Somber Echoes

Somber Echoes is a good metroidvania with a great movement system. The combat is simple and the story is weak, but it's worth checking out if you're looking for games in the genre.

Fans of the genre will find Somber Echoes to be a very light Metroidvania game.

Somber Echoes is, by all means, a good metroidvania and a good game, bringing the player into a well designed world that combines sci-fi elements with Greco-Roman mythology. It's just that, after exploring the halls of its doomed spaceship and meeting gods and reality-bending entities, it cannot seem to take the final step to excellence.

Somber Echoes pleasantly surprised me with its beautifully crafted visuals, the rewarding exploration deepened by its detailed mapping system, and the very effective ability to propel Adrestia into the air in any direction, acquired early on. Combat could be better implemented, especially with more interesting enemies and more monstrous boss fights, so those focused on this aspect of side-scrolling action will likely find it less satisfying than those more interested in exploring a beautiful, well-structured world.

In the end, Somber Echoes succeeds in most of the areas that matter. It's a thoughtfully made Metroidvania with some standout mechanics, beautiful environments, and a solid gameplay loop. Its combat is serviceable, occasionally frustrating, but never fundamentally broken. Its story is intriguing, if emotionally distant. Its traversal and level design are its greatest strengths, occasionally held back by finicky controls and minor mechanical flaws. For fans of the genre, especially those who appreciate atmospheric worldbuilding and mythological themes, Somber Echoes offers a rewarding, compact experience that's worth the investment.

If it featured more visceral and tight combat, Somber Echoes would be an excellent Metroidvania with its awesome game world to explore. 🛡️

Solid Greco-Roman-inspired sci-fi Metroidvania on PS5

One of the most disappointing mixed bags of 2025, there are so many cool ideas and mechanics in Greco-Roman-flavoured metroidvania Somber Echoes, but the way they were implemented kind of ruins what could be something truly fantastic. An intriguing story that’s badly told, neat platforming mechanics that are needlessly strict, exploration that makes you want to find it all and at the same time has you thinking if it’s worth the trouble, and, finally, combat that is great...but only when everything works the way it is supposed to. Fans of the genre should keep an eye on it, but be prepared for something that is annoying and fun in almost equal measures.