Cathedral

Exactly what I was looking for after finishing The Messenger. I like Metroidvanias, but only recently discovered that I do. I like the difficulty of this game; you need to be persistent but it's never unfair. Beating each boss feels like an actual achievement. There's lots to explore and a good variety in areas and enemies. I got real retro vibes from this game, like flashbacks to the old Zelda games now and then (mostly because of some sound effects). Only small downside is the music; a but uninspired and sometimes downright annoying. No reason not to buy this game though. Strongly recommended if you like the genre.

x-- 7/10 --x Really charming, and sometimes challenging, metroidvania!

Brilliant game. Just like the old skool NES days. Great pixel graphics and chiptune sounds. Very challenging. Loots of secret items to find and puzzles to solve. It took me a whole week to complete this. Well recommended.

A solid, fairly challenging metroidvania with nice retro aesthetics. It doesn't do anything particularly new, but executes the formula competently. I'm dropping it about a quarter in because, honestly, I don't have the patience to try the same boss for the 20th time (and, well, my reflexes aren't what they used to be), but that's my fault, not the game's. If you're a fan of the genre, this is a treat for you.

Cathedral is a sprawling retro-inspired action-adventure that takes the recognizable foundations of classic 2D platformers and builds a much larger exploration experience around them. Developed and published by Decemberborn Interactive, it deliberately captures the appearance and atmosphere of an older console game while incorporating conveniences and design ideas associated with modern Metroidvania adventures. Its colorful pixel art might initially suggest a relatively straightforward platformer, but beneath that presentation is a demanding journey filled with interconnected locations, secrets, puzzles, challenging enemies, character upgrades, and substantial amounts of backtracking. The story places players in control of a mysterious knight who awakens without knowing how he arrived in this strange world. After encountering a spirit named Soul, the knight begins searching for answers and eventually becomes involved in a quest surrounding five elemental orbs created long ago by the demi-god Ardur. Each orb is guarded by a formidable protector, providing the adventure with clear long-term objectives while still leaving plenty of room for independent exploration. The narrative remains relatively understated, allowing environmental discovery, character encounters, and the gradual uncovering of the world's mysteries to carry much of the experience. Exploration is arguably Cathedral's greatest strength. Its world contains more than 600 interconnected rooms spread across towns, wilderness regions, dungeons, underground passages, secret chambers, and other distinctive locations. The size is impressive for a pixel-art adventure, but more importantly, the areas generally feel purposeful. Players repeatedly encounter passages or obstacles they cannot initially overcome, only to return later after acquiring an appropriate ability or magical item. This creates a satisfying rhythm in which progression continually changes how previously visited environments can be approached. The map becomes especially valuable because of this interconnected structure. Cathedral encourages players to pay attention to unexplored passages and remember suspicious obstacles rather than simply following a constant objective marker. Exploration percentages also provide useful information for completionists attempting to uncover everything an area contains. Despite these conveniences, the game retains an old-school philosophy toward guidance. It expects players to investigate, experiment, and occasionally wander around searching for the next route. That freedom can produce satisfying discoveries, although players who dislike backtracking or uncertain objectives may find portions of the adventure frustrating. Combat complements the exploration with straightforward mechanics that become increasingly demanding. The knight's sword provides the basic offensive tool, but surviving later encounters requires considerably more than repeatedly attacking. Enemy patterns, positioning, movement, and timing become increasingly important, while new abilities broaden the player's tactical possibilities. Controls are responsive enough to support the precision expected by the game's harder sections, and successful combat generally feels dependent on learning patterns and improving execution. Boss encounters provide some of Cathedral's most memorable challenges. Major enemies can punish careless attacks quickly, encouraging observation before aggression. These encounters fit naturally with the game's intentionally demanding personality, but difficulty can occasionally spike sharply. Platforming sections can be similarly unforgiving, particularly when environmental hazards, enemies, and precision movement appear together. Players accustomed to modern games with generous checkpoints and extensive guidance should expect an adjustment period. Progression provides a strong reason to continue searching beyond the obvious route. Magical items and other upgrades gradually increase the knight's capabilities, often providing access to places that previously appeared unreachable. Money can be collected and spent in shops, while NPCs, hidden treasures, optional rooms, and numerous secrets reward players willing to inspect suspicious walls and revisit earlier locations. Towns provide welcome moments of relative safety and help give the larger world a sense of personality between dangerous expeditions. Visually, Cathedral embraces an intentionally nostalgic pixel-art style influenced by the 8-bit era without rigidly limiting itself to what historical hardware could actually produce. Environments are colorful and distinct enough to make different regions recognizable, while enemies and important interactive elements remain readable during action. Animation is relatively simple but appropriate for the aesthetic. The soundtrack and sound effects reinforce the same retro identity, producing an experience that convincingly evokes older action-adventure games without feeling like a purely technical recreation of one. Steam Deck compatibility is officially categorized as Playable rather than Verified. The core gameplay works well on the handheld, including controller input, and its 2D presentation is naturally suited to portable sessions. Interface text is readable and performance requirements are modest for the hardware. The primary qualification preventing a completely seamless experience involves configuration, as the native Steam Deck resolution may need to be selected manually. This is a relatively minor inconvenience, and after configuration the game is a comfortable fit for handheld play. Cathedral ultimately succeeds through the combination of substantial exploration, precise platforming, demanding combat, meaningful upgrades, and an unusually large interconnected world. Its weaknesses largely emerge from the same old-school principles that give it personality. Backtracking can become tiring, navigation occasionally requires patience, and certain difficulty spikes may discourage more casual players. For those who appreciate games that provide limited direction and expect players to discover solutions independently, however, these characteristics become part of the appeal. With hundreds of rooms to investigate, numerous secrets to uncover, challenging guardians to defeat, and abilities that continually open new routes through familiar territory, Cathedral offers far more depth than its modest retro appearance initially suggests. It is particularly easy to recommend to players who enjoy classic platformers combined with Metroidvania exploration and who are comfortable with a game that expects persistence rather than constantly pointing toward the next destination. Rating: 7/10

一编：这游戏在逗我玩吗？卡在poison pavilion地图左下角，楼梯特别短，摔下去就只能往左走从房间上去让幽灵帮你推石块才能跳上去的地方，但我开传送门回村子的时候不小心把幽灵符文卸下去了，再来到这个地方摔下去后就上不来了。现在就是死了只能回到底下的传送点，上去也上不去，纯纯卡在这里不知道怎么解决，是我没找到隐藏路线还是？这么明显的游戏逻辑流程设计缺陷，怎么做关卡的？难道我档就这么坏了要重新打，你在开玩笑吧？我真受不了。有没有人知道解决方法 二编：遇到了问题，发邮件给制作组后解决了，感谢。等我玩完会来评价的。

Great classic styled Metroidvania with swift movements and fun exploration. Backtracking can get a bit tedious sometimes.