Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi Review – A tale of light, loss, and lush worlds.
Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is a love letter to great fantasy adventures and stories that Studio Ghibli influences. It takes place in the beautiful world of Atarassia. This independent gem was made by MarsLit Games and tries to combine cinematic stories with fun puzzles and touching character relationships. A big 3D action-puzzle platformer was quickly made from a small project. It’s based on games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Gunk, and Tomb Raider.
MarsLit Games makes something that feels both small and big, even though they don’t have the money or history of industry giants. It has a lot of world-building and story, and the relationship between the two main characters, Lili and Sadi, is what makes the experience intense.
Altheia shows what small studios can do when passion is stronger than means, even though there were some problems along the way.
The story starts with a tragedy: Lili, a young warrior who doesn’t want to be one, is affected by the death of her mother and doesn’t want to be a Guardian with her family. A monk-in-training named Sadi crosses her path, and he persuades her to bring back the old bond between Guardians and Monks to fight the evil Void.
Even light needs shadow to shine brighter.
Their journey takes them across the huge land of Atarassia, which is tainted by purple rot that changes both plants and animals. They find out long-buried secrets about their pasts, their fates, and the forces that are causing the Void to rise as Lili and Sadi go deeper.
Some plot points sound like they belong in old fairy stories, but what makes the story great is how sincere it is. The story is based on Lili and Sadi’s friendship, which changes over time as both of them grow, doubt, and eventually trust each other. However, some pacing problems in the middle act make some scenes feel uneven, with key reveals being rushed at times during exposition.
At its heart, Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is all about how well the two main characters work together. Players take control of Lili and use Sadi’s magic to solve puzzles, fight the Void’s twisted servants, and explore old tunnels full of mechanical traps and hidden passages.
Lili’s style of play is all about speed and accuracy. She can swing her satisfyingly heavy sword, jump across dangerous chasms, and use her bow to hit enemies far away or turn on switches. Sadi, on the other hand, gives you the magical edge by throwing elemental spells, calling up barriers, and even changing into a shadow creature that looks like a wolf to help you explore or fight.
A bond forged in shadow becomes a weapon of light.
The method is great because the skills of both characters work well together. Lili might be able to clear a way by using her brute strength, while Sadi uses magic or energy fields to open the way forward. Their rhythmic relationship with each other keeps the player interested and pushes them to think of new ways to solve problems.
The best thing about Altheia is the problems. The game awards timing and observation as you move light beams around and call up magical spheres that set off old machines. For some tasks, you have to quickly switch between Lili and Sadi’s powers. One lets you cut through obstacles, while the other lets you activate runic glyphs or absorb magic to power relics.
But when it comes to fighting, the experience isn’t quite as good. While swordplay works, it often feels like too many buttons are mashed together, and hits sound more like they’re hitting cabbages than cutting through evil monsters. The bow mechanics are useful for solving problems, but they are slow to aim and sometimes break.
Several players, including early demo testers and current players, said that weapons wouldn’t always summon properly or that combat encounters would “soft-lock” their progress. Even though these problems were expected in early builds, they still happen sometimes and slow down the game a bit.
The XP and ability system in the game lets you make small progress, giving Lili and Sadi access to new skills, buffs, and improvements. Even though it’s not very deep, it adds a nice sense of progress and makes players want to go back to earlier places with new skills to find hidden paths.
Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is beautiful to look at because it is so simple. You can feel the spirit of Studio Ghibli and Studio Chizu in the hand-painted textures, soft pastel colors, and wide-open scenery. The stark difference between the peaceful settings and the scary purple rot that creeps over them makes for tense visuals.
Two souls, one rhythm—every challenge a duet.
On both high-end systems and handheld ones like the Steam Deck, the art style looks great. Performance, on the other hand, varies. The game runs smoothly on modest settings, but there were some short pauses during big fights or changes in environments. On more powerful computers, visual flaws and item soft locks can happen from time to time, reminding players of the game’s independent roots.
Even with these technical issues, Altheia does a great job of capturing the mood. Every place feels like it’s alive. For example, old ruins breathe mystery, woods whisper secrets, and dungeons beat with eerie magic.
The sound design fits with the emotional tone of the game. The music is calm and almost peaceful, and it gets louder when you’re exploring and quieter when you’re thinking. But when the battle starts, the changes can feel sudden—a tense track will start up quickly and end quickly when the fight is over. Even though it’s not a big deal, it breaks concentration and throws off the smooth flow of soundscapes.
Even though the voice actors aren’t very good, the stars have charm. Lili’s resolve stands in contrast to Sadi’s soft warmth, though some players may find his tone too happy for darker scenes. Sounds like water trickling, leaves rustling, and faint echoes in the Void add a layer of natural reality that makes the experience more immersive.
Overall, the soundscape creates mood and feeling, even if it sometimes slips up when switching between sounds.
Power means nothing without balance—and patience.
Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is a moving and beautiful story about loss, growth, and coming together. The first game from MarsLit Games really makes you feel like you’re in a movie. It combines cinematic storytelling with clever puzzles and character-driven gameplay. The general experience is still enjoyable, even though the combat mechanics could use some work, and some bugs can be annoying.
The game doesn’t do anything new, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a heartfelt experience that stands in contrast to the flashy designs of most current games. Fans of Zelda, The Gunk, and Tomb Raider will enjoy the game’s comforting familiarity and fun little shocks.
Sometimes it falls short, but its truthfulness, skill, and emotional depth more than make up for that. It’s not that Altheia tries to get your attention; it wins it one magical step at a time.
