With the Nintendo Switch flooded by more metroidvanias than most know what to do with, any new entry into this constantly growing family needs a compelling hook to earn attention. Itorah, unfortunately, does almost nothing besides covering a mediocre experience with some very, very pretty wrapping. Developed by Grimbart Tales, the handcrafted visuals, which draw their inspiration from Mesoamerican culture, stand out in a genre too often content with pixelated castles or grim, gothic ruins.
From running right next to a waterfall or through a candlelit corridor, to watching the heroine as she is being silhouetted against a bright setting sun, or as she walks in a place that can be described as a fairytale version of Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom, the world of Nahucan is full of breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately, that’s where the admiration ends. For all its gorgeous looks, this is sorely lacking in what should matter the most: compelling gameplay.
Itorah is incredibly linear. There’s little to no need for exploration, as most secondary paths usually lead to a simple chest with some additional resources, there are almost no hidden secrets and, most importantly, Itorah tends to funnel you through wide but empty corridors, with little incentive to go off the beaten path. In many ways, while this looks like a metroidvania, it’s actually more of a generic action-platformer that just happens to take place in a gargantuan world full of different biomes.
The lack of any decent exploration is compounded by repetitive, simplistic combat. For starters there’s not much variety when it comes to the heroine’s moveset. She can swing her axe, do a dodge roll…and that’s it. She’ll gain more moves, but nothing that will make things more exciting. Secondly, most enemies are very easy to deal with, and the protagonist can withstand quite a bit of damage. Finally, combat feels clunky, as she can’t move and attack simultaneously, and the hit feedback is severely lacking. Simply put, fighting quickly becomes something you endure (or avoid) rather than enjoy.
Everything mentioned so far makes this a weak pick for veterans, and yet its low level of challenge and overall simplicity could make it a decent pick for the very young and inexperienced – an entry-level introduction to the genre. Unfortunately, the platforming bits don’t help at all, as the controls are extremely unreliable. Jumps are way too imprecise, especially while in the air. Be prepared for lots of damage from missing a platform ten times in a row. Want to make the experience even worse? The frame rate ranges from bad to atrocious. Get ready for plenty of headaches.
The industry is now flooded with low-effort titles churned out from indie devs who have no love for the world of video games. This isn’t one of those. It’s easy to see that the ones behind this loved their creation – it’s just that they put all their energy in the way it looks, instead of the way it plays. Itorah is a very big disappointment. Save your money and just buy Hollow Knight: Silksong instead.
