PS5 Enotria The Last Song Review

Release Date (NA): September 19, 2024
Release Date (EU): September 19, 2024
Publisher: Jyamma Games
Developer: Jyamma Games
Genres: Souls-like
Official Website: https://enotriathelastsong.com/


The Canovaccio, a twisted eternal play, has trapped the world in an unnatural state. You play as the Maskless One, a blank slate character you can shape as you wish. Your mission: harness Ardore's power, defeat the evil Authors behind this mad play, and free the world from its grip.

This Soulslike game unfolds in a theatrical Italian setting, a refreshing departure from the typical gloomy environments of the genre. As a Soulslike newcomer, I was struck by the game's stunning visuals. I chose performance over graphics and turned off motion blur to fully enjoy the experience at its best.



You start as a faceless, voiceless mannequin-like figure, ready to be molded into a warrior. A helpful tutorial introduces the core mechanics: defeating foes using specific skills, guarding, parrying, and attacking.

Quinta, the first chapter, offers multiple paths to the same endpoint. This design allows for less repetitive gameplay if you "Morte" often, as I did at first. The game spans four chapters, including Falesia Magna, Litumnia, and Strale Velata, each more visually striking and challenging than the last.

The story revolves around characters trapped in roles within a play orchestrated by the Authors. These characters have become stagnant and largely insane in a world all but forgotten.

As you face each enemy, you learn techniques to defeat them. The main strategy involves identifying their buff type and countering it with the opposing element. It's as simple as noting the color they're glowing or the symbol above their health bar.

The game's unique setting and mechanics offer a fresh take on the Soulslike genre. Its visually appealing world and intriguing storyline draw you in, while the challenging gameplay keeps you engaged. The element-matching combat system adds a layer of strategy to encounters, making each fight a puzzle to solve.

As you progress through the chapters, the increasing difficulty and visual complexity keep the experience exciting. The game balances its challenging nature with a compelling narrative, urging players to unravel the mystery of this theatrical world gone mad.

The game's core mechanic resembles a complex rock-paper-scissors system. Vis trumps Malanno, Malanno overcomes Gratia, Gratia conquers Fatuo, and Fatuo prevails over Vis. Once you grasp this concept, you can navigate the world, solving minor puzzles through switches and platforming challenges. Eventually, you'll face boss-like characters, where you must apply all your acquired knowledge to emerge victorious.

Initially, your arsenal is basic, just enough to defeat common enemies in a few strikes. As you progress, you learn new techniques, discover improved weapons, and apply buffs and debuffs crucial for success in Enotria. Hidden throughout the game are superior weapons waiting to be found.

Early in my journey, I stumbled upon the Juniper Sword, which scales with Ardore and inflicts high levels of unravelling, leaving enemies vulnerable to attacks and finishers. Later, in the Monastery of Maja, I acquired the Funeral Flamberge, a colossal sword dealing massive elemental damage. This weapon served me well for a significant portion of the game, delivering substantial damage, unravelling effects, healing, and Ardore boosts. It perfectly complemented my "brute" build, making enemy encounters satisfyingly destructive.



Enotria's combat mechanics and controller layout are relatively simple. This simplicity benefits newcomers like myself, as it eliminates the need to constantly search for button functions. However, seasoned players might find it overly basic.

Weapons come in various sizes, with light attacks mapped to R1 and heavy attacks to R2. D-Pad up cycles through weapons, while left and right switch tools. D-Pad down toggles between loadouts. L1 handles parrying, and L2 activates Ardore, the power move modifier.

The parrying window is notably forgiving, though perfect parries consume significant stamina. I found success in initiating battles with a well-timed parry, followed by a flurry of attacks before readying for another parry. This strategy made the cooldown periods feel less pronounced.

Engaging enemies in Enotria requires a basic understanding of the elemental system. Using opposing powers affects both the player and enemies simultaneously, creating challenging encounters. Nevertheless, most attacks can be parried, allowing you to gradually whittle down enemy health bars, even with the most basic weapons.

The combat system, while not complex, offers enough depth to keep encounters engaging. The elemental interplay adds a layer of strategy, forcing players to consider their approach to each fight. The forgiving parry system allows for a more accessible experience, while still rewarding skillful timing.

As you progress through Enotria, the combat evolves alongside your growing arsenal and understanding of the elemental system. Boss fights, in particular, test your mastery of these mechanics, requiring you to apply all the skills and knowledge you've accumulated throughout your journey.

A faster, less demanding approach is to boost your Ardore and defeat enemies with more powerful, enhanced weapons. Each weapon category offers basic and oversized variants, along with special editions. You'll also find region-specific tools like the Glassmakers' blowpipe, adding tactical range to your combat options.

Your arsenal includes a mask, elemental power slots, and a perk skill tree. Throughout your journey, you'll need to upgrade perks and enhance weapons with acquired elements. You can switch between three loadout settings, and interestingly, defeating bosses or mini-bosses allows you to inherit their appearance and weapons if they drop their mask.



Enotria's visual appeal is undeniable. The environments, textures, lighting, and puzzle elements immerse you in a world of stagnant madness. Venice's waterways, Rome's sun-drenched architecture, and Quinta's lush vegetation create a breathtaking backdrop for what I found to be merely average gameplay.

I rarely considered my character's style or perks, opting for a brute-force approach with minimal magic use. The game wasn't as challenging as I anticipated, possibly because I relied on overpowered weapons paired with the Danza De Spada perk.

Each weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, and bosses have distinct patterns and vulnerabilities. However, Enotria's universal block or parry system significantly reduces the challenge of defeating tricky bosses. Even tougher-than-average enemies became trivial, provided you weren't overwhelmed by large groups.

I enjoyed the game's collection aspect, with over 100 weapons to unlock and more than 30 masks to gather. Mask collection varies in difficulty, from simple boss drops to more time-consuming methods like collecting mask shards by repeatedly defeating specific enemy types.

The game also features engaging puzzles and NPC side quests, some requiring backtracking with items discovered later in the game. These add depth to the earlier chapters and encourage exploration.

Boss fights offered nice variety and challenge (for me), but overall, I'm still not a big fan of this game genre. It's a matter of personal preference, and the cycle of fighting and dying doesn't appeal to me, though I can see why fans of this style might enjoy it.

Fans of Bloodborne or Dark Souls 2 might find this Soulslike variant intriguing. The stunning visuals and captivating narrative offer a refreshing twist on the genre. However, those seeking a gritty, hardcore challenge might find Enotria somewhat lacking, at least in my view.

• Compelling story and aesthetics
• Over 100 weapons and 30+ masks to gather
• 40+ hours of gameplay
• New Game+ mode available
• Straightforward combat mechanics
• Universal parry system