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[Amon26]

Well it's been in the works for about 10+ months now, and at the moment I have no clue if I'm even interested in making games anymore.  The constant fundraising/panhandling combined with the bat-crapping madness of trying to find the best way to distribute this has me worn to a frictonless surface. 

download link
https://t.co/MIhLaYUc

I'm just so exhausted and strung out.  This is for anyone who's been wanting a peek at what I've been working at.  It's got bugs, and entire chunks are missing.  Its only 1/2 way done, some assets are still placeholder.  but at least I got something out.  That's all I care about right now.

To everyone who's kept me going, thank you.

[EDDnorris]

I loved your game. I have been in a cave working on a game so I don't know what you would consider a known issue with it but everything I played through was really classic and interesting. It was refreshing to see a game like this that felt comfortable to play, regarding the dialog style. You pull off a cool style in the cutscenes very well.

I felt like the audio was a bit overbearing at some point but only in that it sounded like it was playing tracks on tracks on tracks. I would love to see more perhaps short cutscenes for introducing each enemy or even trying to play up the light hearted nature of the player character. Perhaps this could just be little word bubbles (Could be too much, just sort of thinking with my mouth open at this point). Lastly I think it I would love to see some more knock back on the player when they get hit but that is just sort of reaching for ideas.

I really liked your level designs, they were laid out so that I could figure out there was a solution based on what I had previously just seen but didn't spread it out so much as to make me feel like I might be wasting my time or needlessly backtracking.

The way the Gong Triggers those rising pillars is perfect, it slams into frame like butter, felt so rewarding.

Please keep making this game, I would love to see how it is received. I would be more than happy to spread the word like gangbusters. 

[Amon26]

Thank you I'm going to keep at it.  As I said, a lot of stuff is a bit placeholder, but I wanted to show the world I'd not been sitting around with my thumb up my ass.  I'll keep trucking

[Quicksand-S]

Well, I like the creature designs quite a bit. No surprise there.

The game felt a little "stiff" and I think I encountered some slowdown, but looking back it may have just been stairways that made me feel like the game had slowed.

One thing I find interesting is that the increase in enemy numbers (compared to what I remember from your other games) actually seems to make the game feel more lifeless. It may just be that filling the levels with so many "cannon fodder"-type enemies makes them feel far less interesting than having a smaller number of enemies placed purposefully.

I realize that this isn't a finished product, so I'm hoping that you'll be adding more variety to the "decor". It just feels like every place I go is the same as the last. I didn't play that long and I got that feeling very quickly. Also, I expected an oppressive atmosphere that just wasn't there. Are you trying to move away from that, or is that something that would come later?

The game certainly has potential, and I know you have the skill to make it great so hopefully you won't give up on it.

[Amon26]

Yeah the way I'm making this game is in passes basically.  So what you're playing right now is my attempt to get the rhythm down in all the stages, then going back and adding more visually interesting things to each piece as possible before i kill myself (that's a joke)

Arrapha a totally different animal than anything I've created before. I intended it to feel like a NES castlevania game, a little woody in the controls but provide stage structure that fits to it.  It's also far removed from the abstract oppressive death-festivals of Aoofad-Gyossait. 

While I still intend to make horror games, I want to prove I can make something other than them.  I felt like if I were to make Arrapha like the previous titles, it would get a little stale.  I refuse to let myself fall into the same sequel-cyclone of A-list companies.  Not my thing.

Anyways, I'm happy you gave it a peek.  Still working on it, still hoping for the best.  The road is scary right now for me though.  Just trying to keep alive at the moment.

best wishes
-A

[Noyb]

I like this! Very Castlevania-like. Solid controls. Generally good level design, never felt lost. Good variety of enemies and ways to fight them. I liked how powerful the sword swing length feels at the start, and how the enemies start having longer range and charge attacks to make that feel weaker. Not sold on the dialogue, although gunleg dude's was cheesy in a good way.

Scattered train of thought comments:
- Ducking is weird. Can't always duck under medusa heads, no crouched attack.
- The first boss (miniboss? the shield and sword guy) glitched out, never played the cutscene, started the boss movement.
- Queen boss fight was well telegraphed. Felt a bit odd that the rock pile to the left left her out of view.
- Medusa heads sometimes get stuck in place.
- Dog chase was good! Basement with the switches to fry the dog seems to have an invisible tile that makes it finicky to exit.
- "I've survived worse ideas" - YES. Good design, teaches the limits of the new toy.
- Sisters boss fight is pretty trivial with a bit of ammo. Never had to attack the top sister.
- Crazy amount of grenades: YES.
- Current last boss fight: disappointing, repetitive puzzle boss after all that buildup.
- I'm guessing the current ending is the vore stage?

[UltimateWalrus]

This is awesome!  I've always been a fan of your games especially AOOFAD.  This game's certainly a departure from your usual style, but in a good way.

The art, gameplay, and overall game design seem really solid and fun, which is probably good to hear considering you spent so much time on it!  I'm guessing the hell level is unfinished as of yet.  My main comment on the levels was that they were a bit too easy; when things finally started to get a little challenging in the later stages the gameplay started to pick up, but the bosses were all still a bit on the easy side.  Perhaps they could ramp up their attack ferocity based on how much damage they've been dealt?

The one asset that I believe could benefit from some extra work is the music.  I know that the game is a throwback to classic Castlevania-like games, but right now the chiptune stuff all sounds good, but a bit samey.  When you occasionally brought in more interesting patches, the music felt much more fresh.

I know you're a good sound designer from having played your previous games.  In those, the soundtrack always seemed to meld seamlessly with the game and boost its impact rather than feeling like a separate, thrown-in asset.  Try to imagine the soundtrack to how the level itself is making you feel.  In general, for an action/arcade sort of game, I'd go with a driving drumbeat and punchy patches.  If I was using chiptune patches i would give them a short attack and sustain.  If the art is more horror-based then I would try to have that dictate the patch choices and melody, without drowning out the energy of the action-ey feel.  That's just my personal method obviously.  Just wanted to give an example of the thought process.  I know you're a talented sound designer and musician but it might be helpful to hear this critique of sorts.

---edit---

Oh, and you should absolutely continue making games if the actual act of making it is something you enjoy :]  You definitely have a knack for it.  If the whole money thing is getting you down, the only recommendation I can give is to try freelancing.  You have the skills to make an entire game for someone, or any of the individual parts of one (art, levels, sound, maybe even programming).  Put an easy-to-find note on your website that you're available for freelance, and have an online showreel stringing together the coolest projects you've done (finished or not).  Chances are, every once in  a while, you could get someone emailing you wanted a game completed.  Just remember, an hourly rate is always better than a lump sum, and never ask for less than you think you're worth.

[kotogames]

Hello,

The game has it's own, coherent style. The music goes with it. The game-play is smooth.
Here are my points:
1. I had problems with disposing 'Disclaimer' screen - tried enter, escape, almost resigned from playing - pressing arrow right eventually helped.
2. Sometimes enemies freeze - e.g. when the player is on the platform above them.
3. I reached the 3rd level - the one after the guardian - drove up, killed a few monsters and there I could not find the way out - I went to some lower part of level and the could not jump out of it.

Keep it up, it's interesting one.