Aphelion review: Uncharted meets a haunting love story
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Global warming and climate change are problems that are not going away anytime soon. Even though the subject has been discussed numerous times through the prism of video games, Aphelia separates by mixing humanity’s search for a new home with a heartbreaking, personal love story.
Exam Information
Revised platform: Xbox Series S
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: April 28, 2026
Aphelia is set in the 2060s, when climate change has completely decimated Earth, forcing humanity to find a new home among the stars. Two astronauts, Ariane and Thomas, are sent on the first manned mission to the frozen planet of Persephone to ensure it is suitable for life.
Their ship malfunctions, causing a crash and separating them. Along the way, they hope to find each other while discovering Persephone’s secrets, but soon learn that they may not be alone after all.
ice planet
The mysteries surrounding Persephone and her environments are intriguing enough to make me want to understand more about the icy planet. I enjoyed exploring every corner to see what collectibles I could find to absorb the history. ApheliaThe story has a personal touch as we get a glimpse into the relationship between Ariane and Thomas. Ariane has trained all her life for this mission, often neglecting Thomas and focusing on her work.
However, as the elements begin to wear her down, she becomes more vulnerable, pining for him and will not give up until she sees them reunited. On the other hand, Thomas is ultimately supportive of Ariane’s life choices, and beneath his icy exterior is someone who just wants to be understood and loved. Tackling that emotional core through each dialogue sequence is what makes Aphelia convincing.
Despite the relentless cold, Persephone is a beautiful planet to travel through. The light reflected from the ice caps provides a sense of hope that juxtaposes the perilous situation in which Ariane and Thomas find themselves. There are a few areas on the planet where the ice has melted, giving way to earthy tones and rocky terrain that help diversify the environments.
Persephone’s electromagnetic waves are particularly widespread and actually help the atmosphere. They also function as intelligent in-game objective markers to guide players where to go. The waves themselves are colorful, reminiscent of real-life Northern Lights, and add a touch of visual variety in a game otherwise filled with crisp, white ice.
ApheliaConsole performance is also excellent. Playing on Xbox Series S, I didn’t experience any crashes or debilitating setbacks that could have hampered this journey.
Survive the unknown
Throughout Apheliayou play as Ariane and Thomas, both with distinctly different playstyles and mechanics. Ariane’s gameplay involves climbing the environment, incredibly similar to what it feels like in Unexplored.
That aside, Ariadne’s segments have a surprising variety, such as scanning electromagnetic waves to open new platforms. The game features chase sequences, sliding down mountains and, at one point, dodging lightning in the middle of a snowstorm. For a game without any combat, these moments are just as tense and engaging.
With all the climbing that Ariane does, ApheliaThe physics of collisions can get a little wonky. Sometimes when she comes into contact with a ledge, she can simply miss even though she feels like she definitely shouldn’t have, resulting in a ragdoll-style death. It’s funny at first, but it can become frustrating over time.
Best song
Given its similarities with UnexploredI entered Aphelia while waiting for a fight. Ultimately, though, I’m glad it’s not there, as it keeps the focus on the central pair’s brilliantly written relationship.
When Thomas was separated from Ariane, his suit and body were pierced by a pole. His injuries prevent him from crossing and climbing freely like Ariane can, so Thomas’ main gameplay gimmick involves traveling between different tanks to refill his suit’s dwindling oxygen levels.
Its segments also feature their own investigative segments, but these simply boil down to reading a few documents to find a passcode or two. Unfortunately, Thomas’s gameplay mechanics aren’t as fleshed out as Ariadne’s, making his chapters rather boring compared to hers.
As Ariadne and Thomas try to survive on Persephone, they are both stalked by a hostile entity called Nemesis. His inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a real villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.
His inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a real villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.
When Thomas was separated from Ariane, separated from Ariane, his suit and his body were pierced by a pole. His injuries prevent him from crossing and climbing freely like Ariane can, so Thomas’ main gameplay gimmick involves traveling between different tanks to refill his suit’s dwindling oxygen levels.
Its segments also feature their own investigative segments, but these simply boil down to reading a few documents to find a passcode or two. Unfortunately, Thomas’s gameplay mechanics aren’t as fleshed out as Ariadne’s, making his chapters rather boring compared to hers.
As Ariadne and Thomas try to survive on Persephone, they are both stalked by a hostile entity called Nemesis. His inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a real villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.
Without weapons to defend herself, Ariane must outwit the enemy in stealth sequences to achieve her next objective.
Unfortunately, these sequences are almost exclusively Ariane-related, and Thomas primarily interacts with Nemesis in cutscenes, further reducing the gameplay variety between the two characters. Additionally, the stealth sequences themselves aren’t very difficult, reducing their tension and impact.
Always, Aphelia is simultaneously riveting and insulating outside of these weak points. The rhythm is sublime; the game only takes about eight to 10 hours to complete, and each chapter doesn’t overstay its welcome. Ariane and Thomas demonstrate that even when people are physically distant, absence only makes the heart grow fonder.
Should I play Aphelion?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility Features
,Aphélie has accessibility features like subtitles and the ability to adjust their size, add backgrounds to them, and display the names of those speaking. There is also a closed captioning and color blindness mode for the three main types of dichromacy (protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia). You can also reduce camera shake.
There are also gameplay adjustment options. You can enable auto-capture so Ariadne doesn’t miss ledges when climbing. You can also highlight ledges, making those that can be climbed more distinct from the surroundings.
On Thomas’ side, you can activate infinite oxygen, ensuring that he won’t die if his tank runs out.
How I rated Aphelion
I played Aphelia for 9 hours on Xbox Series S using the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. Meanwhile, I finished the game and searched for as many collectibles as I could before returning to Chapter Select to find the ones I was missing.
Chapter Select provides helpful information on how many ice sculptures, audio files, and text logs you haven’t found yet. There are no alternative difficulty levels to try.
First revision in April 2026
