Excellent progress since last DD.
Positives:
- The movement already feels massively better and more fun. The combination of MMX style wall jumping and gun hovering is starting to feel really good. Most of the time, I didn't have a problem moving vertically, while it felt overly difficult last time.
- I like how the first boss tests your ability to hover with the gun.
- I see you starting to build the larger structure of the game. This is good, keep going. The level select already makes it feel more like a full game and less like a cool prototype. Of course it call be taken a lot farther, but it's a good start and the right direction. Not sure what the gun points you earn at the end at, but I'm assuming you might unlock some new abilities or levels or something.
- The tokens you find are nice.
- I see some new enemies, love your designs a lot. They definitely feel unique and cool. The world in general has a unique perspective, big props there.
What could be improved:
- I feel there are still a few inconsistencies in the movement system. At least how they're presented. I learn how to grab walls and jump up, and then later it's mentioned that there is a ledge grab. And the level has a bunch of little grab points. But it felt like earlier I was able to just climb up any wall? By holding against it and jumping up. I'm not sure if this is actually two overly similar systems, or an issue with the messaging.
- I think you're still trying to lean on platforming as a source of gameplay. Personally, I think that's a huge mistake, especially when you have so many more interesting and fun and cool things happening. Namely, the gun and combat. The boss fight was awesome and fun, it felt great. The level where I was tediously trying to climb over some ledges and the two swarms of bugs, not fun at all. Look at the promise you make at the beginning of the game: hold left mouse to shoot (and never stop). That is what the game clearly wants to be: blasting the fuck out of aliens, blasting so hard the room is filling with shells and your gun is overheating. Listen to what your game is telling you. Tediously and repetitively bungling around some ledges is the exact opposite experience of that.
This talk feels extremely relevant:
He says, far more eloquently, what I'm trying to say here. The fun of your game is the fighting. The platforming should basically be something that is so intuitive and forgiving and easy that players don't even notice it. If you want skill around movement, make it so that 0% effort will get the job done. 10% effort will let you do cool shit.