Mable & The Wood

Apparently this requires the user to be on older versions or using rather outdated libraries to get it running properly. I'm using manjaro, it's based on arch, which means I'm sol with running the linux version problem free. Problems include it outright crashing if a dualshock 4 is connect before the game starts or at any point while the game is open. Game does not recognize input from generic controllers plugged in. Ingame bindings are completely messed up, as in, I pressed esc to access the options menu, pressed esc again and now both spacebar and left click open the options menu. Ingame button prompts are all for an xbox controller even though there is no controllers plugged into the system. Avoid this if you're looking for something that runs native. I'll be poking around getting the windows version to see if it works properly under proton.

I enjoyed the music and the art style the game uses. The combat style is different and I enjoyed it. The story or what is going on is something you will not get until towards the end. So then comes the parts that ruins what could been a good/great game. The currency you get is kinda pointless for what you can buy with it. How you loose the currency getting damaged by anything. Sometimes you can recover it but sometimes you have no idea where the "body" is to recover is located. They despawn really quick if you got hit so recovering them is sometimes really hard. Well then don't get hit you say. well good luck when sometimes you have no idea what is coming up. Switching "powers" is slow at times and doesn't switch even thou you marked it. Sometimes you do want to switch quickly. Some powers you barely ever use and feel kinda pointless. I succeded in softlocking myself from progressing as I used a key on a door I shouldn't so couldn't progress after the 2nd boss. The game has potential but has many things to fix.

Exploration is not something I'd recommend. You just lose out on a lot of stuff and sometimes go places you're not supposed to, wasting your time. I went to some far off area thinking i was going to find something. Achievement unlocked: "You're not supposed to be here". Great. Another time I found a seemlingly secret passage and tried to go through it. Very difficult and no checkpoints. Finally succeeded and reached the checkpoint on the other side. It turns out it's a secret passage from the beginning of the stage to the end of it. Now I had to pass through it again in order to come back to the end... Very poor level design to let players be able to enter from the wrong direction, when the passage is so frustratingly difficult. Lost about 30 min there, thinking I'd find some secret stuff. Of course I didn't! The only thing I managed to do when trying to explore has been to miss out on the first boss and that power up. Overall the level design is super confusing. At times I have no clue where I am. Not like where I am as in which room in the level, but where I am at all. Places just change and it feels like you're randomly appearing in different places with no connection to the previous gameplay or plot. Everything just feels out of place and like the progression has been thrown into a scrambler. Level design is very poor as well. Most of the ddifficult places have been difficult because it's pitch black except for a small circle around the character and insta death lava lurks everywhere. It's not a challenge that makes you feel good about overcoming it. It's just frustrating. I wanted to try it out now during the 80% discount as I thought there was a 1/5 chance I'd like the game. I didn't like it at all but it has some nice ideas and good art. Would really recommend to level designers for them to experience what not to do.

The idea of a different platformer is good. Being a small girl that can't really fight or jump with that big sword, but can turn into other forms, leaving the sword behind and calling it to her through enemies is an interesting concept. But to make it a fun game, you would need good level design and precise controls. This game has neither. The level design varies between unfair and boring and the controls are imprecise and lagging. To make matters worse there is hardly any story, no character development and only sparse interaction with the people you are supposed to save. All in all the game feels like a concept study that was accidentally released as full game.

As title says, on Linux i just couldn't properly connect gamepad. I tried wireless PS3, Xbox360, legacy gamepad, Pro Controller and none of these worked properly. I didn't tried wired though but regardless this is only issue that I would really like to be fixed. Gameplay wise it's not for everyone. You would need to be willing to get used to unique commands, be very fast in certain cases, willing to read through the input and possible solutions, sometimes play based on expectations of lag, erratic behavior and potential unexpected turns. Story is great, ending not expected and did surprised, I won't spoil whether surprise was good or bad and I will just put emphasis on "not expected" . Amount of morphing options is decent, but i found many necessary, some I didn't even used once. I do like option of choice, but reason why i didn't used every is because some of them are just almost non usable. Other than that you can still get through the game without any problems. Overall it's a good game and definitely deserve better reviews.