⛏️ Aground | Review (revisited) | XBox Series X | "One of The Best Games I Have Ever Played 10/10" ⛏️ @WhiteThornGames #GameDev #IndieGames

I first reviewed Aground in its initial PC incarnation back in July 2020 (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2020/07/aground-pc-review-best-2-d-crafting.html) and I absolutely adored it. Rich (my hateful, drunken boss) tends to cover a lot of the PC games we receive for review and I lean more towards console releases.

I mention in my original review that it was totally by chance that I picked it out for coverage when my Switch was being Animal Crossing-ed to death by someone who shall remain nameless* and I’m so glad that I was introduced to it.

After playing it for over twenty hours originally on PC and now playing through again on Xbox with Faye, it’s been an absolute joy to see her light up to the same discoveries and charms that completely won me over in the summer.

Aground is, at its core a pixel-art, 2D, crafting game cut in the same mould as Terraria. Although, as much as I enjoy Terraria, Aground has a more narrative focus and is a far tighter experience. It’s difficult to discuss without spoilers but the story-lover in me really took to how the game starts you off as a washed-up castaway on an island and hugely expands in scope whilst drip-feeding you information about the lore of the world that you are in.

As you explore, dig, fight, discover and settle the world of Aground, you are accompanied by over two hours of gorgeous music from artist Chase Bethea. Music that runs the gamut from relaxing ambience to pure beat-driven earworms and some tracks that truly feel alien and progressive in origin. Chase Bethea is not a man who is afraid of time-signatures, I’ll tell you that for free. GOOD.

There are some minor niggles in this console release such as a couple of crashes I’ve encountered whilst editing the name of my in-game pet and also, the control scheme can take a bit of getting used to but when talking about Aground and mentioning these things, it feels like complaining about the best sex of my life because I didn’t like the pattern on her duvet set.

When I originally covered Aground back in July, we had our old, non-numerical scoring system. This time though, I’m very pleased to award Aground the first 10/10 rating in Games Freezer history, it’s completely and utterly deserved.

I like Aground, I do. 

*Faye, it was Faye