Ensora

A sci-fi platforming shooter a day makes the curiosities go away. That's the general philosophy indie gamers have adapted these days, understandably showing little interest in the mass of genre titles released regularly. Ensora is one of those games that will struggle to emerge from the pile, offering no hooks outside the standard platformer visuals and mechanics.

It's rare that when players get that feeling about a game, it becomes memorable. However, there's undoubtedly a player group always willing to give titles a chance, especially where intergalactic mysteries are involved. Let's give Ensora a playthrough to determine whether the initial opinion on the game is justified or if it should receive more traction.

Corporate Thuggery

Nothing can help spark enthusiasm more in a game than a well-crafted narrative. Surprisingly, Ensora has a decent one. Players find themselves in the lonely world of Ensora (go figure), where corporations and scavengers are battling over the planet's remaining resources for profit. As one imagines, some pretty dirty work things are going on, and you, the player, want to get off ASAP.

The narrative's intensity reflects combat. Despite being a 2D side-scroller, there's nothing short of bloodthirsty enemies that require more than just the standard run-and-gun to defeat. Naturally, you'll need to build up your character through a skill system and improved arsenal to fend off foes successfully. Another core mechanic is looking after your spaceship, which is integral to getting around different locations on Ensora.

So what's the ultimate aim of Ensora? Players will need to dedicate all their gathered resources around the planet to unveiling the mysteries of the Portal. This device can help you escape this war-torn land. It all sounds cliche of a sci-fi game. Still, the execution of both narrative and gameplay is surprisingly good.

Ensora is entertaining, with diversity in gameplay ranging from exploration to puzzle-solving, keeping players on their toes almost always. The visuals seem inconsistent at times between character outlines and environmental assets. However, the mechanics, including combat, management, and resource gathering, undoubtedly provide an entertaining experience.

Not Just Another Planet

Finishing Ensora, you'll wonder why the game isn't gaining more attention than it should. The delivery and execution of gameplay are excellent, adding variations in design while threading it together with the core premise. The only things that aren't working in its favor are the average visuals representing the game and the fact that it can feel clunky in some areas.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Diverse gameplay elements keep the game entertaining
• Varying combat approaches
• A large game world to explore

Cons:

• Visuals and art style feel inconsistent
• Control schematic can be clunky in combat