Uncovering Noreya: The Gold Project – A 2D Platformer Metroidvania Review
Uncovering Noreya: The Gold Project – A 2D Platformer Metroidvania
Publisher: PixelHeart
Developer: Dreamirl
Genre:
PEGI:
Comments:
Noreya the Gold Project is a captivating 2D platformer with Metroidvania elements. The game seamlessly blends fantasy elements with strategic gameplay. Developed by Dreamirl and published by Pixelheart, this game is set in a richly detailed world reminiscent of ancient Mesopotamia, the game immerses players in a quest-driven narrative filled with mystery, magic, and exploration. Choosing between light and greed, create your own path as you venture through the graphically beautiful biomes of this challenging Metroidvania.
You play as Noreya’s heroine, who while on an expedition with her other villagers, is attacked and left for dead while the rest of her people are brutally murdered. When she wakes she is confronted with newfound powers, and pleaded with by two opposing gods, one of Greed who worships the Path of Gold and one of light who takes the Path of Light. The God you choose to worship throughout your adventure determines which part of the map you unlock, thus, only giving you access to one area and not the other.
Like any Metroidvania you have played, the game focuses on the majority of the game exploring the world, discovering lore and solving puzzles that you encounter along the way. Unlocking new traversal abilities gives you the chance to return to previous areas and uncover new paths on your adventure. You begin the game with the normal hack and slashing enemies with one simple melee attack. You do have a skill tree (which happens to be my favorite part of any game) that unlocks additional attacks and increases range and overall damage hits but I felt that it lacked in the defense department. When you begin the game, you do not have a parry or a dash, which makes attacking enemies a bit frustrating. I literally had to wait for the enemy to stop attacking for me to get close and attack them, which felt slow, and there aren’t any ranged weapons that would assist in this predicament.
One of the game’s standout features is its stunning visual presentation. The colors are beautiful fall colors with red trees and brown and gold painted across the biomes. The cities were intricately designed to follow the mesopotamian history with its lush landscapes and mystical ruins, every environment in Noreya The Gold Project is meticulously crafted, creating an immersive backdrop for players to explore. The game’s graphics reminded me a lot of Moonscars (a dark, soulslike Metroidvania), where both games really outdid themselves in their creation of the biomes and making us feel the atmosphere with every discovery. I also really enjoyed the change of environments when switching gods and how the atmosphere changed depending on each god.
According to the Steam page, the soundtrack was signed by Sarys/ MisterMV, that not only accompanies you throughout the adventure but also depending on the allegiance you pledge to the god you choose, the soundtrack changes, which I found one of its amazing features in this game.
Conclusion:
To me, Metroidvanias are equal parts exploration alongside customization and satisfying abilities used in combat. Having played Noreya: The Gold Project, I felt the game did not personally deliver in my ideal of what a Metroidvania is. That is not to say that you, the reader, might have a different view. Keeping this in mind, I did find the game to be a very beautiful 2D Metroidvania that encompassed a sufficient enough of puzzles and platforming elements that I found the time that I spent in the game to be worth it. In addition, If you are the kind of person who loves mythology and folklore, then the lore in this game is what will motivate you to reach the credits.
The game was officially launched on June 21, 2024, and you can find it on their Steam page. You can also visit the developers X page to find out more about the game.