A fun platformer with some really interesting movement mechanics. The visuals are clean and make it clear what is intractable, an enemy, etc.
The gameplay mechanism is good, allowing the player to climb vines. The design of the tutorial level is well done, allowing the player to learn skills step by step. The increase of difficulty of the game is well-balanced.
The rope-swinging mechanic is interesting, and Salsa is very cute. The tutorial level does a good job of providing low-stress areas for practicing the controls, without any pressure of time or attack, which was very useful.
The swinging mechanic was a great choice, it works pretty well (some weird collisions notwithstanding) and I like that a lot of thought went into how to work in vertical movement through double vine jumps, it definitely makes the levels more interesting. The roar mechanic helps add a bit of dexterity into the mix as well.
The game's tutorial level is incrementally introuducing the player to the game mechanics thus allowing the player to get acclimated with how to play the game.
The game's tutorial level felt very good and was easy to understand. Each mechanic was shown clearly and effectively. The grabbing system of the ropes is also very nice and allows for some skill expression since you can quickly let go and grab again to readjust.
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What could this game have done better?
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The vine physics are pretty inconsistent. I think it might feel better if the vines themselves were intangible, and the player 'snapped on' to them when interacting.
The player movement could be smoother, and the screen blinks once in a while. Could apply more graphics and animations to the game.
The controls are not very intuitive, and it's a bit hard to maneuver. The physics of the vines could also be a bit smoother in a final version, because at the moment it feels like hard rods, instead of vines.
The skill jump from level 1 to 2 is pretty hefty. It's also mainly made more difficult by way of awkward angles and razor thin margins with enemies. I think the game- if expanded- would be most enjoyable when you kind of hit a zen state with the movement, so instead of opting for small timing windows the levels were designed to just flow nicely and maintain your movement
I think the choice of input buttons can be changed. They were uncomfortable to handle. Also in the tutorial level there were some parts where the player gets stuck with no point of recovery if he makes a mistake. The tutorial level can be made more accomodating to mistakes made by new players
For the catapult mechanic, a indicator for the direction in which the player would launch would be nice. In addition, a longer second level would be nice as well to give players a more interesting challenge.
Comments
What did this game do well?
****************************
A fun platformer with some really interesting movement mechanics. The visuals are clean and make it clear what is intractable, an enemy, etc.
The gameplay mechanism is good, allowing the player to climb vines. The design of the tutorial level is well done, allowing the player to learn skills step by step. The increase of difficulty of the game is well-balanced.
The rope-swinging mechanic is interesting, and Salsa is very cute. The tutorial level does a good job of providing low-stress areas for practicing the controls, without any pressure of time or attack, which was very useful.
The swinging mechanic was a great choice, it works pretty well (some weird collisions notwithstanding) and I like that a lot of thought went into how to work in vertical movement through double vine jumps, it definitely makes the levels more interesting. The roar mechanic helps add a bit of dexterity into the mix as well.
The game's tutorial level is incrementally introuducing the player to the game mechanics thus allowing the player to get acclimated with how to play the game.
The game's tutorial level felt very good and was easy to understand. Each mechanic was shown clearly and effectively. The grabbing system of the ropes is also very nice and allows for some skill expression since you can quickly let go and grab again to readjust.
========================================
What could this game have done better?
****************************
The vine physics are pretty inconsistent. I think it might feel better if the vines themselves were intangible, and the player 'snapped on' to them when interacting.
The player movement could be smoother, and the screen blinks once in a while. Could apply more graphics and animations to the game.
The controls are not very intuitive, and it's a bit hard to maneuver. The physics of the vines could also be a bit smoother in a final version, because at the moment it feels like hard rods, instead of vines.
The skill jump from level 1 to 2 is pretty hefty. It's also mainly made more difficult by way of awkward angles and razor thin margins with enemies. I think the game- if expanded- would be most enjoyable when you kind of hit a zen state with the movement, so instead of opting for small timing windows the levels were designed to just flow nicely and maintain your movement
I think the choice of input buttons can be changed. They were uncomfortable to handle. Also in the tutorial level there were some parts where the player gets stuck with no point of recovery if he makes a mistake. The tutorial level can be made more accomodating to mistakes made by new players
For the catapult mechanic, a indicator for the direction in which the player would launch would be nice. In addition, a longer second level would be nice as well to give players a more interesting challenge.