JAN 15, 2024

Gamedev, Game design

<aside> 📒 Fantastic Metroidvania that does the “gaining mastery” part of the formula very right!

</aside>

Overall

• The game begins as a lovely low-poly Zelda-like with Dark Souls mixed-in (dodge/parry/roll combat mechanics, plus death and respawn bit)
• The level design is spectacular, with maps cleverly looping onto itself
  • the isometric perspective lends itself toward hidden secrets (akin to Fallout 1&2)
• “Knowledge is power”: a lot of puzzle pieces are given from the get-go, but the player yet needs to know what that means
  • which produces one of the best “learn magic” experiences
• Marveling environmental storytelling. The main narrative is given in portions and “twisty” and surprising enough to be kept drawn in.
  • The narrative itself starts simplistic, very archetypal – which a mid-game plot twist and bending the genres

Playthrough notes

• The game manual is a cool idea: you have maps, tips, and other trivia hidden in the scattered pages.
  • Dash is not obvious (you go into it after roll) and got from the pages
  • It might be interesting to have full Chants of Sennaar type of situation with the various species. Learning their language, finding a way to negotiate and evade encounters
  • I was a bit resistant to the idea of spending stuff – but there's no other way to test it out.
• The orthographic perspective is good for hiding stuff. I was genuinely impressed (and annoyed) by the way some of the shortcuts are done.
• The map is nicely laid out, the Eastern Bell zone is a good tutorial
  • Getting a metal sword did not feel special. But the sword-cuttable bushes were used to block paths in the first zone – which was a good way to telegraph stuff.
  • Later, you get a lantern – which is a very classic item (darkness maps nicely as a way to soft-lock locations).
    • Both lantern and shield just lay about, without any narrative integration
• At one moment I thought that there were multiple keys for a key and you needed to choose - but that specific door was openable by a specific key
• Firecrackers and firebombs are special resources that allow evade combat (and present the resources). That's why you count arrows in old D&D.
• The tension of getting far and maybe losing all the progress without (failing to secure checkpoint) is a good thrill, occasionally. That's like returning with way too much treasure in old D&D
  • MCDM's Victories (momentum) vs Recoveries
• It's cool that failing to retrieve the shadow (picking up stuff after death) doesn't reset the progress. You get a bonus if you reset
• It's trickier to run past the enemies (aggro does not drop?)
• At some point I started making more mistakes and losing my focus. I wonder if there could be a system in place that would track that and react (aiding in learning patience and perseverance)
• The game told me to level up before fighting the boss - but I could not find the altar to perform level-ups (actually, did not realize that was the checkpoint statue)