Alundra

The debut project of Matrix Software, whose employees previously worked at Climax Entertainment. Alundra is an action jRPG in which the players takes on the role of an elf who can enter human dreams. The game neatly combines arcade elements with logic challenges.

Story

An elf of the Elna clan, Alundra, miraculously escapes life from a shipwreck. He venture to the town of Inoa, where he discovers that he has the ability to visit other people's dreams. He decides to use his new power to help people get rid of the nightmares that torment them. Unexpectedly, there is a series of mysterious murders in the town, in which the victims were killed while asleep. The community is beginning to suspect Alundra. On the other hand, he picks up the trail of the demonic Melzas. With the help of another elf, Mei, he tries to stop Melzas from committing further crimes. The story presented in the game refers to difficult topics, such as death, religion or mental illness, distinguishing itself from stories from many other jRPGs.

Mechanics

Alundra is not a typical action RPG, where a player-led hero fights hundreds of battles with enemies he encounters in subsequent quests. The devs dropped the tried and tested formulas and prepared an interesting combination of arcade and logic challenges that await the players. A unique element of the game is the mechanic of entering the dreams of the inhabitants of the city of Inoa. In each of them, there are different tasks awaiting players, often related to the character and their history.

During the game, the action is presented from the bird's eye view. The player-controlled hero can jump and use acquired weapons and items to eliminate monsters and solve puzzles. The goal is to find the magical runes that are needed to defeat the demon Melzas. The adventure is prolonged by the search for optional figurines, which the player can then exchange for rare items and equipment.

Technical aspects

Alundra is characterized by colorful 2D visuals and dark fantasy style. The plot is presented not only through cut-scenes on the game engine, but also animations prepared for the title. The game is considered to be the spiritual heir to Landstalker for Sega Mega Drive, which had been released years earlier.

Last updated on March 20, 2020