Sundered: Eldritch Edition

I’m not convinced there’s a workable intersection of action and cosmic horror, despite how hard Sundered argues otherwise. From a purely positive standpoint, the sound design is startlingly otherworldly, and the abstract storytelling provides a series of necessarily agnostic conclusions while avoiding interference with the gameplay. The 4-player co-op included in the Eldritch Edition is also surprisingly well-designed. Everything else is a matter of mixed priorities. The idea of a shifting labyrinth unstuck in time and space by an eldritch ritual is a perfect setup for a procedurally generated Metroidvania. It’s too bad procedurally generated Metroidvanias are a perennially bad idea that results in unsatisfying, interchangeable settings. Having enemies spawn in hordes of unpredictable size and frequency is also appropriate, but it devolves much of the combat into button mashing. The colossal boss fights are the undisputed highlight of the experience, but like most of the obstacles present, their horrific appearance and extravagant animation make their hitboxes totally inscrutable.