itch.io

I love the look and mood of this game and the way the flower powerups work is pretty fun.

However I find the screen really crowded! My main problem is that the little gems disappear so fast, I put most of my attention into managing where on the screen I am, and not much on actually noticing the enemies' attack patterns. The boss fights are a little more interesting since I'm trying to maximise damage while avoiding getting hit, but I still end up sticking directly below and focus firing up 90% of the time.

Constantly being forced to miss pickups or get hit overextending doesn't feel very fun, and that's where most of the struggle is. I think maybe it'd be better if there were a little time/space for pickups to collect before they disappear (I'm aware if you stop shooting they attract, but they can still be a pain to actually collect), and if there were more thing on the field - like variant enemies or obstacles - worth paying attention  to.

That being said, I'm not a big shmup fan so I guess it could just be a skill issue haha. Either way I loved the art and feel!

just wanted to add that 1. I'm really excited for the successor to this, if you're still working on it, and I'd love to know where if anywhere I can get a look, and 2. I'm really enjoying the gameplay after some more practice, but the UI in the corner away from the action makes it really hard to develop a fluid sense for combo building and decaying. I generally can't see any of the UI properly while I'm focusing on dodging.

the art direction is amazing!!! you created such a great mood in such a short space, it really makes me want to see you expand on the writing/characters. idk if you played Nuclear Throne but it reminds me of the moodier stages of that. but the play is good too (I'm bad at this kind of game lol).

I hate it

my speedrun record is 6 seconds : )

I wrote a very long comment whilst reeling from 12-2 but I deleted it haha. This game was great, Ryn. The ending completely blindsided me emotionally haha.
This might sound weird, but I think the game's strength is the obvious love for your characters, and your voice as an author. Human and unstrained. I momentarily bristled at some of the larger plot choices and the scifi cliches, but I never felt let down for caring what a character had to say. 
The gameplay was fun enough, just simpler and more linear than I expected!
I'm so glad stuff like this still exists. It took me right back to stumbling onto weird interactive fiction online as a teen. Thank you for the experience!!

**SPOILERS**
Some thoughts; as far as plot, the colonists' choice kind of bothered me! It seems such a damning choice to make as an author. Maybe people in a few centuries would be just as barbaric as us. But I don't know. It was the first time you gave me pause for trust as a reader.
There were lots of times I wished I could have talked it out or thought it out further. I think that's testament to how engrossed I got. From my perspective as the character, there had to be another option.
I think some stuff could've used more development - like the philosophies of each of the factions - but I can see how quickly that would make the scope of the game unmanageable lol. The bits of subtle worldbuilding about Earth society were really nice though.
And I was surprised to end up liking - no, loving - the romantic subplot. 
I felt Leon's part towards the end was a little underdeveloped, though.