Okay, this game has a lot of good things going for it. It’s got an atmospheric vibe that’s a little different from the canon MMX titles, but really fits the post-apocalyptic storyline - it makes things feel more bleak and lonely, and I like it. Good level design, good music, and a respectable set of bosses for any MMX game. I think this game will be incredible once fully polished - but it is not fully polished.
For starters, the game is very buggy. From temporary freezes, to getting stuck at the top of a ladder unable to go anywhere but down, to a softlock from a moving platform leaving you behind with no way to reset it - there is quite a lot here that needs work. The music in Subterra Scorpion’s level sounds like the stereo is messed up when I hear it through my earbuds. There’s an annoying and inconsistent delay on the buster charge.
But the most obnoxious aspect are the menu navigation controls. You can remap the play controls, but you’re stuck with a very awkward and counterintuitive set of menu navigation controls that cannot be remapped and fight me constantly. Whenever you go to the pause menu (the button for which also annoyingly cannot be remapped) it reverts to these controls, which are constantly getting in the way. There was also a bug where the pause menu button kept putting the game in and out of full screen each time, along with pausing the game.
Graphics are pretty great for the most part. Background are is top notch, as is most of the sprite art. There are a few sprites that look lower quality than the others though, such as the enemies that skim on the water. But these are the exception, not the rule. The mavericks are very well done and creative. The ape is my favorite.
I am very eager to see what this game can become with the polish put on - and every issue I’ve mentioned is very fixable. But this probably shouldn’t have been released as a 1.0 - it still feels very much like it’s in beta. And it’s fine to be in beta - every game passes through that point. I’m still having fun with the game, and I tip my hat to the creator for the hard work they’ve clearly put into this. Even though there are issues, they should be encouraged that they’re doing something amazing here - it’s just not quite done baking yet.