itch.io

Thanks

Thank you

Having experimented with EasyFPSEditor myself and also seen many of the other games made with the engine on YouTube, Quartermain is definitely up there as one of the best examples of what the engine can do.

There is a full concept here that is done to the best of its ability using the limitations of EasyFPSEditor.

Level design is well done, giving the player lots of rooms to explore while still being linear enough that you don't get lost. The lack of map was never an issue. Exploration is always rewarded with either large amounts of ammo or secret items to access the 3rd level.

Weapons feel good to shoot, with nice animation and sound effects to match.

View bobbing was a bit annoying (engine problem, not the fault of the developer). Thankfully, the amount of bobbing can be adjusted in the settings, which made the experience much more enjoyable for me. The only issue I really had was that I could not get the game to run in fullscreen.

Overall, Quartermain is a solid small FPS game and one of the best I've seen made in EasyFPSEditor.

FULL REVIEW:

Vector Byte is a much slower-paced SHMUP from what many might expect from the genre, boasting a runtime of roughly 3 hours. This is not to be taken as a bad thing, but it is something to keep note of. Thankfully, a level-select option is available, so if you can't commit to a full run, you don't have to start from the beginning every time like in some other SHMUPs. 

Longer levels also allow for each to contain multiple different sections, from simple shooting to puzzles, just to name a few. Variety in weapons (which change per level) alongside the multi-sectioned levels help to keep things fresh.

Visual style is very interesting. From digital cyber domains, to industrial apocalyptic warzones, the visuals of Vector Byte's levels mix 2D and 3D enemies/environments in a strange yet very effective way, somehow making a cohesive style out of things that you wouldn't think blend well together.

Music and sound are where Vector Byte really shines. The dark techno synth soundtrack and sci-fi sound effects are really cool and often had my head bobbing to the beat.

One last thing to keep in mind is don't go into this game thinking that you'll be able to dodge all the bullets. From my time playing through the game, I don't believe it's possible to beat without getting hit. Not to say this is a bad thing, it just means the priority becomes getting enemies off the screen as fast as possible to lessen the amount hostile bullets rather than dodging. Health pickups are smartly placed, and there was only the occasional 1-hit kill enemy that flew in from the side of the screen that made me lose a life in a way that felt a bit cheap. Difficult as a whole was 'medium' (not too easy, not too hard).

My biggest hope for a patch that I think would make the game better would be to map the secondary weapon to the left shoulder button on a controller. I use the same software that Vector Byte was created with for my own projects, and I don't believe it is possible to do that yet, but if the option ever comes I do hope that change will be implemented. As of right now, I rarely use the secondary weapon due to how awkward it is to move my thumb to the button, meaning I can't aim my ship at the same time.

Overall, Vector Byte is a very cool SHMUP that has a lot of passion and creativity behind it. Dev should be very proud, and I look forward to their next project.

Hey RuV! Tried the game, love the visual style and sounds. Really feels like an arcade game.

Text during the boss fight is both too small and hard to read while dodging so many bullets.

In stage 2, the off-screen enemies keep shooting, but I don't think that's your fault. I brought it up to Suny in the discord. I notice it in my game now too.

But very promising work here! Keep it up!

Thank you! This build is very old and I hope to get a new demo out soon! Boss has much less health to accommodate for it not changing the pattern. 

Thank you so much for playing!

I’m glad you liked it! I will be in touch!

https://luggage1996.itch.io/verisim-skies-demo

The free demo for my new Vertical Shooter Verisim Skies is now available!
Verisim Skies is a shmup with an emphasis on story made with both veterans and newcomers in mind.

Experience the beginning of this epic story now!

This is my very first game, and any feedback is greatly appreciated!