Elderborn (2020)

This title is a first-person melee action game, it combines a heavy-metal aesthetic with “souls-like” combat mechanics and old-school level design, focusing entirely on close-quarters combat rather than ranged attacks. The game’s atmosphere is distinct, brutal, stylish, and drenched in metal music, giving it a unique tone that stands out among other indie titles of its era. The combat is the clear highlight, weapons feel heavy, strikes are satisfying, and timing your attacks, parries, and dodges brings a rewarding sense of rhythm. A lot of people praised how the gameplay feels impactful once you master the mechanics.

The world design, while linear, has a handcrafted charm, and the OST complements the action perfectly. The overall experience is concise, lasting around eight to ten hours, which works in its favor by keeping the pacing tight. On the downside, Elderborn can feel repetitive due to limited enemy variety and occasionally awkward level design. Some people found the combat animations a bit clunky, and the story is minimal, more a backdrop than a driving force. It’s a game that lives and dies by its combat system, and if you don’t click with its melee focus, there isn’t much else to keep you engaged.

Overall, this game is a solid indie experience for fans of skill-based, first-person melee combat. It’s stylish, fast and even if a bit rough around the edges. For people seeking a short but intense action fix, it’s a hidden gem worth checking out, a focused. If you even remotely like the idea of a brutal first-person melee game than you can't find a better one than this. I would also recommend this for fans of the Soulslike genre since it has all of it's elements, despite the heavy change of gameplay perspective, it still feels like one.

Enjoyed this when I played it in late 2022. Forgot to write a review for it. The parry mechanic and overall feel of the controls was the most satisfying thing I can remember, as well as the weapon selection. Also the music was pretty good, love me some rock. Solid game.

3.5/5

[9/11/2023] Definitely going to play through this again and update it here.

For a game which is completely about it's exciting first person melee combat, it succeeds it what it sets out to do. The weapons have weight behind them and each one feels different and fun to learn. The world has a relatively decent atmosphere, and although it feels a little shallow, the games length means it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. The narrative is forgettable; feels as though it was added as an afterthought; but that’s not a reason to not give the game a go. It’s dark messiah and souls like influences are clear, and the heavy metal sound track is great (albeit repetitive); a comparison to a melee only modern Doom could be made.

The Good

• Combat
• Music
• Movement

The Bad

• Narrative