Got my code and had a quick play through. The graphical style is incredibly charming, the level design was interesting and I dig the tile-based movement quite a bit. Although the game feels a little incomplete to me, like it was a proof of concept rather than a finished product. Here are some of my thoughts playing through it:
- At the start of the game you're not given any instructions as to what you're supposed to be doing. I spent the first few minutes of the game blindly killing things thinking the game was actually broken, since there wasn't any feedback that killing all the enemies was the goal (I actually thought the enemies were respawning when they went off screen for a little bit). A couple of ways to fix this would be to include an enemy counter on the screen, and/or have a smaller introductory area with fewer options so the player can be introduced to the idea of clearing out an area to proceed in a more controlled environment.
- Being unable to turn on the spot was pretty much the only thing that really posed any difficulty for me in the game. I got myself into many situations where I couldn't actually turn to fire at enemies without walking into them and it just felt frustrating. Having a quick tap on a key turn the player if they're at a standstill would vastly improve the feel of the game.
- I seemed to get barely any drops. In the whole time I was playing, I got a single grey thing that gave me a scrap of life back and a silver thing that... did something I'm unsure of. I ran out of potions very early on, and I never seemed to get any more (Even after dying).
- The whole game felt very samey. There don't seem to be any powerups, NPCs to interact with or quests to complete. There's no sense of intrigue or reward feedback to keep you playing, which when the base gameplay is so simplistic really removes any sort of drive to continue. Adding some new weapons or abilities would also help to give the combat a bit more of a tactical feel, since as it stands all the combat seems to be 'walk away, turn, shoot' with very little variation.
- The music (At least for the first four areas) got repetitive incredibly quickly, mainly due to the fact that it was made entirely out of simple square waves. Try experimenting with some different instruments to help it feel a little more dynamic.
- I got a rather unfortunate bug on the first boss, where after I defeated him in his larger form, he scurried behind a locked door and stayed there. Turns out I could shoot him through the door, but that just ended in this heartbreaking scene:
Overall, there's a hell of a lot of potential with this title and I think with a little work it could really be something great. Looking forwards to what you guys manage to do in the future!
Hey AntiPseudonym!
Thank you very much for your response : ).
In the main menu of the game there is a manual option explaining how to play the game. However, it might indeed be a good idea to include something that points out to the user what they're expected to do at the start more obviously; thanks for the suggestion.
Being unable to turn on the spot is something that we feel is essential to the game. Without it the game would not be the same at all. It is perhaps something we will consider for the New Game+ mode, but most likely it will not be changed.
Do note that it is possible to turn backwards quickly while walking(i.e.: tap left and then quickly tap right).
The algorithm for item drops is something that will be improved in a future version of the game. Do note however that it is our intention for drops to be rare; the game is supposed to be challenging.
There are potions to be found in secret areas spread throughout the game.. They are well-hidden though! : )
The combat of the game is something we'd also like to improve upon, although we feel that once you've gotten the hang of the various enemy patterns, the combat becomes more like a puzzle, and this is an element we like. It is also fueled by the fact that turning around can not be done in every location. We'd like to invite you to read the information about New Game + on our website:
http://rin.shabbylords.com/ (scroll down a bit for the relevant information).
As for the bug you got; this is an issue that should be fixed in the latest update. Please update your game and let us know if it is still an issue for you. We're very sorry for the inconvenience!
We're very thankful to receive such valuable feedback and will carefully consider your ideas.
Community
