Review: Everdeep Aurora (Switch)

Okay, so, picture this. A couple of years back, at PAX West 2023—man, it feels like yesterday—I stumbled upon this quirky little game called Everdeep Aurora. Super chill vibes, seriously. No enemies around. Just puzzles and exploring—like a mental yoga retreat. I left PAX kinda hooked, you know? So, of course, I had to sink my teeth into it for a proper review later on. And here we are.

So, you’re this cat. Shell. Yeah, super cute kitten trying to find her mom. Life’s literally crashing down with meteors, and everyone’s gone underground. Shell’s got this basic drill that’s not exactly high-tech, yet she’s digging down, down, down to find her family. At first, it’s like an underground hide-and-seek with dirt, but then—boom! Things get layered. Crazy characters pop up with their dramas. Mind you, there’s a girl on a wild goose chase for her lost dog, a frog trying to fix family dramas, swindling snakes, and otters having a love spat. Sort of makes you feel like Dr. Phil underground.

All this chaos somehow helps upgrade Shell’s tools—like, better drill, hopping off walls, stuff like that. Makes you wanna play nice, right?

Now, exploring this world? It’s a trip. Shell collects hats—yeah, hats—a haul of lore documents, shiny gems to juice up that drill, and extra doohickeys to keep the thing running longer. How anyone thought 2D Game Boy Color style could be this nostalgic and unexpected… beats me. It’s like a retro fever dream. You end up in mini-games that are as wild as a Vegas night—gambling with dice, crane games, retro cutscenes. And then, bam, hidden paths galore. Multiple endings, a treasure hunt for gamers.

But—and this is a big but—the fun hits a snag. No waypoints? Ugh, what a maze without a map. Sure, playing Sherlock with quirky characters can be cool, but sometimes I just wanted a simple radar. Just something! No quest logs hurt my brain more than algebra. Seriously, everybody needs something from someone else, and you’re just stuck remembering which otter sent you where. Don’t even get me started on the Switch—frame rate drop much? Didn’t ruin the game, but definitely stole some thunder.

So, is this whole journey worth it? I’m torn. The game has its magic—the tunes are catchy, graphics are a pixel artist’s dream, and the combat-free exploration is refreshing like lemonade on a hot day. But the downside? Nuh-uh. Half the time, I was wandering like a lost hiker. A few more guideposts could’ve turned this into a classic. It’s one of those games—either you love getting a bit lost or it makes you wanna rage quit.

To wrap it all up, Everdeep Aurora is like… relaxing tea but without sugar. Might be your thing, or maybe not. Depends on how lost you like getting in your games… or in life, I guess.