Depths of Sanity
I was introduced to Depths of Sanity at PAX East in 2018, and tried it twice more at two more PAXes prior to this early access release. The handful of devs I spoke with made their inspirations and intentions very clear with their game, and I was immediately interested. They also gave me a couple of small plush sea creatures. :D I saw no issue picking up the game as soon as it was available.
For those unfamiliar, DoS is a metroidvania set in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and tells the story of oceanographer Abe Douglas. Following an event known as “the bloop”, a real-life event involving an ultra-low frequency subsonic vibration, the crew of the submarine Baroness are sent to investigate, and subsequently disappear with only garbled distress calls for clues. Abe, who personally assembled that team, including his own son Clay, feels personally responsible for the situation and takes an armed, one-man submersible to investigate. What he finds and learns from the Baroness' crew logs defies his understanding of the world and history in ways that might feel very familiar to certain fans like myself.
– Real player with 19.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Lovecraftian Games.
While this game is in early development, I have to say it was fun to experience! Too bad I finished all three available chapters st the moment. It is hard to put the game down since it really hooks you in. I’m surprised it isn’t more known. I really hope this game continues it’s development because I genuinely enjoyed playing it. So please keep up the good work and for the viewers of this comment, please give the developers your support in any way you can!
– Real player with 7.8 hrs in game
Big Fish
Lucky me has the dubious honour of writing the first review for Big Fish.
Big Fish is an early access 2D top down retro pixel brawler/maze negotiation game. In terms of gameplay it’s a ripoff of the first chapter of Spore/the Sparkle series, as you control a top down fish thing and swim around and collect upgrades that give you different enhancements. Following on from the Spore ripoff, in later stages of the game you jump out onto land, but instead of a 3D brawler you get (sigh), a 2D retro pixel platformer stage.
– Real player with 0.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania 2D Platformer Games.
Subterene
Excellent sound design and use of shading that makes the grayscale pixel art breathe
Also I did the ending theme and it sounds pretty rad if I say so myself 👀
– Real player with 2.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Adventure Games.
My Experience
On paper, Subterene “checks a lot of my boxes.” I liked the game’s unique aesthetic and interface, it’s advertised short run-time, and the idea of slowly piecing together this mystery that has occurred beneath the floor of the ocean.
Unfortunately, playing Subterene is a slog. The game gives you very little direction while you stumble upon probes and bumble from one mining depot to the next. For some this may make the game a true “exploration” game, but not for me when the act of exploring itself is so tedious. The speed at which your mining vehicle drills, turns, and accelerates is just PAINFUL. This is only exacerbated when your vehicle becomes caught on some small piece of a block, which happens ALL THE TIME.
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
B.I.O.T.A.
In B.I.O.T.A., take control of a commando unit sent to investigate a mining colony that ceased all communication. Survive in 10 completely different environments packed with mutant monsters and deadly traps with the help of a multitude of guns and various crafts, including a mech, a sub and a starship.
STORY
It’s year 21XX. You command the Gemini 2 team - a commando unit made up of tough war veterans commissioned by the V-corp, a mega mining corporation. Your task: shed light on strange events that are happening on Frontier Horizon - a small isolated asteroid squeezed in between Mars and Jupiter, and housing a mining station owned by the V-corp.
A new biological organism recently found on the surface of the asteroid, known as “the agent” is able to interact with every element of an ecosystem and change it at its will, taking full control of the organisms. Most of the mineworkers have mutated into horrible monsters, and the scientific team who made this discovery has taken refuge in the tunnels below Frontier Horizon.
Take control of the Gemini II squad by choosing your favourite hero from 8+ and swapping them as needed during this adventure. Explore the sprawling Gemini complex, now home to hostile alien life forms, a multitude of trap-filled corridors, and use all the tools at your disposal - including a bipedal fully-armed mech, offensive submarine and a starfighter class spaceship, among others.
The Retro
All the charm of retro gaming (with breathing signified by two pixels shifting) with the modern-day convenience of saving anywhere, the ability to swap palettes at any time, and a tune so chippy you’ll want to add it to a mixtape for your friends
The Look
Choose your favorite palette from more than 60 available 4-color styles for the most authentic retro feel, and swap each palette as you see fit in the glorious 8-bit visuals
The Aliens
Fight 40+ vicious degenerated monsters from simple, but huge mutated hornets, armed shield sentries to lethal infecting xenoshifters
The Guns
Utilize numerous upgrades and unique unlockable weapons for each character to find the one that suits you the most - be it a sniper-friendly high powered rifle, buckshot loaded shotgun and powerful hand cannon
The Stress Relief
Stress-free rescue system; rest assured that at any moment of the adventure a dedicated key will allow you to save the game and virtually never have to repeat parts already completed
The Exploration
Features a many variations to the classic on-foot gameplay: while exploring you will be able to control a submarine, pilot a mech, a shuttle, jump into a chasm and swing on a rope and pilot the mythical Pegasus, the Gemini II team’s ship