By Fletcher Wilkinson Space games have always had a unique ability to create a genuine sense of discovery. There’s something inherently exciting about exploring the unknown especially when you’re venturing into distant planets where anything could be waiting around the next corner. It’s a feeling that very few genres can replicate which is why I’m always drawn to ambitious sci-fi adventures that promise exploration on a grand scale.
The problem is we really haven’t had many standout space games recently. After the mixed reception surrounding Starfield and the disappointment many players felt with its most recent DLC, I found myself looking for something that could properly scratch that sci-fi exploration itch.
That’s where Aphelion immediately grabbed my attention when it was revealed back in 2025!
Not only does it explore a genre I naturally gravitate toward but it’s also developed by Don’t Nod, a studio that has consistently proven it knows how to deliver emotionally driven adventures through games like Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Jusant. With survival mechanics, traversal gameplay, horror elements, and cinematic storytelling all working together, Aphelion felt incredibly ambitious on paper.
After rolling credits, I can confidently say it does a lot right. It offers impressive world design, genuinely tense horror moments and strong storytelling but it also stumbles in ways that can become frustrating as the game progresses.
If you’d prefer to watch my full thoughts, you can also check out the Xbox Nation review on YouTube here: Aphelion Review
Aphelion takes place in 2060 after Earth has become completely uninhabitable and it has since forced humanity to search for a new home. That hope arrives in the form of Persephone which is a newly discovered planet located at the very edge of the solar system that may be capable of sustaining human life.
To investigate, the European Space Agency launches the Hope-01 mission and they are sending astronauts Ariane and Thomas to determine whether humanity can survive on this mysterious new world.
Naturally, things go wrong almost immediately.
A catastrophic crash leaves both astronauts stranded and separated across Persephone and what initially feels like a straightforward survival story slowly transforms into something much darker and far more unsettling. The deeper I progressed into the story, the more Aphelion surprised me with some genuinely unexpected narrative twists.
While I wouldn’t say the game completely reinvents sci-fi storytelling, Don’t Nod once again proves it understands how to build emotional stakes through strong character writing and compelling mystery. I remained invested throughout the story and genuinely wanted answers as the mystery surrounding Persephone continued to unfold.
The majority of your time in Aphelion is spent exploring Persephone and this is where the game feels most mechanically confident. The closest comparison I can make is a blend between Tomb Raider and Jusant with a heavy emphasis on environmental traversal and cinematic movement.
You will spend much of your game time climbing unstable cliffs, scaling mountains, navigating collapsing environments and making dangerous jumps where timing matters. What I appreciated most is that traversal rarely feels completely automated. Larger jumps require timed inputs to secure your grip, and missing that timing often creates frantic recovery moments before you fall to your death.
It’s a relatively simple mechanic but it adds an extra layer of tension that keeps traversal engaging.
What really helps these sections stand out is how hostile Persephone feels. This isn’t simply a beautiful backdrop for exploration. Fragile ice cracks beneath your feet, cliffs collapse unexpectedly, and severe weather constantly reminds you how vulnerable these astronauts really are.
The game also shifts between Ariane and Thomas regularly which helps maintain variety. Ariane handles most of the physically demanding traversal sequences while Thomas’ sections lean more heavily into exploration and environmental puzzles due to injuries he suffers early in the game.
Thomas’ oxygen management system ended up being one of my favourite mechanics because it constantly creates tension without becoming frustrating. His damaged oxygen tank forces you to search for refills while solving puzzles and it adds a steady sense of urgency to his sections.
The EMS tool also adds variety by allowing players to manipulate strange energy frequencies scattered throughout Persephone. At its best it helps make exploration feel far more interactive.
Unfortunately, this is also where some frustrations begin to emerge! There were multiple points where Aphelion became frustratingly vague about where it actually wanted me to go next. I spent far too much time wandering environments because the game often failed to clearly communicate progression paths and that inconsistency became more noticeable later in the game.
One of Aphelion’s biggest surprises was just how effectively it shifts into full horror territory.
Throughout parts of the game you will be stalked by a terrifying creature known as Nemesis and these encounters quickly became some of the most memorable moments in the entire experience.
What makes Nemesis so effective early on is that it hunts through sound rather than sight. That design choice transforms these encounters into incredibly tense stealth sequences where every movement feels deliberate. You’ll find yourself slowly creeping through dark environments, hiding in tight spaces and desperately trying not to make noise while listening to Nemesis moving somewhere nearby.
Its unsettling clicking noises, unpredictable movement patterns and aggressive behaviour make it feel genuinely threatening during its early appearances.
Unfortunately, that tension doesn’t fully last!
Once you begin understanding how limited Nemesis actually is from an AI perspective much of that fear starts to disappear. Later mechanics that allow you to easily distract it remove a lot of the tension and what initially feels terrifying eventually becomes more of an inconvenience than a genuine threat.
That said, Aphelion’s early horror sequences are some of the strongest moments in the entire game.
As much as I enjoyed Aphelion this is where some of its biggest issues begin to appear.
The traversal systems that feel so strong during the opening hours become increasingly inconsistent later in the game. Grappling hook mechanics occasionally feel awkward, jumps don’t always register properly and there were multiple instances where Ariane launched herself in directions I wasn’t even aiming toward.
These issues become especially frustrating during late-game chase sequences that demand near-perfect timing while also featuring surprisingly unforgiving checkpoint placement.
Missing a single jump can sometimes cost several minutes of progress, which quickly turns exciting moments into frustrating ones.
I also encountered several technical issues throughout my playthrough including bugs and strange animation glitches. None of these issues completely broke the game but they happened frequently enough to occasionally disrupt immersion.
That ultimately sums up Aphelion’s biggest problem. There’s clearly a fantastic game here but it occasionally gets in its own way.
Where Aphelion truly excels is atmosphere!
Don’t Nod has created an incredibly immersive world filled with frozen wastelands, violent storms, claustrophobic caves and abandoned facilities that constantly made me want to keep exploring.
The game’s sound design deserves just as much praise. The cracking of ice beneath your feet, distant environmental sounds and the horrifying noises made by Nemesis all work together to create a genuinely immersive experience.
Persephone constantly feels dangerous, mysterious, and worth exploring and that sense of discovery is what kept me invested even when the gameplay frustrations started becoming more noticeable.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Aphelion!
It doesn’t quite reach the heights it could have due to technical frustrations, inconsistent traversal mechanics and some weaker late-game design choices but there’s still something genuinely compelling here.
If you have Xbox Game Pass, I absolutely think this is worth checking out. If you’re planning on buying it outright, I’d probably wait for a few patches first.
Aphelion is a beautiful sci-fi adventure with some genuinely fantastic ideas but frustrating issues stop it from becoming something truly special.
And if you want to hear my full thoughts with gameplay footage, be sure to check out my full YouTube review here: Aphelion Review
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