Enotria: The Last Song Review

Creating a Souls-like can be a bit of a poisoned chalice for developers, mainly due to theimmense success of FromSoftwareand their insanely popular and refined RPGs that can act like an albatross around the neck of new kids on the block.

Enotria: The Last Song Delayed On Xbox Indefinitely

Developers had initially planned to release Enotria: The Last Song on Xbox consoles, but a recent Twitter statement has canceled these plans.

However, in recent years, we have seen new IPs take the Souls modeland tweak it slightly to provide something that feels fresh and innovativewhile still paying homage to what has come before.

Image of character from Enotria: The Last Song alongside the Xbox logo.

Just this year, newcomers likeNine SolsandBlack Myth: Wukonghave burst onto the scene and offer brutal Souls-like experiences well worth playing, and it seems it is now the turn ofEnotria: The Last Song.

An Italian folklore-inspired epic that promises epic visuals, deep systems, and punishing bosses. Everything a sadistic Souls fan like myself could ask for. But the question remains, is this game a new Souls-Like hit, or a vague imitation of its predecessors? We find out in our review ofEnotria: The Last Song.

Field of Beginnings in Enotria The Last Song

A Sprawling, Sun-kissed Setting

Kicking things off with the world ofEnotria, it has to be said that this title manages to craft a trio of eye-catching and expansive regions that are a joy to explore.

From the beautiful early game area in the lower commons, which feels like a quaint little village along Lake Como, to the dark and decrepit Maja Monastery, which comes a little later, it’s clear from early on that the game has range and offers eye candy in abundance.

Actors on stage in Enotria: The Last Song

But it’s not just a pretty setting without substance, as this Canovaccio-cursed world feels truly lived in by the manic actors that call this plagued world home. The streets are lined with discarded stage design and props that add color to each alleyway and side street.

You’ll find actors on stage offering Shakespearean-esque exposition on the world around you, and you’ll find plenty of compendium entries that will offer extended lore for those willing to take a break from the action to absorb some of the literature.

Lower Commons From A Distance In Enotria The Last Song

It’s a game that strikes a cord immediately from a narrative and visual standpoint, offering lots of over-the-top and whimsical points of interest that draw the player in.

But the game backs up this initial intrigue with world design that feels like something lifted right out of the Miyazaki playbook, with plenty of hidden pathways, interconnected shortcuts, and dirty little tricks to catch the player off guard.

Combat on Stairs in Enotria The Last Song

As I wandered around the rooftops of the Lower Commons, I felt a similar feeling that I had when exploring thetight streets and rooftops of Leyndell,and while it’s not quite as awe-inspiring asElden Ring’sCapital, even to get a taste of that again was very welcome indeed.

Plagued By Performance

Enotrialooks the part, and from the moment you stare out at the countless sunflowers in the Fields of Beginning, that is very clear. But, despite the game offering a world that is a joy to explore, the whole experience is somewhat marred by the game’s clear performance issues. Which, I can attest, was not down to my gaming rig, and very much down to the game itself.

There were small details that grated on me over the course of the game, such as some sound issues where sliding down a ladder or a dog enemy’s bark would make no noise at all. Or that some enemies would occasionally stand there and let you kill them, showing a lack of polish in the enemy AI at times. But these can be easily overlooked, and will likely be fixed in a patch soon after release.

What I could not overlook, however, was the periodic drop-off in frame rates. At its best,Enotriaplays excellently and absolutely purrs.

But as more things are happening on screen, when you die and reload back into the game, during a cutscene, or sometimes for no reason at all, the game will aggressively chug, and I don’t need to tell you, but in a souls game, this is as good as a death warrant.

It’s perhaps a little bit unfortunate thatEnotriacomes in the wake of a Souls game with suchincredible fidelity as Black Myth: Wukong. AsWukongraises the bar in that respect, and whileEnotriais no slouch in the visuals department, I’m not sure if the trade-off for high fidelity is worth this inconsistent performance.

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It was not something that would have ultimately stopped me from enjoyingEnotria, mainly due to the fact that the game is much easier than most Souls outings on the market, but it certainly caused a few low ebbs during the game’s runtime.

A Focus On Flexibility

When it comes to howEnotriaputs its stamp on the Souls formula, it’s clear from the outset that this game is keen to give the player a wealth of choices and options, allowing for experimentation and changing tactics on the fly.

It’s a novel idea that I have seen implemented rather poorly inrecent Souls-Likes like Deathbound. But thankfully, inEnotriathe systems are rather well implemented.

There are a lot of Souls staples that are tweaked ever slightly to fit contextually into this world specifically, offering a feeling of familiarity for long-time fans of the genre.

However, the game doesn’t rest on its laurels, and the most interesting differences from the Souls-Like norm come in the form of the game’s elements and status effects, Roles and Lines, and the Path of Innovators.

The latter is a good old-fashioned skill tree that allows players to lean into a particular core stat. The status effects offer fresh replacements to old favorites like poison, bleed, and the like. Then Roles and Lines behave rather like Classes and Spells, respectively.

These all gel together rather nicely to offer plenty of ways for players to personalize their build and find something that feels in line with their playstyle. And this is backed up with the ability to assign three pre-set Loadouts that players can switch to on the fly when in action, allowing for a swift change in tactics as and when needed.

This focus on flexibility was welcomed by a veteran Souls player who has played as a colossal weapon-wielding brute in pretty much every Souls outing available.

And with the abundance of weapons, lines, roles, and items to play around with from the word ‘go.’ It almost feels cruel to all the other fine options available when you finally do specialize later down the line.

Putting On An Act

I have a lot of time for the systems thatEnotriaimplements, and in theory, thisexperimental approach to character buildingis exactly why people fell in love withElden Ringand still find themselves exploring The Lands Between today.

However, despite each system’s clear positives and each mechanic’s accessibility, there is an underlying feeling that each one flatters to deceive ever-slightly.

Take each aforementioned standout feature, for example. The skill tree gives the illusion of becoming a specialist, but in the end, you’ll unlock every option due to the abundance of resources in the world.

The status effects, while feeling fresh, have clear flaws, with the dizzy effect feeling like a punishment rather than a boon, for example.

Then as for the pre-set Loadouts. These are meant to aid in experimentation and freedom, which in a way, they do. But on the other hand, due to the fact that you must visit a checkpoint to alter your loadout, your ability to change on the fly is only as good as your ability to prepare and think one step ahead.

In truth, it’s a general criticism that sums up the game as a whole.Enotriahas a wealth of amazing ideas with lots of potential, and mechanics and systems that have the legs to deliver on those ideas.

But in the end, while the overall gameplay is good, and very enjoyable, there is a certain level of inconsistency and clunkiness that stops this one from ascending to the lofty heights of its FromSoft ancestors.

But as they say, to shoot for the moon and end up among the stars isn’t exactly a bad thing.

Closing Comments:

Enotria: The Last Song is a Souls-like experience that takes a lot of big swings, and while there are a few hiccups along the way, a lot of these risks pay off. The freedom to experiment with builds, plan ahead with pre-set Loadouts, and take on the roles of your fallen enemies are all standout features that set this title apart. Which Enotria backs up with impressive visuals, a compelling Italian folklore-inspired world, and several memorable bosses. Sadly, performance issues, a lack of genuine, consistent challenge, and some systems that flatter to deceive stop this game from being a truly iconic game within the sub-genre, but when the curtain closes, and the actors take their final bow, I feel plenty in the audience will be throwing roses and applauding regardless.