Phoenotopia: Awakening

 Switch
Phoenotopia: Awakening Image
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 31 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Join Gail, a simple villager, who must heed the call for adventure when a great star ship appears in the night sky and abducts all the adults. As the new oldest member of her fragmented community, she must set out to solve this great mystery. Little does she know of the grand adventureJoin Gail, a simple villager, who must heed the call for adventure when a great star ship appears in the night sky and abducts all the adults. As the new oldest member of her fragmented community, she must set out to solve this great mystery. Little does she know of the grand adventure before her, the evil lurking in the shadows, and the role she would play in the fight for Earth’s very existence!

    Features:
    - A narrative-driven single player adventure filled with charming characters, vibrant towns, and dangerous dungeons.
    - Over 10 different weapons & tools with which to combat enemies and solve puzzles. Fly with rocket boots! Blast with bombs! Play the flute!
    - Fight against over 50 different enemy types and 12 boss encounters.
    - A world brimming with secrets! Find 33 Energy Gems, 55 Heart Pieces and 111 Moonstones.
    - An achievement system, with 33 badges to earn, for players seeking extra challenge and replayability.
    - Over 60 original songs ranging from mellow piano and orchestra to raging synth/metal rockers and bagpipes!
    - A main campaign length estimated at 25 hours of playtime. 50 hours for completionists.

    Solve the great mystery of the Phoenix!    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Nintendo Life
    Aug 19, 2020
    90
    Lots of care has gone into the creation of this game, and it shows with the gorgeous graphics and atmospheric soundtrack. It's a game that feels vast, and a slow burn experience for the patient gamer. It's possible that its difficulty will take some time to get used to, but it's worth persevering with this truly rewarding and excellent game. Phoenotopia: Awakening is a thoughtful, coherent game which, if you click with it, doesn't lose a step. A marvellous surprise.
  2. Impulsegamer
    Sep 22, 2020
    82
    Overall Phoenotopia is a very beautiful looking game that does well at hiding its punishing difficulty, whilst people who are looking for a Zelda 2 style game may be attracted to this title, the more causal amongst us will find it very difficult to enjoy the later aspects of the game where in truth the game gets easier.
  3. Cubed3
    Aug 26, 2020
    80
    The visuals and atmosphere at first seem standard as far as pixelated indie games go, but it does have more going on than it may initially suggest. Things start out very bright and colourful, like most Ghibli-inspired indie titles tend to be, but Phoenotopia: Awakening has a much darker side to it. There are some weirdly chilling moments and well directed sequences that build a profound sense of unease and alienation. There are some surprises within that may shock people who dismiss this as another generic Zelda II clone. The team behind this is not afraid to get dark and to show a little teeth.
  4. Hardcore Gamer
    Aug 20, 2020
    70
    Phoenotopia Awakening is filled with a lot of potential from its wonderfully-charming presentation to utterly-delightful characters, but it just falls short of being something iconic and memorable with systems that often work against the player and can feel almost unfair like many retro video games most people don’t tend to pick up and play anymore. With a few tweaks it could make for a much more balanced experience, but Phoenotopia Awakening would be hard to recommend to those not looking for a steep challenge.
  5. IGN Japan
    Mar 5, 2021
    70
    Phoenotopia: Awakening aspires to be a retro 2D action adventure, and it succeeds in many ways. The cute sprites and soundtrack are appealing, and there’s lots of great exploration and puzzle gameplay. That being said, some elements bring along unnecessary stress, making the experience as a whole feel like a juicy durian that can only be cracked open with your bare hands.
  6. Pure Nintendo
    Sep 29, 2020
    65
    Phoenotopia: Awakening has a highly inviting look, but the gameplay can’t match the tone. Some ill-fitting decisions work against it, and the emphasis isn’t always where it should be. It’s still an ambitious, impressive indie adventure that demonstrates real passion, but one reflecting growing pains.
  7. Switch Player
    Aug 25, 2020
    50
    Phoenotopia: Awakening has the ingredients for an excellent experience, but poorly balanced combat mechanics and incredibly steep difficulty get in the way of a good time. With no adjustable difficulty settings in the game, be prepared for a slog.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. wjomlex
    Aug 30, 2020
    10
    Basically a perfect blend of Zelda games (in a Zelda II shell) with a touch of Metroid and a very charming aesthetic. Bought this randomly onBasically a perfect blend of Zelda games (in a Zelda II shell) with a touch of Metroid and a very charming aesthetic. Bought this randomly on the Switch store and didn’t expect the amount of substance, or the level of attention to detail.… Expand
  2. SolidNotLiquid
    May 14, 2022
    10
    This game felt like a breath of fresh air and a reboot to my repeat gaming cycle. (I played this game and beat it on Nintendo Switch) (AndThis game felt like a breath of fresh air and a reboot to my repeat gaming cycle. (I played this game and beat it on Nintendo Switch) (And this game has a soundtrack better than doom's.. yes I actually said that.) (This review contains light spoilers on the names of key areas and bosses though I don't spoil the actual attacks or any plot-twists not that I'm saying there are any)
    I played the original Phoenotopia on flash, on the site "Freewebarcade" and it holds a ton of nostalgia and charm if you have played at least 60% of the original. if I had never seen this game or heard of it before it would still hit around 9 but with the throwbacks and inside dev-to-player jokes it just adds that little extra charm and enjoyability. Using the first session or two as a small example; You start out with only one tool and a weak weapon after a little prologue you head through a basic forest tutorial area with dialogue that feels refreshing to read somehow, but maybe it's just that games from the last few years haven't been very original and focus on unique idea rather than execution. The follow up is a dungeon that very well shows how the game functions and lets players see items they can't quite reach yet whether it be a lack of key items or a lack of experience, and this is something adventure games never do enough of or, disappointingly, it's the entire game. It's important to make the player set goals and get excited for something inside the game… and not by releasing the "EPIC SEASON PASS". I almost gave this game a 9 due to some of it's more frustrating sections such as The White Towers that drag on for a bit too long (Their theme however is a throw-back that left me shocked and shaking with excitement when I first heard it), Katash's fight is absurdly difficult until you find out you can climb up on the platform with him, the Mul Caves have an infuriating amount of things that tackle you when you try to platform though this part of the game isn't too long, and the entirety of E.D.E.N excluding Phalanx just straight up sucks. But then I thought about how this game actually changed my life and realized it fits right into the category of the perfect game for me. This game is inspiring and has such unique ideas inside of it that just playing it could lead someone young to create worlds of their own. I grew up playing this game 4 times over trying to beat it and being shocked and amazed by the epic and creepy Scorchlands every time I made it there. You can go ahead and read other reviews and some of the low ones were one the game developers read and were resolved (the difficulty settings) Pretty much everyone who has played this game loves it to death. I just wish more people knew about it!    … Expand
  4. TastyCactus444
    Oct 24, 2020
    10
    This is a great game. The graphics are cute with smooth animations. The gameplay is exploration focused, with some combat as well. TheThis is a great game. The graphics are cute with smooth animations. The gameplay is exploration focused, with some combat as well. The world-building and story is really well done, and the amount of content is INSANE, with over 50 hours for completionists. There were some issues with difficulty at release, but they have been fixed in recent patches. An easy 10/10.… Expand
  5. Nikopro245
    Aug 15, 2022
    9
    Probably an 8.5/10. Great amount of content and a good challenge with beautiful pixel art and music. The attack button and main weapon a bitProbably an 8.5/10. Great amount of content and a good challenge with beautiful pixel art and music. The attack button and main weapon a bit simplistic and doesn’t feel great. OtherwIse there are plenty of expansion tools and things to explore/find. Great value for money and a must buy for metroidvania fans.… Expand
  6. pigoid
    Aug 24, 2020
    9
    I'm having a blast playing this game, despite knowing that it would be a challenging experience. It was super satisfying beating an obstacle/I'm having a blast playing this game, despite knowing that it would be a challenging experience. It was super satisfying beating an obstacle/ boss that was giving me trouble. However I can see the complaint about how money is scarce in the game to be a legitimate pitfall of the game forcing you to grind a bit, but I felt it was not that detrimental to my overall experience with what the rest of the game had to offer. But if you're up for a fun, but challenging, game with great art and music than I would definitely recommend this game to others.… Expand
  7. MachineNociel
    Aug 22, 2020
    8
    So far I'm having a great time playing this with a few hours clocked in so here's my impressions so far. This definitely isn't an easy game asSo far I'm having a great time playing this with a few hours clocked in so here's my impressions so far. This definitely isn't an easy game as the very first boss took me over 10 tries to beat. The opening areas of the game had me in a bit of a jam with not having enough money to get quest items and essential equipment so a slow grind ended up happening. But soon after that the game really picked up for me and money isn't too much of an issue now.

    This game has a lot of love put into it. Music is very good and the characters and their dialogue are well done too. Gameplay is challenging but feels rewarding once you get the hang of it. I realized this wasn't a hand-holding experience and that I needed to be careful during fights and managing recovery items or I'd get destroyed. Overall I'm happy I bought this.    … Expand
  8. Xs
    Aug 25, 2020
    5
    I wanted so bad to like this game. I have 10 hours logged. In that 10 hours I have played one dungeon that had a hard but fun boss. I thought,I wanted so bad to like this game. I have 10 hours logged. In that 10 hours I have played one dungeon that had a hard but fun boss. I thought, cool I like this game. That was the first hour. Since then I have been wandering from town to town talking to NPC's. Im not being sarcastic. That has taken 9 hours. That is the way the game is designed. I'm now at a point i had to buy something to continue but don't have the money. I have been trying to grind for the money for about an hour and im still no where close. I decided to give you guys a heads up. Im not saying I'm giving up but the game has been extremely hard and boring up until now.… Expand

See all 17 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Current Switch Games

Full List »
94 Persona 5 Royal
94 Metroid Prime Remastered
90 Chained Echoes
90 Persona 4 Golden
89 Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
89 NieR: Automata - The End of YoRHa Edition
87 Melatonin
87 Rogue Legacy 2
87 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
87 Inscryption
86 Bayonetta 3
86 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
86 Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
86 The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
86 Ib
85 Tactics Ogre: Reborn
85 Octopath Traveler II
85 A Space For The Unbound
84 It Takes Two
84 Signalis
All Current Games »