The Tarnishing of Juxtia

Hard as it may be - and only increasing in difficulty the further the years rolls on - to truly stand out in a crowded and competitive market that is the glaze of Souls-like appeal, where The Tarnishing of Juxtia may not be scoring high on originality, it just about makes up for in heart and dedication.

Tarnishing of Juxtia is an interesting if unoriginal entry to the genre. It’s hard to recommend over other entries, as it feels a little bareboned compared to the atmosphere of Hollowknight, the fluidity of Dead Cells or the world design of Tails of Iron, nevermind the epic expanse of Elden Ring. But if you’re looking for another challenge (or if it’s on sale) you might find something to pique your interest in its workmanlike but enjoyable combat, or the hidden depths to its world-building and narrative.

The Tarnishing of Juxtia tries to add good ideas to the already traditional mechanics of soulslike. The main one is the haste system that helps break the monotony of combat and allows the player to be more active and less reactive to enemies. However, the exploration leaves something to be desired for the inaccurate and tedious platforming snippets, and some of its ideas are underdeveloped to the point of being almost useless. Overall, The Tarnishing of Juxtia is a good game despite its issues. However, it will hardly attract the attention of players, as it does not present really striking mechanics that make it stand out among other games of the genre.

As I’m sure you can already tell, I adore this game. From gameplay to atmosphere The Tarnishing of Juxtia is an experience that I will love playing for years to come. There are very few games that I would call perfect, but The Tarnishing of Juxtia is one of them.

The Tarnishing of Juxtia is not a title that shines for originality, especially in what is a scene already full of soulslike and products ready to ape its main features.

Play The Tarnishing of Juxtia if you don’t have any other soulslike games to play, and it is also recommended that you probably get it on sale if you decide to play it. It is pretty, but it isn’t a unique kind of pretty. It has promise, but unless there are some movement and combat overhauls, the game simply isn’t all that fun to play.

The atmospheric pixel based visuals with dark fantasy vibe are pleasing to the eyes. And the challenging boss battle represents the unique tension of Souls-like. However, the balance of weapon upgrade system and the overall tension of the game collapse simultaneously after the second half of the game.

The Tarnishing of Juxtia is a primarily linear souls-like action-adventure game with an emphasis on exploration and choosing upgrades and item combinations. Did the combination of these two concepts make the game any fun? Find out in this Rapid Review.