Clockwork Ambrosia is a fun 16-bit adventure platformer with interesting characters and a weapon system that lets you tweak your loadout to the nines. The music is catchy, and there’s a great environmental variety across the world. The lack of clear direction can be frustrating, but there’s plenty to explore along the way. The game has a bit of a slow ramp as you get your bearings, which could turn off genre newcomers. That said, if you’re a fan of metroidvanias and looking for something to enjoy, Clockwork Ambrosia just might scratch that itch.

When it works, Clockwork Ambrosia is a ton of fun and feels like a pitch-perfect Metroidvania. The deep weapon modification, quirky storytelling, and SNES flair make it a blast. When things don’t work, though, it’s another thing entirely. Here’s hoping the developer is able to iron out any future bugs that arise, since they unfortunately hold this creative adventure back.

Clockwork Ambrosia is a fun steampunk Metroidvania. There's a plethora of ways to customize Iris's gear and weapons. You might stumble upon a loadout so powerful that you may not want to use anything else, especially towards the end game. There's fast travel, but you may not find the relic to enable it for several hours. It depends on where you explore first. But if you like Metroidvanias and customizing weapons, Clockwork Ambrosia is worth checking out.