Rating the game using the judge categories just for fun
Gameplay
Tight controls. The shooting recharge mechanic was interesting, but I often felt like I had no bullets at crucial times. I know I could have upgraded but... I went for HP first. I kept getting damaged because of how the lighting was set up. I imagine the idea was for the player to shoot to illuminate dark areas, but honestly it just felt like a hassle. That, coupled with the fact that there didn't seem to be any checkpoints in the 30 minutes I spent with the game, put the frustration factor rather high
Overall, it was fun, but the mechanics kind of stepped into each other
[12/20]
Presentation
Neat pixel graphics. Everything is well defined (when you can see it). The spaceship in the beginning looked a little weird
Music is great and fits the atmosphere. Story is simple but effective. Sound effects get the job done satisfactorily
[16/20] -> Doubled to 34
Engagement
As I said before, I felt really frustrated really fast. The game is too unforgiving with death, and the lighting makes exploring the caves more troublesome than it needs to be. I got to say though. I was ready to give up twice but the fact that I could upgrade my stuff and try again stronger made me try again. Sadly, that only lasted so much
[10/20]
Potential
With a good rebalance of the lighting, addition of proper checkpoints and general polish, this could be a very good commercial game, although it still lacks a primary core mechanic to distinguish it from many other games in the genre
[14/20]
Total: 70/100 (4 Stars)