While rogue-likes, deck builders, and “friend slop” titles have become the game du jour of the indie scene over the last few years, another sub-genre has been slowly building up steam: that sub-genre would be the “Metroidbrainia”. My own hangups with naming conventions aside, Metroidbrainias offer up a sprawling world full of secrets and lore to uncover, all while opting for non-violent, information-based gameplay over straightforward combat and progression. It’s more about the grey matter than the blood splatter, if you will. EMUUROM is the most recent game to offer such an experience, and while some of the physics-based elements are a bit finicky, and it can be tricky to know where to go at times, I had a great time exploring and understanding this strange and intriguing world.
Solo-developed by borbware, EMUUROM stars a bespectacled researcher with red hair who has been sent to the world of EMUULEHTO to document its flora and fauna, as well as the mysteries it holds, all before a comet destroys it, and that information is lost forever. After being beamed down and a short platoforming tutorial sequence, the player is reunited with the researcher’s Scanner, which is used to scan anything and everything on their adventure.
Quickly, it becomes apparent that five Admin Seals must be unlocked, and to do so, the researcher will have to best the five bosses guarding them. As to why this is the case? I don’t want to say too much about EMUUROM’s narrative, as it features multiple endings related to the main plot, as well as several secret ones that are alluded to after finishing the game. Having finished with what is no doubt the “bad” ending, these hints felt like a tantalising prospect, and the urge to immediately start a new playthrough was very tempting.
I wouldn’t say that EMUUROM’s plot is complicated, but how it is unearthed, intermingled with threads of other paths to take, purposefully obfuscates what is going on and what you need to do. This isn’t a criticism, as with any good Metroidbrainia, it is as much about piecing together the game’s narrative as it is its systems and mechanics. It’s the sort of game that I could see people taking notes with a pad and pen as they played, trying to piece together the jigsaw that is EMUUROM.
The gameplay is focused on platforming between screens and using your Scanner to learn about each creature, plant, or phenomenon you come across. Everything you find looks familiar but is given a different name, and has unique behaviours that you’ll have to exploit on your journey. Once scanned, you unlock lore for that specific thing, as well as learn how it reacts to being scanned or interacts with other things in the environment. You also freeze your target in place when fully scanned, which has its own uses. From riding on the back of birds or freezing them in place to create platforms, to figuring out which clouds rain when scanned and which disappear,
It’s an exciting process of discovery, but what is really impressive is seeing how it evolves from single instances to a thriving ecosystem of linked behaviours and dependencies. Starting with the knowledge that clouds can rain, which is used to make certain plants bloom into bouncing platforms, the game later introduces a bird whose call turns those same flowers into a bundle of dandelion seeds waiting to be scattered. I was always excited when coming across something new to scan; what strange way would it react to the Scanner? How does it fit in with the rest of EMUULEHTO’s ecosystem? I felt more like Charles Darwin documenting his discoveries on the Galapagos Islands rather than an astronaut exploring an alien world.
As you explore each biome of EMUULEHTO, scanning everything you see, you build up a genealogy tree in your menu to track your discoveries. You also fill out your grid-based map by scanning the epitaph on each screen, one of the main ways to learn more secrets and lore about the game, and it ties in nicely to expanding your map. There are also a handful of fun and creative boss encounters, large creatures that guard the five Admin Seals you need to unlock. Each of these confrontations is an interesting exercise in using what you have learned and overcoming them through non-lethal means.
There are some snag points within EMUUROM’s gameplay, most of which stem from the physics-based elements and the densely packed, layered design of the game. At least one hour of my 10-hour playthrough was spent with me trying to reach the right turtle to ride down a waterfall with, and with the number of obscured paths and numerous places to drop through to another area, it was quite easy to get disoriented. Trying to move certain objects by bouncing them, or dragging dandelion seeds in the right direction, also proved trying on more than one occasion, and while the game did a good job of moving me out of being stuck in a wall during certain events, it often stuck me where I didn’t want to go, adding to any existing confusion.
Though the world of EMUUROM may be small, I still think a minimal fast travel system between certain locations you find, or just the option to fast travel back to the sanctuary at any time, would have been a nice way to let players get their bearings again.
For some, I imagine 2024’s Animal Well comes to mind, likely due to EMUUROM’s visuals as much as its genre, and it’s an apt comparison to make. That being said, there is plenty that distinguishes the two, with the most obvious being their respective atmospheres. While Animal Well is eerie, bordering on unsettling, EMUUROM feels less oppressive and more inviting, opting for bolder colours and less detailed sprites. That’s not to say that EMUUROM lacks atmosphere, despite what the pitch-black backdrop of space may imply. If anything, the juxtaposition of the colourful, somewhat wacky world and game design against the backdrop of a near-empty void creates quite a surreal vibe.
My favourite part of EMUUROM’s visual design is the Scanner and how it operates. With a push of a button, its four red and yellow beams reach out, highlighting any target they touch in a strange, static-like effect until they are fully covered, the scan complete as the game pauses to show you what you have learned. Adding to the game’s unique vibes is a bouncy and charming chiptune soundtrack, matching EMUUROM’s out there visual design in both its simplicity and its creativity. Along with the strange chirps from the myriad of flora and fauna you discover, the world’s own natural orchestra is at play.
Final Thoughts
EMUUROM is a delightful, layered, and intriguing Metroidbrainia, making its narrative just as much part of the puzzle as its mechanics. It has a satisfying gameplay loop that builds on what you have learned, all while creating a bizarrely beautiful ecosystem you must understand to progress in your mission to preserve it. It’s a title that borderline demands multiple playthroughs to uncover all its secrets, and while I can’t imagine ever having a full grasp of where to go or that certain elements won’t prove frustrating, it’s not enough to deter me from returning to its strange world. It’s safe to say that I won’t soon forget EMUUROM.
EMUUROM is available now on PC via Steam.
EMUUROM was reviewed on PC with a controller.
We want to thank borbware and Coyote Time Publishing for the review key.
Will you be picking up EMUUROM? Are you a fan of Metroidbrainias? Let us know in the comments below, and join the Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about your favourite games, play in community game nights, take part in giveaways, and more!
