Alwa's Awakening

I played this game on linux, using a gamepad. The game allows you to remap the buttons. It's a challenging experience that requires precise jumps to progress. I struggled against bosses at first, dying multiple times until I learned their attack patterns. One issue I encountered was an imbalance between the number of locked doors and available keys. This led to me getting soft-locked during my first run. However, after restarting, I managed to complete the game 100%.

129 deaths. That's the last screen I saw after the end credits on this one. 75% of the map revealed. Just over half the orbs collected. Yeah, I will not be going back into this one, though. It's just a little too hardcore for me. I pushed through so I could move on with my backlog for something a little lighter. AA has tough platforming, and at times it can be a bit unfair thanks to one hit deaths and a rather floaty jump (though you can control it mid air which is a must for some sections). Make sure you do yourself a favor and turn on the Assist Mode features in the options menu - I went through half the game not knowing the exist and they will help this game respect your time abilities just a bit more. There is an audience for this one, for sure. The 8-bit crowd that wants a retro-style controller thrower like the NES days.

I love this kind of platformers with puzzle elements and new power ups that make you re-explore the places you've been. I'm not to sure about being _forced_ to find secret passages though.

This is first and foremost a platformer. It was quite fun initially, but I grew weary of some design choices and didn't aim for full completion. It made me learn that I heavily dislike light press jumps, especially with so much instant death, A suggestion that could have helped a lot would've been to not have instant death hazards, and just make them deal 1 health like normal with room respawn, it's not like you have much health to begin with. The bosses were pretty neat and fairly challenging. I liked the zelda 1-2 dungeon vibes. On paper, the game had everything for me to love, but things just didn't click fully.

If you are ancient and decrepit like myself, you remember the days of the NES and Mighty and Immortal Commodore 64 dominating the gaming landscape. The games were simple, easy to learn, yet difficult to master. Alwa's Awakening sits right in the midst of that style gameplay. Leaning on such classics as Legacy of the Wizard, Metroid, and Castlevania, AL has some great 8 bit style graphics and music, coupled with solid controls and a dose of that simple, easy to learn gameplay that marked the best of the 8 bit era of gaming. It's more of a late-08's/early 90's NES Metroidvania style (and there's even a limited edition NES port being made), hitting that peak 8 bit goodness. You play as Zoe, a young woman summoned to the land of Alwa to break Hulk Hoga- er save the land from evil. To do this, you run, jump, and slap the snot out of enemies with your big stick. Along the way, you gain new powers for your staff, which help you to solve the mild puzzles you'll face and reach new areas. It's a fun throwback to a simpler time, and Alwa's Legacy proves that you don't need top notch 3D graphics and thousands of things going on to make a great game. It's well worth the purchase price, and unlike a increasingly large chunk of GOG titles; it actually works! No crashes, no spending hours trying to find a support thread that will get you to playing, just install and play. I didn't even have to set up my Logitech F310; it defaulted settings perfectly. Just for that, I suggest supporting the dev.