me through the Metroidvania ASTALON: TEARS OF THE EARTH! ▶ www.twitch.tv/ProxyGlitchcat
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is good. It's fairly hard, everything hits you like a track, all rooms are full of enemies and environmental hazards, and there is almost no way to heal up after taking damage. Which on its own (fair challenge) is good. BUT the gimmick of the game is that you start from the very beginning (location) of the game after each death. The amount of backtracking its create is RIDICULOUS. There is a few shortcuts (lifts, portals), but you always need to run a very long way between them and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →feather-touches the A button for 1ms -> counts as 3 inputs, skipping the first window of dialogue and starting the second if you're gonna put an awful half-second input delay in your menu navigation, at least put it in your text windows too
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a decent metroidvania game. It looks and feels like a very old, retro side-scroller just based off of it's design, much like old NES games from back in the day. Even though I'm personally not that big of a fan when it comes to metroidvanias, I occasionally dive into my backlog and find hidden gems like this. Trust me, IF you're a fan of the genre you'll definitely appreciate this oldschool take on modern era of metroidvania games. The fact that you can control 3…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New game from the developers of Astalon is out today! Mita Ryūsuke returns with more character designs, and this time these crazy bastards were able to get permission to sneak a Mink cameo in there. Please let this be one small step towards getting a new Dragon Half game. PLEASE I WOULD DO ANYTHING.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mainlined to completion a new game this weekend, Astalon Tears of the Earth! From Matt Kap and LABS Works, back in 2021 they dropped an insanely polished Metroidvania with rogue-lite elements that absolutely slapped! Play this one!
positive · AI labelView post →This game does old school platforming right. Great game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wrapped up Astalon: Tears of the Earth! Going to play the first two episodes of the Penny Arcade RPG on my discord every Friday.
neutral · AI labelView post →Donkey Kong 64 taught us nothing...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great exploration metroidvania, tons of missed potential with the story, combat, and worldbuilding. Play if you love metroidvanias, stay away if you're looking for a fleshed out story. I could rant for ages about how much missed potential this game has, but ill keep it short: The premise where the heroes respawn at the start of the tower isn't explored at all, you get like 2 cutscenes about it, and gameplay wise, the respawn mechanic doesn't change anything, and might as well not exist at all…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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