Bad animals - rabbit
Started as a rabbit. Explored my way through amazing voice effects and bouncy surfaces, experienced fear of the evil dog, till I finally found a way to exploit double jump skill into 10-times jump. I became a super-rabbit, flying through the world, figuring out the tragedic backstory of the world and about its recent events. I found end of the rainbow, fell through the world for a time that felt like eternity, screwed up the game saves, lost all progress.
Being a rabbit is badass.
– Real player with 3.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Immersive Sim Games.
This game lets me live out my fantasy of being a rabbit, my only regret is that I’ve yet to make it into space
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game
DreamWatcher
This is my ideal game. It has easy to grasp game mechanics, and welcoming audio and visuals. While having easy mechanics, the game still requires you to think to be able to complete the puzzles and progress which I really like about a puzzle game. Once you finish the tutorial and enter the nexus, you aren’t forced to start in one area and progress in a linear way. The game allows you to start wherever you want, and progress in different areas and at your own pace, that combined with a big map makes for a very immersive game you can spend a lot of time playing around and explore in. While doing the main parts in the dream and nightmare wing and after getting the first quest book, I found myself confused on what to do next. At that point I had a lot to spend at the shop, once you buy all the map locators it becomes clear. It also isn’t very clear that you can’t move the high boxes until you get later relics, maybe have a small message saying you require a relic to push and kick them. I like how bright the whole game is, the nexus is bright, with the different areas having different shades of lighting, with very nice transitions. I think that aspect is very nice and pleasing, it goes well with a puzzle game. Although the visuals can be buggy sometimes, this does not affect overall game play. I wont say what they are, but all the relics feel very satisfying to use and explore areas you weren’t able to before. Especially the last one, and the animations for it are very nice. (I like the twirl). I noticed when I was stuck on the edge of a platform, or glitched after getting off with the claws, after a few seconds I would be placed on the floor automatically. That is a nice quality of life mechanic. I like the loading screen animation, the fish is very pleasing to look at. SPOILER WARNING.
! I would say the ending is a bit confusing, so the agent just turns into a book? I’m not sure if I missed something or if there wasn’t much explanation given about that. Also the codex for the library of dreams is very exciting. I would also suggest adding a keyboard controls option, like in project hive. Having to use a controller can be off putting for some people.
– Real player with 20.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Collectathon Games.
I enjoyed the game– it wasn’t too difficult so might not appeal to those who need really tough bosses. I loved the intricate maps and levels. Finding my way out of some areas was the trickiest part. The control response for moving the character was snappy. The double jump feature felt very satisfying. Grabbing cubes was painful at times, and it would take me several tries to move the cube where it needed to go. The graphics for the spiders and monkeys were rudimentary. I liked getting new skills and the amount of visual detail in the environments.
– Real player with 15.2 hrs in game
Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora
Why did I buy this game? I’m not even trying to hate, I’m genuinely quite confused why I bought this, it must have been about four years ago that I decided to. Maybe it was because it was on sale or something, maybe I liked the trailer. Which is pretty amateur as I can now see, but for some reason I decided to buy the bundle thing, with the soundtracks and Jones on Fire. Why did I do that? This is such a flawed game it’s painful to think why I ever finished it even once. At it’s best It’s got this kind of unique feel that allows you to see past some (but never all) of the flaws; at it’s worst it’s absolutely unbearable. Okay there are some good things, some of the characters are pretty cool, Franky is a nice companion, the music is good (not something I’d ever listen to outside of the game though, which makes the purchase of the soundtrack even more baffling to me), and some of the platforming and gun mechanics are cool. But it’s nowhere near enough to make up for all the problems.
– Real player with 25.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Side Scroller Games.
I enjoy quirky games that have a sense of humour and aren’t overly-complicated. And I enjoy mysteries. I enjoyed these aspects of the game, and I do recommend it, but there are some caveats.
The concept of the different ammunition in the game is a great one, and makes the game simple, provides many possibilities for problem solving, and is kinda cool. But the way it was implemented drove me bonkers. When in a room and needing to use different ammunitions, sometimes the puzzle would require three or four of a particular type, then you would have to switch out to a different one (or two), do something with them, and then switch back. Granted, I’m sure in hindsight that I could have streamlined that and analyzed the problem and come up with a more efficient ammunition usage, but who wants to do that? Swapping out the ammunition is such an annoying mechanic, it would be much easier to put in some sort of ammo configuration and swap to it with a button or hotkey.
– Real player with 19.4 hrs in game
Realm of Divinos
Realm of Divinos is a beautiful single-player 3D adventure game with heavy visual novel style storytelling. Customize the appearance of your main character, and start off your adventure to forge your own story. Your destiny is your own. You may choose to help the villains, or the heroes, and in the process become someone the world reveres, or fears. Grow closer to your companions as your story unfolds. Take up your sword to fight any enemies that stand against you, and obtain items to restore your health.
The Light of the Darkness
THE LIGHT OF THE DARKNESS is a Metroidvania game inspired by the beloved classics. Explore the Lands of Oblivion, a cursed place between the worlds of Light and Darkness. Play as the first and unique hybrid, a creature of both worlds, yet bound to neither. Survive the hatred of the Pales and the Darks. Delve into a world filled with rich storytelling and an intriguing, original history.
Setting
“Ophelos: the world of Light, Zigardth: the world of Darkness and the Lands of Oblivion."
Long ago, a world divided between Light and Darkness emerged. Pales and Darks blinked into existence. Despite their world split in two by a cataclysmic event, it did not take long for the two societies to discover each other. War followed, fueled by the prejudice between them.
In a dark pit in a cursed land, a strange creature rises from a pile of corpses with no memories or knowledge about himself or the world around him. He is the first and only of his kind; a hybrid, with essences of Light and Dark. As soon he appears, the Pales and the Darks reject him for his nature, forcing him to face alone the dangers of those lands.
Follow this hybrid’s journey through the madness of war. Discover with him the strange nature of the world and its inhabitants. Help him on his journey to unite two clashing cultures, and learn the intriguing truth of his origin.
Caracteristics
- Episodic Metroidvania: Elaborate level design that encourages exploration and evolution of skills in an engaging manner.
- Essence Absorption: Absorb essences from other beings, allowing the player to gain strength, abilities. Discover a diverse combination of elements, natures, and personas that can be merged into a multitude of spell variants.
- Equipment, weapons, and more!: Access an arsenal of equipment and weapons, each with their own attributes, abilities and attack patterns.
- Immersive visuals: Cutting-edge 3D graphics with a dark, realistic style, different environments, and dynamic lighting. Encounter beautifully detailed models and environments with a fine tuned, intuitive interface.
- An epic tale: Immerse yourself in The Lands of Oblivion and unearth a mysterious world of mystical elements. Learn the rich history of the Pales and the Darks and what has led to their violent conflict. Play as the amnesic hybrid and collect clues and memories through flashbacks. Discover his mysterious past and what awaits him in his legendary saga.
Youropa
Youropa
A stomach-turning puzzle game not for people who are scared of heights.
Rating
73 ️⭐️⭐⭐️
Gameplay Footage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIR4z9JSric
Overview
Youropa is a 3D puzzle game where you must defy the laws of gravity to reach your goal. Walking on walls, upside down, on your side, at ridiculous heights, will have your senses mixed up and confused. On a few occasions I had to stop playing the game because I felt a bit sick. The game really portrays a sense of height as you walk around on ledges and walls looking down at the scenery below.
– Real player with 11.7 hrs in game
Second Update
I’d like to keep the original review in tact so future viewers can see the full context and timeline of the events that took place. To summarize, the developer saw my review and responded with patches much faster than I would have ever expected. In the comments I called the response unprecedented, and I’ll echo that here.
When I review a game I’m never going in to that with the hope of punishing the dev or game. In my opinion, the absolute best outcome one could hope for is for them to care and respond positively to criticism which happened here.
– Real player with 11.2 hrs in game
The Dark Heart of Balor
The world of man is under siege by the forces of hell, commanded by the archdemon of fire Balor. Where all other demon hunters have fallen, one will stand against Balor’s crusade with the help of the renegade demon Nyzith. Your journey will take you across the continent of Eridun into dark crypts, demon infested wilds, dark castles, and demonic rifts in the fabric of the world. The diabolic foes in your way will test your combat skills and newly found arcane powers. Will you become strong enough to put an end to Balor’s reign of terror? The fate of the world depends on you, hunter.
Space Hole 2018
I’ve only played about 3 hours now, and I can tell I’m nowhere near completing this game. Space Hole 2018 is visually stunning. It plays a lot like the Super Monkey Ball series, but is a lot less annoying in every respect. Minor game mechanics make the game much more enjoyable, plus you gain these new mechanics throughout the game which gives a sense of achievement and growth. The soundtrack is great too. Overall, this is an awesome, relaxing, psychedellic game that is definitely worth the listed $3.
– Real player with 27.0 hrs in game
This seems to be what Sam Atlas was aiming for all along. This newest Space Hole has a lot more of the Antichamber vibe and is overall a great improvement on 2016. Here’s why.
Pros
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Visually a lot more interesting now. Full on psychedelia, the inner workings of a mass hadron collider, giant chess sets, hypercubes, Saturday Night Fever disco floors the lot.
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More varied levels this time. Not just a get from point A to point B anymore. You sometimes need to exit your ball and fly around to scope out the large levels to see where you are supposed to be heading and work out a strategy.
– Real player with 21.3 hrs in game
And All Would Cry Beware!
A neat little FPS Metroidvania romp through an alien and dangerous world of polygons and stark colors. Short but with intriguing lore, And All Would Cry Beware evokes the spirit of going beyond the veil that marks games like The Dig, Axiom Verge, and Remnant: From the Ashes.
The player takes the role of an unknown survivor of a ruined future Los Angeles, who ducks into a building in the hopes of evading a “kill gang” only to find that the building belonged to scientists who found a means to travel beyond Earth via portal. Finding a pistol and the means to activate the portal, there seems to be no way to go but through. On the other side is a world we know only as “Xanadu”, and the scattered log entries left behind by a previous expedition make more then a few references to the poem by that name.
– Real player with 2.4 hrs in game
Cute for what it is, but 10 USD is a rip for around 2 hours of content, much of which I spent trying to glitch myself up walls and sequence break. This is about the quality you might expect from a good, free itch.io game or the like. Some neat ideas, but not long enough or polished enough to really be anything great. Particularly the game suffers from sections being hard to navigate due to the limited textures used. In the caves and forest areas, the floors and ceilings look almost identical, and it makes navigation a pain. Once I found better ways to navigate and just jump over all the entire map, it felt much better. Other major note is that the volume has a tendency of resetting to full when you load back in to a save file, and the controls option menu looks like it was just a base default of whatever engine this is on, really throws me out of the moment. On the positive side, the enemies and bosses were all very creative and had good, simple patterns that made fighting them feel fair and enjoyable. The music was catchy but nothing memorable.
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Bitup
BitUp is a side scrolling, exploration Hack-N'-Slash game set in a Cubist-Impressionist universe. A game kept hidden by its legendary creator, while its protagonist looks for answers. Inspired by early 90’s action side scrollers and late 90’s adventure games, players must aid Bit in its quest to find out what lies beyond.
Traverse the world of Baudia using the unique ability of Bit, the Fairall, allowing her to traverse through the third dimension into another depths of the world.