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Platform, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie
OpenCritic74IGDB73
Inspired by 16 and 32-bit classics, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder fuses tight 2D platforming and exhilarating combat with an engrossing, twist-laden narrative in a stunningly handcrafted steampunk world.
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RPG SiteJunior MiyaiJul 20249/10All in all, if you like action platformers, you’ll love Gestalt: Steam and Cinder. It’s a shorter affair, to be sure, but it explodes with love for the genre, and the developers have put a lot of heart and soul into crafting a world and story that is both equal parts fun and tense to explore. My nitpicks with the game aside, Gestalt was an extremely enjoyable experience and is definitely on a list of games I’ll replay from time-to-time. I’m excited to see where Metamorphosis Games takes the series in the future, and hope for plenty more adventures of Aletheia to come.
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Analog Stick GamingJeff M YoungAug 20249.5/10Gestalt: Steam and Cinder shines in its simplicity without any of its components feeling watered-down. The story and its lead character shine and work well alongside a great feeling set of attacks and abilities. For this being a studio's first game, it is remarkably polished with superb animations and detail. Make no mistake, this is one gorgeous game that shines with an equally great soundtrack to boot. It may not set the genre on fire, but it is an excellent entry that stands alongside some of the best to ever do it.
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COGconnectedJames PaleyJul 202485/100It turns out I’m an absolute sucker for a well-crafted metroidvania. Crunchy combat, smooth progression, and gorgeous aesthetics all keep me locked in place for a complete playthrough. It took ages to get a grip on that bloody dodge-roll, but I eventually got there. Also, the bosses too often felt either padded out or pointlessly dense. It never felt like they hit that balance. But the rest of the experience was so compelling, I didn’t mind that much. If you’re in the market for a pretty excellent metroidvania, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has got your number.
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Slant MagazineNiv M. SultanJul 20242.5/5 starsAletheia also gradually attains a suite of powers that allow you to reach previously inaccessible areas, but backtracking grows tedious due to the barebones map and the limitations of fast travel. You can only teleport to and from a handful of locations, meaning that you often need to embark on odysseys to use warp spots to get elsewhere. This tedium leads the game’s Metroidvania elements to feel shoehorned in rather than integral to its design. Though it has the bones of a winning action platformer, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder contorts them in submission to generic norms and expectations. The adventure becomes a chore, the fire stamped out.
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GamingTrendJack ZustiakAug 202450/100Gestalt: Steam & Cinder looks and plays the part of a competent action game. However, its heart lies more in its narrative. While I admire the ambition, Gestalt left me asking, both as a game and as a story, one simple question: "so what?".
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IGDB rating 7.5/10 from 12 ratings.
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