Hack-and-slash combat is the go-to method the game uses to try and make the moments between story points feel exciting. Even villagers only have one line of dialogue to say to Aluna, making the whole experience feel very linear. Most of the characters in the game only have interactions with Aluna to move along the story, and cannot be revisited after scenes involving them have been completed. Some cast members do stand out though, including the rarely used Bahlam, the god of the underworld who appears first as a powerful anthropomorphic jaguar warrior, or Camazotz, the god of the night who takes the shape of a giant cross between bat and man. There aren’t really any introductions to the supporting cast as Aluna already knows them from the comics, resulting in insufficient characterizations, making it hard for anyone met along the way to leave a lasting impression. The threadbare plot about this hunt for the shards and beating back Nagaric’s corruption only leaves occasional interactions with the cast as being of any interest. Aluna has to fight through the corruption of wildlife and the greedy hearts of Nagaric’s followers to reclaim the shards. The Taironan people are followers of Pachamama and in turn are beloved by the goddess, and have accepted Aluna as a member, installing her as one of their protectors.
These shards contain great power, and the evil priest Nagaric wants to possess them to harness the power to subjugate the Tairona people, with the corrupting power of the shards already having allowed Nagaric’s influence to spread through much of the land. One of these stayed around Aluna’s neck, providing her with magical powers, while the remaining shards fell around the country. In the prologue players learn Pachamama only exists as shards of her former self after defending Aluna from a meteor. Set in the 16th-century, the game follows the story of Aluna, the daughter of a Spanish conquistador and the goddess of the Earth, Pachamama. All of this results in a game that feels underwhelming every step of the way. Some interesting character designs are sadly best experienced in the comic book-style cinematics thanks to sluggish in-game animations, and the randomised loot makes for inconsistent balancing.
While Aluna makes for a good heroine, little in the world around her makes the player care about the entirely linear journey. Unfortunately, what results is a by-the-numbers hack-and-slash game that pushes no boundaries, while being a mostly forgettable adventure with few highlights. Digiart Interactive and N-Fusion Interactive have taken on the task of showcasing the character of a burgeoning Latin American comic book heroine in Aluna: Sentinels of the Shards, expanding upon her story in the process.
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