Itorah – Review
Our Score: 7/10
Discover the world of Nahucan in this 2.5D action platformer. You are Itorah, the only human in this strange place. Explore, fight and survive to uncover your past and save Nahucan from its biggest threat, a mysterious plague.
ITORAH is a classic adventure with great visuals and a fantastic presentation. It’s a classic concept with simple controls and a straightforward tale that doesn’t drag on too long. A classic adventure that takes you through beautifully created locales as you try to eradicate a plague from the globe.
The Tale of Itorah
A little girl wakes up in the midst of nowhere, which sets the tone for the journey. The girl is quickly abducted by poisonous spiders, but after escaping, she meets a talking axe. After fleeing, Itorah discovers that humans have been extinct for ages, and that the surrounding creatures are becoming increasingly hostile due to a plague. Despite the fact that you are a member of an extinct race, many people are welcoming you since you may have the answer to ending the scourge.
The plot is simple at first, but as it develops, it becomes more complex. Through brief visions, the player learns about guardians who help manage the universe, other kingdoms, and your own life. Smooth transitions between emotional states and interactions between all of the characters highlight the excellent animations. With the exception of two villagers who remain constant throughout the game, the most are put in the backdrop. It’s inconvenient that the dialogue doesn’t always auto-scroll; it does occasionally, but only in rare circumstances.
Fighting for The World
Platforming and simplistic combat are at the heart of ITORAH’s gameplay. You’ll start with a limited set of attacks and maneuvers, but as the adventure progresses, you’ll earn more mobility choices like dashing in mid-air and new strikes like the ground smash. It’s all designed to lead to new places, but this isn’t a Metroidvania. It’s more of a semi-open linear adventure in that the player is guided through the map, but you can explore if you want to gain exclusive goods that will help you improve your health, stamina, and healing powers. Hidden locations do exist, however, they are typically found in dungeons rather than on the open globe.
Each big area functions as a giant dungeon with a variety of platforming and combat difficulties. While trying to locate keys to unlock doors in the region, you’ll have to avoid obstacles, combat adversaries, and learn new skills. All of your basic adventure principles are present, however, the game lacks enemy variety. While the boss fights are distinct, the normal foes, with the exception of a few, are usually the same throughout the game. After completing a dungeon, you’ll have to retrace your steps across the map, however having fast travel would have alleviated a lot of this.
The look and presentation of ITORAH are the most remarkable features. Despite the lack of standout music, the entire game works together to create a stunning display. The graphical design and establishment of the game’s tone were done with a lot of enthusiasm, and it shows. The vibrant colours, great character models, and dramatic contrast really bring the visual style to life. The music design, which helps define the tone of each dungeon, cutscene, and fight, ties everything together. Every dungeon concludes with a boss fight specific to the locale.
Final Verdict
ITORAH is a fun game with striking visuals and a good story to compliment its simple but fun gameplay. It’s a very solid experience but don’t expect anything groundbreaking. While it does have a few annoyances, they never overshadow the good experience of the game.
