Feudal Alloy

5/10

I'm going to hesitantly give this game a thumbs up just because I feel like it was a lower budget title, and it was a half decent experience. The game isn't horrible by any standard, but its not really one that's gonna stick with you either. I'd say its very middle of the road. Even if you're a metroidvania enthusiast.

The game starts off painfully slow but does pick up once you start unlocking upgrades and finding powerups for the character. It offers a large assortment of cosmetics that also allows you to customize your stats, which I thought was handled well.

The game mechanics are pretty much what you'd expect from any metroidvania. You have upgraded abilities that you unlock as you progress like double jump and special attacks which later help you unlock areas that were previously inaccessible. And you collect scrap metal you can use to upgrade your attacks, defense and stamina which start to make the game a little more interesting.

The one negative I have to mention is the map however. It's laughably bad. You have no idea where you are specifically in the map, just the general area. It's incredibly vague and becomes very frustrating when trying to navigate to specific areas. Aside from a few of the bigger locked doors, there are no markers to show you sections you have encountered that are closed off but now accessible. An example would be electrical doors that you can start to unlock after you find a power up or yellow barricaded doors that need another special power up, but it is on you to remember the exact area they were in, in this large labyrinth of a maze. I think it's kinda a staple in these types of games that the map marks where they are located so you can easily retrace your steps and access them. They really dropped the ball with this style of game design.

If you're a metroidvania fan you might enjoy this game, but don't expect anything too immersive. If you're a causal gamer this might be a good pick up for the right price, as its more of a causal game with relatively simple combat.

A fun little metroidvania that will keep you entertained for 5-10h max. The graphics are charming and the combat system serviceable. My main complain is how repetitive the game is. Every room looks the same, with three different "habitats" that feel like just a pallet swap, no change in the essence. The enemy variety is also lacklustre, with most of the boss battles being just a bunch of common enemy coming at you in waves. The only two unique bosses area lot of fun, it is a shame they did not include more. It is a small studio project, definitely worth playing if you are into the genre, but I feel like the price tag is a little high for the amount of gameplay, so maybe wait for a sale :)

Easy, but fun! In terms of skill level, I think this would have been a great game for my Junior High self. No bugs or achievement issues. The appearance and artwork is very nice the entire way through, which is what got me interested in purchasing the game in the first place. The only thing I didnt really like was having to spend the last couple hours just navigating the labyrinth while checking the map constantly, in order to backtrack to previously inaccessible areas. I ended up using a walkthrough to find a couple things because that part got kindof boring. Ill probably play this one through again in a few years.

I shall render back the oil unto the succorless elders.

What really ruins the fun is the map, total nightmare.

Nice and cozy platformer. Forth spending an evening or two.

x-- 6/10 --x

Fun, but a little too slow for me.
I really loved the art style though!