Clockwork Ambrosia [REVIEW] – A Wonderful Run-and-Gun Throwback 

Fourteen years is a VERY long time for a game to spend in the oven, but that is exactly how long it took for Clockwork Ambrosia to finally see the light of day… it’s a bit crazy, right? But hey, good things come to those who wait, and after spending time with this fun action-platformer, you can see that a lot of love went into crafting an old-school experience that’s well worth checking out. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Taking clear inspiration from action platformers of yesteryear, Clockwork Ambrosia drops players onto the ruined island of Aspida. Taking on the role of Iris, an engineer who gets abruptly blasted out of the sky by a mechanical dragon, you set off to find out what exactly is going on across the island, with the human population completely missing and aggressive machines roaming the land. It’s a fun little premise, and whilst I’d say that the narrative never goes too deep, it has enough going on to keep players invested. 

One thing that I have to dive into immediately is the ridiculously deep weapon customisation, because honestly, it’s so impressive. Iris gets access to four main firearms throughout her journey – a pulse rifle, a revolver, a missile launcher, and a sticky grenade launcher – and on their own, they are fairly standard. However, the game ditches traditional ammo management in favour of a massive modular crafting system, and believe me, it’s brilliant. 

There are over 150 different modifications to uncover, letting you tinker with the likes of gun cores, charged attacks, projectile behaviours, and so forth… you can completely change how a weapon functions, transforming each piece of your arsenal into an array of wonderfully destructive tools that act in all sorts of different ways. It is INCREDIBLY satisfying to experiment and build your own highly overpowered loadouts, making gunplay varied and entertaining from start to end. And sure, there were occasions where I’d find a specific loadout that I loved and would stick with it, but with so much flexibility on offer, the sheer depth of gunsmithing ensures players who are especially creative will have a blast simply toying around with things. Add to that some slick enemy design to keep you on your toes and some fantastic boss encounters, and it’ll be clear that Clockwork Ambrosia’s combat is top-notch. 

“Clockwork Ambrosia is a highly entertaining and charming homage to the classic run-and-gun action platformers of yesteryear.” 

So, how about everything else? Well, exploration follows a very traditional Metroidvania structure, meaning you will hunt down classic movement upgrades like wall jumps, ceiling grabs, and so forth, and thankfully, navigating Aspida is kept refreshingly simple. Instead of a complex map, the game uses a clean grid system with handy labels and fast-travel warp points, meaning backtracking never feels like a chore. You’ll earn plenty of conventional upgrades along the way too, so the sense of progress is steady and satisfying. You might argue that exploration can feel a bit simple when compared to similar titles in the genre, but if I’m being honest, it’s one of the things I appreciated the most. 

Presentation-wise, Clockwork Ambrosia is a treat. The pixel art environments are vibrant and full of lovely little details, whilst the soundtrack is genuinely fantastic, matching the energy of the action perfectly. As mentioned, enemy designs – particularly the bosses – are brilliant too, making it clear that a whole lot of love went into crafting a world that’s a joy to be a part of. 

Clockwork Ambrosia really does have a lot going for it then, but there are a couple of rough edges that hold it back. The controls can lack fluidity at times, especially when trying to pull off platforming manoeuvres and combating enemies at the same time, whilst some of the platforming can feel a little clunky. There’s never anything game-breaking by any means and you do get used to the movement, but when similar titles in the genre have made the controls feel so smooth and intuitive, it’s easy to notice some shortcomings here. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

The game can also be deceptively brutal. Iris cannot take many hits, and while you get three retries upon death, you don’t respawn with full health, which feels a bit unforgiving. And if you lose all your retries, you are sent back to your last save point, losing all progress up until then. Maybe it’s something that ties into the old-school nature of the game, but as someone who appreciates some of the simpler aspects of how Clockwork Ambrosia feels to play, I couldn’t help but be a little frustrated with these setbacks… or maybe it’s just me. 

Developer: Realmsoft 
Publisher: Omega Entertainment 
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed) 
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/896010/Clockwork_Ambrosia/