Lords Of Exile PS5 Review - Reliving The Frustrations Of NES Action Platformers

I watched a couple of videos on game reviews and the ‘politics’ behind them – from large outlets and advertising to indies and their influence when being provided with a code for free. Is it possible to be impartial and give an honest review? Of course – I didn’t like Lords of Exile. Here’s why.

It’s hard. Does that make it a bad game? Nope. How can I say that if I don’t like it? Well, just because it doesn’t tick my boxes, doesn’t mean it’s bad. On the contrary, this indie from Squidbit is incredibly well made, and for those seeking a bona fide Metroidvania in the mould of an 8-bit classic, look no further.

One of the aspects that stands out about Lords of Exile is the presentation. A phrase I often repeat these days, this is what you’d call a superb late 80s/early 90s game that was never from the era. It’s expertly constructed to replicate what those games were like back in the day, and that’s quite possibly why I didn’t like it as I’m not good enough!

Lords of Exile Review (PS5)

Yes, I played these sorts of games then, but I had an Amiga, and with an Amiga, there were often cheats. Unless you owned a Game Genie or Action Replay, you had to have the actual skill for playing something like this on the NES, so while you could tell your mates in the playground the next day that you finished X, you never learned the skills to play something legitimately to the end without a helping hand.

I never finished the original Castlevania (mostly because I didn’t have access to it other than a mate with an NES), so the limited time I spent didn’t get me far. The difficulty in Lords of Exile is something like Ghosts ‘n Goblins or a title of its ilk. Of course, that’s subjective as I’ve heard others say this isn’t difficult enough!

Lords of Exile is a revenge story where you have to travel the lands of Exilia in a heavily influenced feudal Japan setting, mixed with fantasy. It’s a side-scrolling adventure where you slash at oversized animals, samurai and demons using a melee attack and consumable throwing blades. A companion can help you along the way in the form of a shadow with a very generous cooldown.

Damn You, Gravity

The controls are simple enough, but timing is everything – particularly with jumps. I often lost a lot of health through a run without any consumables on offer other than a shop here and there to refill on weapons or said health. Should you die, which you will – even if above average, you repeat from a reasonable checkpoint position. The upside is infinite lives.

It’s not that Lords of Exile is unreasonable either, as the patterns for the versatile bosses are simple to learn; it all depends on whether you have the patience and determination to stick with it. Reaching the first boss and beating them on the second attempt was rewarding, but letting my guard down for a moment resulted in a swift death and repeating it.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shout at the TV while my family watched on. It was demanding, frustrating, and …. fun? Yes, I had fun with most of the game – especially when unlocking upgrades after each boss – the skillset adds to the experience. However, cocking up on a jump one too many times lowered my patience gauge and I struggled with it in some respects.

So, there’s an honest review of Lords of Exile. It’s a challenging game that will irritate most casual gamers. If you lap up real Metroidvanias, that is, not just a label but based on actual gameplay, then I recommend you check this one out. A complete run can be done in one session depending on ability, plus there are additional characters and a speed run to unlock if you’re good enough and have the patience!

In the context of an 8-bit side-scrolling action game, this is spot-on.