Environmental Station Alpha

Explore an abandoned space station in this retro-themed explorative action platformer.

Environmental Station Alpha is a metroidvania, pixel graphics and adventure game developed by Arvi Teikari and Roope Mäkinen and published by Hempuli Oy.
Released on April 22nd 2015 is available in English on Windows, MacOS and Linux.

It has received 1,373 reviews of which 1,160 were positive and 213 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 3.19€ on Steam and has a 60% discount.

The Steam community has classified Environmental Station Alpha into these genres:

Metroidvania Pixel Graphics Adventure Indie Platformer Action Difficult Great Soundtrack Retro 2D Exploration Atmospheric Sci-fi Singleplayer Space Puzzle

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at Environmental Station Alpha through various videos and screenshots.

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Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

OS *: Windows 7
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 310M
DirectX: Version 9.0
Storage: 30 MB available space
Sound Card: Realtek High Definition Audio
Additional Notes: May vary from computer to computer

MacOS

OS: Snow Leopard 10.6
Processor: 2.0 GHz+, 64-bit
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Graphics: ATI Radeon X1300/NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT/Intel HD 3000 or better
Storage: 150 MB available space
Sound Card: Intel High Definition Audio

Linux

OS: Ubuntu 16.04
Processor: 2.0 GHz+, 32- or 64-bit
Graphics: ATI Radeon X1300/NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT/Intel HD 3000 or better
Sound Card: Intel High Definition Audio

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Nov. 2024

The developer went and fixed the game and added achievements even almost 10 years after release. If that's not dedication and deserving of respect, I don't know what is! Truly a labor of love. It also helps that the game is just as good, with an atmosphere that's almost unmatched in indie Metroidvanias. There's that constant feeling of something genuinely being [I]off[/I], and I love it. Looking forward to ESA 2!

Nov. 2024

Obviously this is a good game, a lot of people like it. But even with all those reviews I was on the fence as there were some people who had some valid critique that was holding me back. If this is you let me give you a clear picture. My take is this: This game is minimalistic and focuses on a very narrow experience. It feels like a mash of Metroid (1 on NES), Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. Hear me out: Very minimalistic graphics, only 4 ways to point your blaster, limited movement options like Metroid (1), you do have a map, but you are definitely looking in every corner to find your way forward. Some parts you gotta keep your full ability pool in mind, I myself had to look up one or two times how to progress ( swing up into the ceiling hole ). Feels like Super Metroid. But the movement and combat is quite responsive and precise, like Metroid Fusion. The themes also feel very metroid like. Definitely an homage to the metroid franchise. The bosses are a standout. And the limited hp pool works well to keep every enemy a threat. You can only find hp upgrades to boost your maximum hp to 200% base value. In stark contrast with Metroid games where early enemies are no threat later in the game, and your hp pool is vast. I would say this game is definitely worth it if you want an homage to Metroid. If you are more interested in a newer metroidvania, I would wait for a sale. As this does feel proper oldschool, in gameplay and graphics. Some counter to critiques I saw on other reviews: - Foreground background hard to read: Definitely true in some cases, where there are actual sprites that are even on top of your character, but never really that bad that it gets you stuck. It is used to hide some secret passages, so always try the corners of the screen. - Entire game fully linear: So the upgrade and the locks do have a "fixed" sequence. But having to find these places, as well as finding the optional items makes this game not feel that linear. The same as Super Metroid I would say. Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission were definitely more linear. But many items can be gotten earlier than intended. Maybe you cant break the game quite as much as Super Metroid. But to say its linear is a long stretch. - Combat is not rewarding: So combat is indeed not rewarding in the term of health or items/exp, but I think the experience is shaped around that. Every enemy is a threat to your health bar. The combat feels good. You just do not get actual rewards from killing enemies.

May 2024

ESA starts out as a relatively simple Metroid-like game with challenging but fair bosses, and having to persevere treks between them and acquiring a selection of items. But beyond the game's first ending and acquiring peak player mobility, it does a bait-and-switch into something vaguely La-Mulana; the gameplay largely shifts to solving the station's cryptic and esoteric mysteries. And there are many of them. While not entirely unexpected today (as the developer had especially worked Baba Is You and Noita later), it's worth mentioning because those effectively become ESA's meat and bones on the grand scale, and the real reason why anyone would want to play it. Conversely, those interested only in the Metroidvania part will probably be left unsatisfied. ESA's mysteries can be legitimately compelling at times and feel rewarding in themselves, but it also involves going back-and-forth all over the game map a ton regardless of the player's excellent movement by that point, scouring it for every fake wall and feature that may or may not be relevant to the current mystery you're trying to solve. Text hints may be minimal, easy to overlook or miss with no logbook reference feature, or involves some deciphering on your part. It is still a well-put together game that stands out from the sub-genre because of this. Its transformation into a clusterfuck of cryptography is simply not for every Metroidvania fan, be it blind or even with help - ESA will ask for a lot of patience.

May 2024

Completing this game: this is a pretty standard metroidvania, very classic. 100% this game: ▶☈◿☉☉☋☤☦☷☷☙☕

March 2024

I got this game because it was the cheapest metroidvania I could find, and honestly, it didn't look that appealing at first. Because of the incredibly simple graphics, I just assumed it was a very simple game, and in my head I lumped it in with those games on the Playdate that look like the graphics were made in Minecraft with concrete blocks. And boy, was I wrong. Don't let the graphics fool you--your eyes will get used to them anyway. On the outside, Environmental Station Alpha is a cute little game about a cute little robot exploring a space station. On the inside, Environmental Station Alpha is an extremely difficult game where healing during boss fights is a pipe dream, and the amount of post-game content will drive you insane. Hands down, I really enjoyed ESA. It made me feel like I was truly alone in a world that wasn't specifically made for me, unlike Ori where you'll have a billion quest markers on your map and an annoying sidekick bossing you around. One of my favorite parts of the game is the worldbuilding. Those little computers filled with lore were awesome, because it wasn't just telling me about the game through a scripted cutscene (what do you know, an Ori reference again!!!), it was letting me explore to discover little pieces of the puzzle so I could put them together. And well, it's a big puzzle. I'm not gonna lie, the amount of secrets, lore, and post-game content rivals Hollow Knight, and that was made by three people in a better game engine. (Shoutout to gigachad Unity.) But the amount of content isn't a bad thing; it all comes with its own challenges, boss fights, and puzzles, all which will make you delightfully tear your hair out like it's Dark Souls all over again. I can't say a ton without spoiling the game, but let's just say until you beat the first boss, ESA is pretty easy. After that the difficulty ramp is all over the place. But I still loved most everything about the game. The exploration, the while difficult actually enjoyable boss fights, the worldbuilding, the abilities, and the general theme of the game. The music is really good for a game like this, and don't worry about the graphics--your eyes will adjust if you don't rage quit first.

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Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates

Steam data	15 November 2024 21:11
SteamSpy data	19 December 2024 15:34
Steam price	23 December 2024 20:47
Steam reviews	23 December 2024 09:51

-60% 7.99€ 3.19€

8.1

1,160

213

Online players

Developer

Arvi Teikari, Roope Mäkinen

Publisher

Hempuli Oy

Release 22 Apr 2015

Platforms