What did this game do well?

I really like the animations used to represent the rhythm game-like gameplay. I think it added a lot of flavor to the game and made it stand out - it gives context to the gameplay and adds an extra level to it. They made the image clear with simple shapes. It is easy to identify what are the player and what is the sword. The visual is good. The game did the rhythm well. Matching shapes as the gameplay is a nice touch and it adds more complexity to the game, yet also keeping it simple. I think the foundation is very solid and can go in many directions. Clearly some work was put into getting the animation system going, and the game mechanic of ‘double-clicking’/‘single-click’/‘hold’ has some potential. it had an interesting concept and deisgn as well as perceived controls

What could this game have done better?

I think the game could have had the instructions that explained what the different symbols represented stay on screen after the game starts, since there’s no intuitive way to interpret what they mean without the instructions. The mechanic is confusing. Not very easy to know what to do. The QTE is kinda unmatched with the gameplay animation at the bottom I think what could have been better is increasing difficulty as the player progresses. Also, there were moments that were confusing and probably just needs some ironing out. For example, I missed the timing for one shape and I didn’t take damage but sometimes I would so it was a little confusing. The lack of feedback stands out to me. The player needs it to quickly realize what they are doing wrong. Losing a heart or having the fight animation playing contribute to part of the feedback, but I would also like to see something happening to the shape as I interact. The game play can be more challenging so the player gets the incentive to get better at it. the clarity of controls could have been better because they did not make it clear that the different shapes required different input for the player to be able to win