Aeterna Noctis is a 2021 Metroidvania video game developed in Spain by Aeternum Game Studios. It was released in December 2021 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (through Steam and Epic Games Store).
The series narrates the story of a pair of monarchs who, after being cursed with immortality, have been fighting and killing each other for eternity. But then, a revelation unleashes a chain of events that helps the monarchs find a way to break the curse and find love in the process.
The PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch versions of Aeterna Noctis both received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 50% of critics.
Concluding his review of the game for Push Square, Ollie Reynolds wrote: "Ultimately, although there's a distinct feeling of déjàvu when playing Aeterna Noctis thanks to its unmistakable similarities to Hollow Knight, it thankfully manages to nail the most important elements in a Metroidvania: exploration and combat."
The second installment in the series, Summum Aeterna, a roguelite prequel based on Aeterna Noctis, was initially released for Steam in June 2022, and was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch in late 2023. The third installment in the series, Aeterna Lucis, a sequel to Aeterna Noctis, is set for release sometime 2026.