Sundered is an indie 2D side scroller with rogue-like elements. Play as Eshe, an explorer travelling through a world of ancient evils and tempting powers.

Find your limit

Strikingly unique, the most immediate aspect of Sundered is the overall look. Hand-drawn, dark and creepy, the game looks like nothing else thanks to a dedicated art team who captured individual items. The character and enemy design are some of the best around, with huge claws and lasers leaping from all sides. It follows the fairly standard rogue-like death system, an upgradable skills tree and numerous custom player builds. Levels shift and change, meaning no two runs are ever the same. Combat mainly revolves around dodging enemy attacks and waiting for a moment to strike, but beneath the shiny exterior a few problems are apparent. Sundered is fairly short, clocking in at around 10-15 hours, and while multiple playthroughs do offer slightly new experiences, it still feels lacking. The plot is similarly weak but the action-focus makes it a natural choice.

Style over substance

Sundered is overall a real success. While it is clear that gameplay and plot took a back-seat to a truly impressive graphical style, the frantic nature of the game holds the attention even when things become a confused mess on screen.