EarthNight

Thankfully, EarthNight wins the day with its enthralling style and art, packing in so many secrets inside its distinctive look. A few issues crop up, chiefly the narrower viewpoint during the fast levels and some long-tail grindy repetition, but the overwhelming killer vibe of this uniquely beautiful video game make it something special, even if dozens (hundreds?) of games have made use of the terms roguelite, procedural generation, and platformers since EarthNight was first revealed half a decade ago.

EarthNight has limited scope, but does what it does very well. Its fast-paced platforming meshes in nicely with a soundtrack that doesn’t stop delivering satisfying music. It has some of the best gameplay/soundtrack integration out there and is a must for anyone who loves endless runners. It’s challenging and unlike a lot of runners, tests your platforming skills early and often with a blend of perilous jumps and tricky enemy placement. It looks gorgeous with a painted art style that works well still and in motion. Anyone who enjoys a challenging runner will want to give EarthNight a try ASAP.

After all is said and done, EarthNight is an incredibly intriguing game. With in-depth art, consistently good music, and plenty of in-game systems to keep the player asking for more, it's hard to not want to give it a try. The follies of the title largely boil down to buy-in from the player. One could easily see a player losing interest early on due to the too delayed gratification of grinding through levels to collect all of the pieces needed for a power-up to progress. After seeing how the game evolves, I have to say that it's worth the time investment. EarthNight scrapes against greatness in its concept but falls slightly short in execution — not with the space dragons, though. I fully plan to execute all of the space dragons that I can get my hands on.

A good entry into what feels like a genre of old, successfully maintaining the fun, and feeling fresh when it wasn’t that long ago this would’ve felt played out. The visuals are the real feature, especially when the package is as light as it is, altogether making it a great game for mobile, and a decent one for the Switch.

EarthNight is a resolutely non-conformist auto-runner. Its artistry is second-to-none, with creativity and soul that are worth the price of admission alone. Sometimes its eagerness to cram as much as possible into a typically simple genre can frustrate and overwhelm, but its boldness should be celebrated.

EarthNight does not stray clear from its origins, this is a simple and unpretentious endless runner that originated in mobile platforms and it does a decent job at that. While the gameplay experience is rather limited and does not elevate EarthNight to any celestial levels, those who enjoy endless runners will find a good time with this work.

EarthNight has some good ideas and can be fun in spurts but it’s an average romp at best and an infuriating slog at worst. The hand-drawn presentation is only somewhat appealing (some designs are actually off-putting) and the limited chiptune soundtrack makes it a game best played alongside a podcast. Riding this dragon won’t hurt but expect to get bucked off sooner than later.