I really had fun playing this game, but I didn’t finish it, I’ll explain why later! :)
Pros:
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The narrative intentions are very present and help make the game engaging well done! (I especially loved the narrative twist during the 1st boss fight!!)
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I am a HUGE fan of the music! The boss theme and the second biome’s music are definitely the best I’ve heard in this jam—congratulations on this part, you did a fantastic job! 🎵🔥
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The boss was really interesting, well done!
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There’s a map!!
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The pacing of the respawn point is well done.
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The progression feels rewarding—you really feel like you're evolving more your progress in the game.
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The overall art style is cool! While I think it could be enhanced with lighting and other advanced visual effects, it still works well and remains visually appealing. :)
Cons:
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I feel like the hitboxes of enemies and damaging obstacles are a bit too large—I often took damage when I thought I was safe.
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I’m not a huge fan of the combat system. The attacks feel slow, making it difficult to use effectively against fast-moving enemies. It was hard to find the right moment to strike. Also, I didn’t really see the benefit of the combo attack system (Does the last hit deal more damage? I didn’t check, but it didn’t feel like it). But this point can be considered as personal i think it is okay to have slow attack systems but you should feel more the impact of them (making more damage, screen shakes, particules, push enemies way further, ...)
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Some gameplay elements weren’t immediately recognizable (lack of affordance/visual clarity). For example, I didn’t realize at first that the spikes were harmful, and I didn’t expect the clouds to damage me because they didn’t look dangerous.
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Even though I enjoyed the narrative, I felt like there was too much text at times, so I ended up skipping some of it. However, this is just a personal preference, as I think your storytelling definitely adds value to the game
Why I didn’t finish the game:
When I reached the second biome, I got stuck at the door locked by two levers.
To pass through the flame walls, you have to use your dash while in flame form. But I found the dash timing really difficult to get right. On top of that, the flame walls instantly kill you if you fail, and you lose all your progress on the two levers when you respawn. 😭 After about 15 tries, I got too frustrated and decided to stop playing.
Despite that, I really think you made something impressive, both in terms of content and quality (especially the music!). You should be really proud of what you’ve achieved! Your game is a very strong entry in this jam, and I can’t wait to see what you create next! 😊🔥