Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has important cultural inspirations, but its protocol narrative structure, the plastered gameplay model, and visuals that fall short of the work on which it is based weaken its full potential and make it an ordinary and forgettable game.

So while there are some good ideas behind Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards, I found that the console port may need a bit more work in order to better shine. With a comic book storytelling approach and a decent skill system for character customization, there’s plenty here that works well, but unfortunately the current visual presentation elements hold it back.

I wanted Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards to be great, as I said I absolutely love the lore and mythology presented here. The cutscenes are also worth noting as they employ a graphic novel – panel approach which as everyone knows I’m a sucker for comic – well anything. Everything else about this game though, from the graphics to the voice acting just feels very uninspired and lazy. It’s really a shame because the content is so interesting, the Incans deserve more time in the spotlight and despite this misstep, I hope they get it.

If you’re a fan of ARPGs or are just curious about Hispanic and South American mythology, this is a great game to get started with.

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards has the potential to be an excellent game with intriguing storytelling and unique characters but it gets dragged down by a tedious combat system and a world that offers little substance.

[...] you could do a whole lot worse than with Aluna’s competently average action RPG offerings.

Aluna is skillfull warrior daughter of goddess Pachamama. Ready to fight.

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards should have been a hit. I would have been able to ignore its dated visuals and uninteresting characters if its gameplay wasn’t so shallow and boring. I really love the fact it’s set around the rich and detailed world of Incan mythology, a setting barely explored by developers for the past twenty years, but even though it feels quite unique at times, I cannot exactly recommend a game so repetitive and menial.

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards retains that addictive loop of loot but falters in performance. It’s clear that the game wasn’t properly optimized, at least for the Switch, leading to stutters, crashes, and graphical disappearing acts. The fidelity itself isn’t bad with a clay-like aesthetic and the focus on Inca Mythology felt fresh and was welcomed. While it could have benefited from livelier characters, the narrative sufficed and provided something to chew on as I played. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that gameplay is king here and the experience is worth having, albeit at a discounted price. Its current state doesn’t render it unplayable, but having to sit through crashes shouldn’t happen in a game that never tests the console.

We do need more games that go out there and bravely tell stories of deities, cultures and heroes that people wouldn't be aware existed. Aluna is brave in that not only does it do that, but it even goes as far asto make a very dry joke about how obsessed the entire industry is with telling the same stories over and over again. Unfortunately, while Aluna is blessed with some gorgeous art, a brilliant protagonist, and a wonderful setting, it squanders so much of what it does by being an incredibly safe Diablo clone in execution. Aside from a few technical issues with the Switch, Aluna is a perfectly competent and focused Diablo clone, but the game and creative energy behind it promise more which, to our great disappointment, the developers have failed to deliver.