The Fall of the Elena Temple is a small indie title that has slipped under my radar. This distinctly old-school endeavour is perfect to test your grey matter. However, if you want an in-depth story or modern graphics, you’ll want to give it a miss. Moreover, it is available for under £3, so it’s a cheap investment even if you are on the fence.
This platform title was developed and published by GrimTalin. What’s more, it has puzzle mechanics that’ll trick your mind and push you to your limits. It was this element of the game that pleased me the most. The developer has created a challenging environment that balances new mechanics and simple level design. Accordingly, though it isn’t particularly original, it is fun to play nonetheless.
The Fall of the Elena Temple has no story.
Like its retro predecessors, The Fall of the Elena Temple focuses on its gameplay rather than its plot. Now, I believe there was room for both, but sadly the creative minds behind the scenes had other ideas. This lack of a story was a shortcoming as I’d have liked to empathise with the protagonist. Alternatively, having some depth and reasoning behind each stage would have been pleasant.
Thankfully, the gameplay is captivating and challenging enough to hold your attention. The hero has minimal skills and even fewer abilities. Consequently, he relies on magical collectables and a methodical mindset to overcome his obstacles. As the game evolves, new hazards and mechanics are drip-fed to increase the difficulty while keeping you interested.
Balanced gameplay.
The Fall of the Elena Temple demands a methodical mindset. The hero may only jump a minimal height and if they fall from a platform, it complicates matters further. This restricted movement may seem annoying, but it forces you to plan and utilise clever stage design. Throughout each level, some doors transport you to different areas of the map. Alongside this, they occasionally change their destination, so this complicates things further.
As you explore each world, you must collect every coin to open the gate. If you miss a coin, and cannot reach it, you must restart and try again. This precise approach leaves no margin for error. Yet, matters are made worse when traps and deadly creatures are introduced. Once this happens, you’ll need to collect hearts or thwart the monsters to progress.
If this isn’t enough, you collect a magic crystal that allows you to reverse any falls you make. Subsequently, you can collect each coin and plan a path to complete every stage. Other mechanics complicate things further. However, the core gameplay ideas never change. This ensures that though the action gets harder, everything is introduced at a fair and balanced pace.
The Fall of the Elena Temple is amusingly old-school.
The developers have undertaken a tongue-in-cheek approach. A Gameboy-like console borders the fixed screen. Additionally, the backdrop can be changed to represent many classic gaming locations. I adored this amusing yet nostalgia-infused idea. Alongside this, the monochromatic colour palette and basic pixelated imagery were perfect. Though this won’t test modern machines, I adored the trip down memory lane.
The audio is more traditional. The synth soundtrack is tough to listen to. However, it matches the era perfectly, and it adds drama and energy to each level. Alongside this, the sound effects are basic but suitable. Consequently, it doesn’t do anything new, but it works nonetheless.
Simple controls.
The Fall of the Elena Temple has a great in-game tutorial system. Subsequently, whenever new mechanics are introduced, it helps you to overcome them. Furthermore, the straightforward button layout and responsive inputs are ideal for tackling the platforming elements.
Where this is sadly lacking is replay value and longevity. Yes, there are bonus levels and plenty of challenging hurdles to overcome. Unfortunately, though, once you’ve extinguished each problem, you have no reason to return. Yet, as it costs less than £3 this is a minor quibble that shouldn’t put you off.
The Fall of the Elena Temple is good, old-school fun.
If you love puzzle titles, and you are a fan of retro gaming, then this should be on your radar. It is somewhat basic, and I was disappointed by the missing story. However, the action was challenging and it kept me interested for hours. Accordingly, I enjoyed it and I recommend buying it here! Can you collect every coin and escape? Plan your route, find the magical objects, and unlock that gate.
