Hi CodyBrealey!
This was a surprising entry as I've actually seen it quite a few times but never got a chance to play it from other jams. I had so much fun that I actually didn't want to stop. In fact, I kept expecting the game to end already but it kept progressing and surprised me with more content! So here's my feedback!
Gameplay:
- At first it felt like a clunky older fps but eventually it just became a huge part of the charm! A lot of games try to add a ton of complex mechanics with refined concepts but instead I feel like your game just embraced its flaws and made it such an enjoyable part of the game, especially the slide-jump!
- I did have regrets when wasting time exploring the first area when getting off the boat... I would have really wished that I didn't burn so much time there so I could get into the meat of the game more. It was this area that kind of started me with a negative impression.
Audio
- The lack of music on the early non-boss stages was a bit jarring, I wouldn't mind at least some more ambient tones if not any music, probably the sound of just howling wind and some debris moving around like rocks or something.
- So I'm a bit torn about the sfx, partly because I think it could be better but the other part is that it adds to the sloppy old school aesthetic. If anything, it's something that can be further improved on but not a priority.
Visuals:
- The enemies were simple, easy to see, and some were a pain to hit, but again, this was part of the charm of the game.
- As a colorblind player, I tend to focus on whether the game is playable for me or not and I honestly didn't have any real problem with the game visually that would impact my enjoyment of the game.
Other Feedback:
- Upon clearing the tutorial area inside the boat, I couldn't get to the exit because the bars stay in the way. I almost thought that there was nothing more to the game but somehow managed to accidentally slide jump past the bars.
- I'm not entirely sure what the flare gun is for so much.. it felt like you wanted to go somewhere with that mechanic and then just abandoned it.
- Need an enemy counter and a way to help find the last few enemies after a certain conditions like having less than 10 enemies and not finding them for like 5-10 minutes. As one viewer commented, it was like the den of evil (diablo reference) where you had to hunt every enemy in the first cave and sometimes you missed just 1 and spent the whole time searching it again.
Overall, the boss stages really had me really engaged and the first time I heard the music for them had me a little on the edge of my seat in anticipation. I need to get back to playing the game more but I hope you continue expanding on the game!
Thank you for your time and for devs creating such fun games!
Regards,
- Glim