Aeterna Noctis is an upcoming Metroidvania 2D action game that is heavily inspired by HollowKnight, and it shows both in its setting and with some figures that populate the world of Aeterna. The world of Aeterna was created and ruled by Chaos, and it is grim and dour because of the eternal war between the kingdom of Darkness and that of Light, destined to fight each other forever, not able to find peace even in death. There are many enemies to encounter and defeat in AeternaNoctis, along with puzzles to complete and deadly paths to take.
Players will be able to take on the role of the king of Darkness in AeternaNoctis, embarking on a journey to prevent his kingdom to crumble, and defeat the powers of the Light. There will be several places to explore, upgrades to unlock, side quests, and other characters to meet. The game is set to hit a sweet spot with its length based on the fact that its main story is planned to comprise more than 20 hours of playtime, and that's not even considering secrets to find, achievements to unlock, and all possibilities to explore when building the powers of the king of Darkness.
Aeterna Noctis, Hollow Knight, And What It Means For Games To Be Original
In AeternaNoctis, players will explore a total of sixteen areas, each with different enemy types and powerful bosses, for over 100 unique monster designs. The very first area that the developers released is the one that is inspired by Hollow Knight the most, and that is the so-called "Ascension Cave." Aeterna Noctis sets out to achieve many things that Team Cherry wants Hollow Knight: Silksong to be once it comes out, but the difference here is that the former does seem to have a release date planned, which is December 15, 2021, while Silksong doesn't. The fact that very recently Team Cherry announced that it will not be present at this year's E3 means that a release window is probably further off than people think, too, even though that may be for the best.
Hollow Knight is not the only inspiration for AeternaNoctis, though, and the game's developer, Aeternum Game Studios, has listed other influences that went into its work, including FinalFantasy, ChronoTrigger, and even Studio Ghibli's films. Another source of inspiration that was not mentioned by the developers seems to be Salt andSanctuary, another 2D action game that shares similarities with Aeterna Noctis in terms of level design, platforming action, enemies, and combat. Some players have also noticed another game that Aeterna Noctis seems to be similar to, and that's Sundered; the creepy vibes of the setting and the almost futuristic architecture that some levels share are uncanny when compared.
The fact that Aeterna Noctis looks so similar to so many other titles is both a good thing and somewhat of a bad thing. Having an identity that is built on something is not uncommon for many video games, and it actually can catalyze the way those games feel into an experience that's both unique and familiar. As a matter of fact, having a strong source of inspiration, or more than just one, simply means that Aeterna Noctis will have more chances to succeed in being what it strives to be.
On the other hand, drawing inspiration from several similar titles can make Aeterna Noctis look less like its own thing, which can potentially drain the enthusiasm, instead. It's a slippery slope, but Metroidvania games are not exactly founded on originality as a whole, and that means that Aeterna Noctis shouldn't be too afraid to show what it taps into. Overall, this game has a fair chance of being the game that fills the hollow space left by Silksong not being released this year, most likely.
AeternaNoctis will be available for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch.
