This is the first game I've played and reviewed on itch and I have to say - I'm extremely impressed! So, let's get to it.
Pros:
- Impressive Overall Graphical Quality (Love character design!)
- Great Soundtrack + Sound Effects
- Smooth(ish) Animation
- A World that Truly Feels Open even with the Game Taking Place within a Limited Area.
- Love the Platforming/Adventure Aspect with light Puzzle Aspect
- Interesting Level Design - I was for my whole 40 minute Gameplay Session
- Amazing potential and a Solid Foundation for a larger game.
- Intriguing Story Aspects touched upon briefly (at the very end).
Cons:
- Some Environmental Textures could use some work - especially the foliage.
- The Overall Gameplay requires more Direction and Development - it doesn't have quite the level of depth it really needs to in order to do the game justice.
- Some tutorial/explaination initially would be nice.
- The game is a tad too dark intially - though my eyes eventually adjusted to the lighting.
Final Verdict:
Esothe is an amazing game considering it is still early in development stages. It creates a solid foundation which can be built upon greatly in the future. The intriguing concept is unique and has loads of potential to make a solid, succesful game. What Esothe lacks in depth of direction - it makes up for with it's astonishing graphical quality and pleasing soundtrack/SFX. Overall, considering it's current stage in development, I would give Esothe a solid 7.5/10.
This game has so much potential - please do not give up on it! I'll be watching it's development closely as I genuinely am intrigued by what this game can become with some TLC.
Good luck! Looking forward to seeing how this project develops!