Apple Arcade review #111: Stela
Stela is a strikingly beautiful 2D platform puzzle game that reminds me of Playdead’s Limbo and Inside, both aesthetically and mechanically.
This game is best played with a controller, though the touch controls aren’t terrible. I did end up dying on a couple of occasions where I knew what I was supposed to be doing, but the controls failed me; given the generous save points, however, this didn’t feel too punishing, but it does get in the way of immersion.
Since both Limbo and Inside are available on iOS, it’s worth checking out those games before playing Stela, but the latter has its own charms. The swarms of deadly beetles are unnerving, and some of the locations are very pretty, in a nightmarish sort of way.
Stela doesn’t offer anything new, but it’s well made and, as part of the Arcade subscription, certainly worth downloading and playing.