Not sure if you uploaded the wrong file or what but the game doesn't really match the description on the game's page. That fact that you said you would continue working due to interest in the game, plus none of the features listed actually being present makes me think the description is just a joke, in which case its kind of funny and I laughed at the player sprite being just a yellow box. But in case it wasn't a joke, then I was lying and I don't actually think it's funny and you uploaded the wrong file and it is my duty to inform you of this.
I played through the whole thing and beat the boss at the end! I liked the use of 3D to put chests in the background. I wasn't sure about the movement at first but I got used to it as I played and it turned out to be pretty fun.
I really like the art of this game, and it has a distinct atmosphere. The minimap is a nice feature. The movement wasn't really doing it for me though. Jumping felt clunky since there's no acceleration while in the air. When enemies are too close to you, it becomes very hard to hit them since the gun goes past their hitbox, which would be fine except that there are a lot of enemies standing on very short platforms which makes spacing yourself extremely difficult. Combine that with the jumping thing and it gets kind of frustrating. Also you can't shoot while jumping (only falling) which makes it really hard to hit enemies on ledges. I saw you said you fixed that though, so I'd love to try to play again once the fix is implemented.
This is really well done for your first game! You had genuinely good level design; notably shortly after acquiring the fireball, the game teaches you the torch mechanic for opening doors. Also there were no noticeable bugs as far as I could tell. I thought the movement was pretty decent, I just didn't like that I couldn't move while attacking, though that is a preference. Other than that, great job!
This game is very enjoyable and well polished. The controls are very hard to execute, intentional or not. I also found a soft-lock near the end after collecting all the blue orbs. If you back track into one of the rooms and die at a certain timing, you will continually respawn inside the hitbox of one of the red orbs and dying.
I agree with what StrazhVechnny said about the art and the controls. I liked the gameplay and level design, though the walls were a bit glitchy. Checkpoints would improve this game a lot!
Wow this might be the best entry I've played so far. The controls feel amazing. The art/animations are amazing. The music and SFX are amazing. This demo has the makings of the beginning of a real metroidvania with an interesting story and fun gameplay. I would've kept playing if there was more. I literally can't think of anything to complain about.
This entry is extremely impressive! I played with a gamepad and it felt good to play. It was one of the few entries that I wanted to keep playing. I can't really say more than what everyone else has already said; it's really good.
I will however state my two gripes:
1) The hitbox on those flying ghosts is way too big. I can't tell you how many times I got hit despite killing them.
2) Having enemies respawn when you reenter an area is fine from a gameplay standpoint, but the fact that they stay spawned in when you exit an area means they can ambush you from offscreen if you're near the edge of an area. Also it gives rise to a bug in which quickly going back and forth between areas causes a LOT of enemies to spawn in and stack on top of each other.
Jumping doesn't seem to work at all. Other than that I like that you included multiple weapons and a variety of enemies to keep the gameplay interesting!
I think this game is really well thought out and put together. The art and animations are very good and the main character's design is great. The axe throwing mechanic is very unique and there is a good variety of enemies.
The UI obscures a huge portion of the screen, making it hard to see to the left. The controls are also pretty janky in my opinion. Pressing, holding, and releasing space bar to jump at different heights really messes with the fast tempo set by the character's high move speed. Pressing E and R to attack is also quite difficult when running to the right.
For me, one of the most important aspects of a game is how good/fluid it feels to play. I think the concept of a drunken berserker breaking out of a dungeon with a magic axe has a lot of potential for a very fun metroidvania game.
I thought it was weird that such a polished game wouldn't have sound... I tried exiting and reopening my first time and there was still no sound, but after reading your comment I tried it again and suddenly it had sound. I don't really get it but I'm glad you replied and told me because the sound design is really good :)
Very well made! The controls feel great and game looks really good. The cutscenes have a certain charm to them. I really wish the first boss had a checkpoint. The background music is very overbearing in the mix and frankly unpleasant to listen to (in my opinion). As others have said VFX for hitting enemies and getting hit would be a huge upgrade. I definitely see good potential in this demo.
The exploration aspect of the game is its strong point for me. The character's sprite and animations are also very appealing. I found controlling the character to feel a little clunky, and combat was unsatisfying since the sword attack is so slow and you can't move while swinging.
I like the atmosphere and I think that with some storytelling and worldbuilding, this prototype sets the foundation for what could be a great game.
The visuals are really fantastic; it looks like a professionally-made game. The controls are fluid and it feels good to play. I wish there was audio to tie it all together. I would play the full version of this game.
I enjoyed the story telling and atmosphere, and the visual style is really appealing! The controls felt a bit clunky for me personally. I wanted to be able to walk around faster and the combat left something to be desired.
Yea unfortunately I planned poorly and spent all my time on the prologue of the game. After the end of the prototype, it was supposed to set up what becomes a metroidvania about escaping the office. In retrospect I should've skipped the prologue for the purpose of this jam and started the game where the metroidvania elements actually come into play. I still wanted to submit it though because I put a lot of effort into it.
