This game has simple puzzle mechanics and a colorful, chill aesthetic. I completed it in two sessions but could have finished in one. I hoped it would be longer, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Probably a good game for kids too.
First, I want to document my experience with the 30 FPS. During my first time playing the game, I had several other programs open in the background. The camera seemed laggy and the game didn't feel smooth. I quit and noticed that several programs were putting a considerable load on my CPU so I closed them and restarted the game. My performance after this was great and I never had any other issues. The difficulty of the game largely depends on how you play it. The world is mostly open and there is no indication of where to start. Outside of the initial tutorial, there is little text. The story and rest of the gameplay is explained with pictures and icons. This is executed surprisingly well, but during my playthrough, I misinterpreted a few of these. For instance, I chose the direction to start exploring based on an image that was probably not conveying that. The first boss fight was challenging, but the second was the most difficult. The third was the easiest. Some of this can be explained by the time it took to get used to the gameplay and refine a style. I also had a much larger arsenal as I got further in the game which meant I could better handle different situations. I beat the game in 8 hours. When I started the final boss fight, I did not think I was at the end of the game because I had only found 2 keys, and still had many upgrades left. This is my biggest critique. The game is packed with secrets, but I had few opportunities to find them, and I did not need to. I played through the entire game without going back through an area. I found a few secret rooms in an area as I traveled through it the first time, but then I beat the boss there and went to the next area. As I progressed through the game, I got better about noticing clues for secrets, but this meant that I ignored a lot when I first started. A lot of secret areas also require having a particular upgrade, but I beat the game without getting it because I didn't think it looked useful. I've since gone back through the game and found many of the secrets that I missed, but I wish the game had made me do more of this. Locking progression, not just secrets, behind certain upgrades or equipment would encourage more exploration and it could have given the game a better difficulty curve. Everything else about the game is great. The control scheme is well-thought-out and precise which makes combat exciting and rewarding. There's a good variety of enemy types and they're mixed together well with the level and environment design. The art direction is beautiful and every pixel is used to its fullest potential. The music is ambient and provides the perfect atmosphere. The narrative is vague, but that's part of the mysterious charm of the game.
