Summary
- Enotria focuses on defensive combat using parry mechanics.
- Expect frequent artificial difficulty spikes in the game.
- Upgrade weapons often with refundable materials to progress efficiently, and keep an eye out for Rifts that can change the environment.
Enotria: The Last Song may not be the most inventive Soulslike on the market, but it does have some unique systems that may take players some time to get used to. Whether it be Enotria: The Last Song's frequent difficulty spikes, equipment upgrade system, or Rifts, there are several things for players to familiarize themselves with in the game.
Unlike many of the Soulslikes recently released, Enotria is more about its combat than it is its exploration. In fact, it's very much like the original Dark Souls, in that it focuses on combat more than anything else. However, there is still plenty of ground to explore in Enotria when players aren't fending off its arduous Soulslike foes. All of this considered, there are a few unwritten rules players should know about Enotria's combat and exploration before they dive into the game.
Enotria: The Last Song Review
Enotria: The Last Song impresses with fun combat and stunning visuals, but a few technical issues and occasionally frustrating mechanics hold it back.
The Unwritten Rules of Enotria: The Last Song's Combat
Enotria: The Last Song's Combat Is Often Best Played Defensively
One thing that is unique about Enotria's combat is that it relies heavily on players parrying an enemy's attacks. Enotria doesn't allow players to block attacks as many other Soulslike games do, but its combat is still best approached defensively using the game's parry mechanics. Additionally, while Enotria does feature a dodge ability, it is very unreliable, as enemies have a hard, inescapable lock on the player most of the time. Like attacking, parrying contributes to an enemy's Unraveling Meter, which, when filled, allows players to perform a powerful finishing strike. As such, prioritizing a defensive playstyle against the game's toughest enemies is often the best way forward.
Enotria: The Last Song's World Features Frequent Difficulty Spikes
Something players should be aware of in Enotria: The Last Song is its frequent difficulty spikes. The unfortunate aspect of these difficulty spikes is that they are generally artificial, with enemies significantly increasing in health rather than inheriting evolved attack patterns and new skills. Nevertheless, these difficulty spikes often seem to come out of nowhere, so players should be patient in their progress, farming and investing as much Memoria (Enotria's Souls equivalent) as they can before leaving an area.
Weapons Should Be Upgraded Often, and Materials Can Be Refunded When Necessary
Fairly early on in the game, players will be introduced to Enotria's equipment upgrade system. Upgrading a piece of equipment in Enotria — whether it be a weapon, mask, or line — costs an increasing amount of Memoria, as well as specific crafting materials. Upgrading weapons is always recommended, especially considering crafting materials can be fully refunded as often as necessary. Any Memoria spent on these upgrades unfortunately cannot be refunded, but the myriad of ways to earn Memoria fast in Enotria makes up for it.
The Unwritten Rules of Enotria: The Last Song's Exploration
There Are Plenty of Items to Find in Enotria: The Last Song's World
Exploration in Enotria is generally a worthwhile journey, as players can find a multitude of valuable items and lore off the beaten path. Fortunately, unlike more recent Soulslikes like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong, Enotria is fairly linear in its design, so players shouldn't get lost too easily in its world.
Rifts Are Sometimes Key to Progress in Enotria: The Last Song
While they are few and far between, Enotria features a unique form of progression in its Rifts. When opening a Rift in Enotria, the environment will shift and remain that way unless players leave the area. Some areas feature multiple Rifts that act as puzzle pieces for players to put together in order to find a way forward or onto a platform where a chest can be found. Combat Rifts are similar, in that they often remove obstacles that impede progression, but players can't leave these Rifts until every enemy within its boundaries is defeated. Players should keep an eye out for Rifts in Enotria, as they often lead to valuable discoveries.
Enotria: The Last Song
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 69 /100 Critics Rec: 31%
- Released
- September 16, 2024
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Jyamma Games
- Publisher(s)
- Jyamma Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Enotria: The Last Song is a thrilling soulsike set in a sun-lit land inspired by Italian folklore and filled with danger.
The world has been gripped by the Canovaccio - a twisted eternal play that keeps everything in an unnatural stasis. You, Maskless One, are the only one without a given role and master of your destiny. Defeat the fearsome Authors that created it and free the world from stagnation, by harnessing the power of Ardore.
Become the Mask of Change.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike
