Legends of Ethernal

While many fantasy games today are sprawling odysseys, there's something charmingly refreshing about a dose of nostalgic adventure. With its simplified play and hand-drawn art style, Legends of Ethernal is reminiscent of classic adventure games of days past. Adding to the approachability of the game is a variable difficulty level that tailors its challenge to a player's skill level. On the high end of the spectrum is Hardcore, where enemies are harder to kill and death means starting the entire adventure over from scratch. Meanwhile, on the other end is Relaxed difficulty, which not only is more forgiving in the damage department, but will give extra help to players having trouble with the platforming elements of the game. Just be sure about your choice before you start, as the difficulty is set in stone once the adventure begins.

Having a flexible difficulty is a good thing too, because even on the Normal setting the game isn't exactly a cakewalk. It's not necessarily that players get overwhelmed by enemies, but usually it's more the placement and timing that's the challenge. It can be frustrating to keep missing a particular jump and falling into the abyss because of an inconveniently placed crow blocking your path. Or try climbing a vine, only to get hit by a ball of poison spit with frightening accuracy by an airborne jellyfish creature. Timing and reflexes are key in combat as well, with Wilfred's only available counter to enemy attacks being a dodge roll that takes time to recharge. Finally, the game isn't particularly epic in scale, running a bit on the shorter side from start to finish. But the time spent in the world of Arkanys is still a memorable experience and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise crowded genre.