''Minoria'' is an indie
Metroidvania
Metroidvania is a sub-genre of platform video games focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series '' Metroid'' and '' Castlevania'', with games in ...
game developed by Brazilian studio Bombservice and published by DANGEN Entertainment. It was released on August 27, 2019 for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
, and on September 10, 2020 for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
and
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
. It is a spiritual sequel to the ''
Momodora'' series with
2.5D graphics. It has a similar
gothic horror
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...
tone as ''
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight'' and revolves around warrior
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is ...
s who are sent into the ruins of the Kingdom of Ramezia to free Princesses who were kidnapped by heretical
witches
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised it for its combat mechanics and graphics, but criticized it for its "uneven" quality and short length.
Plot
The game revolves around two nuns, the main character, Sister Semilla, and her companion Sister Fran. They are sent into the ruins of the Kingdom of Ramezia to rescue Princesses who were captured by heretical witches.
Reception
The game received an aggregate score of 73/100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
for the PC version, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Ollie Reynolds of ''
Nintendo Life
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'' rated the game's Switch version 8/10, saying that they would "hate to see
tslip under the radar". Calling the game's combat "impressive" and better than games such as ''
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night'', the battles with witches were praised as most exciting. However, they criticized the environmental design, saying it was "rather samey" and easy to get lost.
Elizabeth Henges of ''RPG Site'' rated the game's PC version 7/10, saying that the game was "solid", but criticizing certain aspects of combat such as the lack of hit stun compared to ''Momodora 4''. Calling the game "far from perfect", she nevertheless said that she was excited for a sequel that fixed the issues and made it more polished.
Chris Carter of ''
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
...
'' rated the game 6/10, saying it was not "quite as on point" as ''Momodora 4'', but that it was still "mostly worth exploring". Calling the combat "very smooth", he criticized the "wonkier" spell system and the map system having no room for manual marking. Calling it an "uneven game", he nevertheless stated that "it just shows the world how talented Bombservice really is".
References
{{Reflist
2019 video games
Fictional nuns
Indie video games
Windows games
PlayStation 4 games
Nintendo Switch games
Xbox One games
Single-player video games
Metroidvania games
Video games about witchcraft
Video games about religion
Video games developed in Brazil
Video games featuring female protagonists
Gothic video games