I ran into what i can only assume is a glitch. After defeating the first boss (the purple thing underground) and exploring a little I am left with nowhere to go and no way out of the area. I can't leave because I jumped off a cliff to get there and I can't proceed either, I think it has to do with an elevator not coming down or something because i see one that I can't access that looks like the way forward. Please let me know if you fix it because everything else was really awesome and I can't wait to play the whole game. I am a big fan of MVs and this one has everything I expect from an indie MV and more. The art is really great, the music and sounds are good enough, and the mechanics and controls are pretty responsive and tight, there's just so much potential here. Best of luck in the contest!
Thanks very much for giving my game demo a try and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I'm working hard to make it better and finish it.
As for the elevator glitch, it happens when you die after taking the elevator upwards and it doesn't reset when you respawn at a save point. If this happens you should still be able to get the chest that is accessible once the elevator has been raised. Then you'll be able to access the door on the far right of the dungeon and finish the demo. Tbh, you haven't got much left to do in this demo, maybe another couple of minutes.
If this isn't the case and there is another issue besides this one please let me know some more details (maybe some screenshots if you can).
I don't think that's what happened. the first time i got to the top of the area after fighting the boss the elevator wasn't down, I'm positive I never went up it. I'm sure you're right that I didn't have much left anyways but I thought it might be worth looking into for you. Either way I really enjoyed it!
Hmm, interesting. So the elevator with the two crystals on it was already up and not down? What should happen is you shoot the two crystals to release the elevator and then you can go up to the next level.
It's been fine in the playtests I've been doing in the new version but I'll take a look to ensure it won't glitch.
Hey man! So I finally got around to trying your game. It's one of my favourites from this contest (edit: It's actually my favourite.) Good job, seriously. Unlike most of the games submitted, you've actually tuned yours in ways I find to be very important. The controls are fluid and I definitely didn't have any frustrations with them. It's not janky or anything. There wasn't issues with inputs dropping, etc.
Your pixel art is great and I like the player HUD. Mortimer seems to have inspiration from Jack's character design from Jack and Daxter. Was that intentional?
Your game seems to have some depth and it'll be interesting to see how it develops later on. To comment on my experience with that boss Aandrea Asperges mentioned, I died a number of times on it until I realized the dash and dodge were quite useful. The randomness of the shots still proved to be a bit frustrating but after a number of tries my successful attempt resulted in me taking no damage whatsoever. Felt cool.
Edit: As a side note, I think the zombies have a bit too much HP.
Hey man, thanks for playing and glad you enjoyed what's there so far, albeit if it was a little bit frustrating. I''m glad you found the controls fluid, however, everything can be improved and I've already made everything just that bit nicer with animations and input, especially concerning the attacking and upward slash. As for your questions:
1) It wasn't consciously intentional but I did love Jak and Daxter so it could very well have influenced his design subconsiously.
2) I will look into making the boss more structured. It was put together pretty quickly in the last couple of days in the contest so it can definitely be improved.
3) I've already lowered the zombie like creatures HP in my development version :)
Hey man i just blocked on the first (i think) boss. It's spam shots randomically and you can't understand where. Not really thoughtful. Maybe it's can have 3 different mouth and shots bullets in the direction of the mouth. Just need an anticipation for help the player. Anyway the game look fun and the graphics are good (one of the best here)- try to separate a lot more the background elements and decor for the foreground and interagible element, u don't did a bad work about it but there some elements (like the crystal on the image u post on the left) in the bg but have the same colors/ lightness of the foreground etc.. I see in some map u did it and it's was good- maybe it's a problem of the first maps u did. focus a lot more on the animation it's a little bit stiff for any movement but it's functional- i like the uppercut - double jump but not the rigid movement you can do with it- the gameplay can be more dinamic and have all the cards for do it- just change some variable about a more long dash and soem movement more free and less blocky in animation and in game controls. Great job anyway !
This game is incredible . I can't really describe how great it felt to play this game . Aside from the usual movement nitpicks (aerial combat and dash/backdash feeling stiff) , this game is very responsive , in a way that makes you want to explore every nook and cranny that the camera can't reach . What compliments this is the artstyle using multiple backgrounds and particle effects that mesmerize the player , and make them feel even more immersed ! The music is mediocre , but doesn't take away from the game's feel . Also i feel that cause of the limited time , the story wasn't able to be drawn out to it's full potential , and it seems a little bit convoluted if you are not paying attention . Overall , this game is a true gem , and i want to see how it gets to become in the future . Good luck with the competition !
Thank you for your feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed your time playing. I've already made changes to the aerial combat and combat in general (animations, timings, general feel etc) to make it feel less stiff and more satisfying. If I may, what did you feel was off about the dash/backdash?
As for the story, yes, I wanted to showcase the gameplay and overall structure of the game in this version more than the story if I'm honest. And yes, at the minute it's not explained in as great detail as it could be but I also want the game to be quite mysterious in that you'd learn a lot more from the world/NPC's through play and exploration than you would directly being told. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the limited time definitely is a factor here as I wasn't able to fill in the blanks with the lore and world building at all really, with only a few interactions that helped with us.
Thanks a lot for taking time of your day and reading my comment. As I've mentioned, I said that the dash/back dash feel stiff. That is using it with the rest of the fighting kit, and since the combat I experienced in your game had a lock mechanic (locking mob into a certain frame unable to do anything), it was always a better course of action to just run out of there. Given, the animations are really well made, but at the current state, I didn't find them that useful. I hope this clarifies a lot! I would also like to add that using two buttons for one action also felt really weird to me, and I think allocating each trigger to one action could be more natural to the game. By the way, I'm talking by experience mostly, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Good luck!
Hi, thanks for your clarification, although, I'm still a little unsure on this bit
'combat I experienced in your game had a lock mechanic (locking mob into a certain frame unable to do anything), it was always a better course of action to just run out of there.'
I'm not sure I understand this bit in particular as the Dash overrides your sword swings, so you can dash mid attack. It's actually a core feature of the combat as your 3 hit combo holds it's position if you dash and then continue with you sword. Would you be able to clarify a little bit more for me on this point? If not don't worry I don't want to take up your time having to answer my questions.
It's a fair point about the backdash tho, I'll revisit this and see if I can streamline the input somewhat.
The only problem i had with the dash feature is the end lag that happens after it is released (like 3-4 frames ) , other than that i found it to be useful for offensive combat . But since the enemies also have ranged attacks (the metal halos they can toss) it is easy to get damaged in between dashes , notably not frequently , but it is out of the player's control . Other than that , it was a great feature that improved the combats fluidity ! Hope this clarifies further ! It's just that this game reminds me off dead cells so much , and that game had almost 0 frame lag , making it a masterpiece in combat , and i hope your game can achieve that flow as well ! (sorry if i am too harsh on it btw , i just nitpick on the small things haha) .
Really Nice Game ! enjoyed playing from the first 2 minutes ! i wish you best and good continuation and hope to see this game shine ! Keep up the good work !
The artwork is beautiful and your cut scenes are probably the best I've seen so far! I felt like I was playing an actual game, can't wait to play the rest! :D
I definitely like the feel of the game. And considering you were able to do this in such short time is really great too! ^_^ I do have a few gripes, specifically for the player character's movement, mind you part of it was just me using my PS4 controller, so I don't know if you made configurations or not, but that's beside the point.
Anyway, regarding the character, some of his movement feels stiff at times. I don't wanna sound nitpicky, but when he's in the air swing the sword, perhaps having the character descend a lot slowly during the animation instead of staying in the middle would be great.
I do like how you made the cutscenes, and the design altogether is REALLY well done! Though once again, the player does feel a bit stiff (yet again) even when he's using his attacks. But this game has REAL potential! Hope to see more! ^_^
Hi, thanks for playing glad you enjoyed it mostly :)
As for your gripes, completely got to test with PS4 controller, I'll take a look at it and fix it up for the ongoing dev. For the player movement I think you're right, I'll see what I can do about that, thanks for the suggestion and feedback!
Comments
I ran into what i can only assume is a glitch. After defeating the first boss (the purple thing underground) and exploring a little I am left with nowhere to go and no way out of the area. I can't leave because I jumped off a cliff to get there and I can't proceed either, I think it has to do with an elevator not coming down or something because i see one that I can't access that looks like the way forward. Please let me know if you fix it because everything else was really awesome and I can't wait to play the whole game. I am a big fan of MVs and this one has everything I expect from an indie MV and more. The art is really great, the music and sounds are good enough, and the mechanics and controls are pretty responsive and tight, there's just so much potential here. Best of luck in the contest!
Hi there,
Thanks very much for giving my game demo a try and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I'm working hard to make it better and finish it.
As for the elevator glitch, it happens when you die after taking the elevator upwards and it doesn't reset when you respawn at a save point. If this happens you should still be able to get the chest that is accessible once the elevator has been raised. Then you'll be able to access the door on the far right of the dungeon and finish the demo. Tbh, you haven't got much left to do in this demo, maybe another couple of minutes.
If this isn't the case and there is another issue besides this one please let me know some more details (maybe some screenshots if you can).
I don't think that's what happened. the first time i got to the top of the area after fighting the boss the elevator wasn't down, I'm positive I never went up it. I'm sure you're right that I didn't have much left anyways but I thought it might be worth looking into for you. Either way I really enjoyed it!
Hmm, interesting. So the elevator with the two crystals on it was already up and not down? What should happen is you shoot the two crystals to release the elevator and then you can go up to the next level.
It's been fine in the playtests I've been doing in the new version but I'll take a look to ensure it won't glitch.
Hey man! So I finally got around to trying your game. It's one of my favourites from this contest (edit: It's actually my favourite.) Good job, seriously. Unlike most of the games submitted, you've actually tuned yours in ways I find to be very important. The controls are fluid and I definitely didn't have any frustrations with them. It's not janky or anything. There wasn't issues with inputs dropping, etc.
Your pixel art is great and I like the player HUD. Mortimer seems to have inspiration from Jack's character design from Jack and Daxter. Was that intentional?
Your game seems to have some depth and it'll be interesting to see how it develops later on. To comment on my experience with that boss Aandrea Asperges mentioned, I died a number of times on it until I realized the dash and dodge were quite useful. The randomness of the shots still proved to be a bit frustrating but after a number of tries my successful attempt resulted in me taking no damage whatsoever. Felt cool.
Edit:
As a side note, I think the zombies have a bit too much HP.
Hey man, thanks for playing and glad you enjoyed what's there so far, albeit if it was a little bit frustrating. I''m glad you found the controls fluid, however, everything can be improved and I've already made everything just that bit nicer with animations and input, especially concerning the attacking and upward slash. As for your questions:
1) It wasn't consciously intentional but I did love Jak and Daxter so it could very well have influenced his design subconsiously.
2) I will look into making the boss more structured. It was put together pretty quickly in the last couple of days in the contest so it can definitely be improved.
3) I've already lowered the zombie like creatures HP in my development version :)
Thanks again for playing and your feedback.
Hey man i just blocked on the first (i think) boss. It's spam shots randomically and you can't understand where. Not really thoughtful. Maybe it's can have 3 different mouth and shots bullets in the direction of the mouth. Just need an anticipation for help the player. Anyway the game look fun and the graphics are good (one of the best here)- try to separate a lot more the background elements and decor for the foreground and interagible element, u don't did a bad work about it but there some elements (like the crystal on the image u post on the left) in the bg but have the same colors/ lightness of the foreground etc.. I see in some map u did it and it's was good- maybe it's a problem of the first maps u did. focus a lot more on the animation it's a little bit stiff for any movement but it's functional- i like the uppercut - double jump but not the rigid movement you can do with it- the gameplay can be more dinamic and have all the cards for do it- just change some variable about a more long dash and soem movement more free and less blocky in animation and in game controls. Great job anyway !
Hey man, thank you for the feedback. I'll try to address these issues as best I can in the version I'm developing now :D
This game is incredible . I can't really describe how great it felt to play this game . Aside from the usual movement nitpicks (aerial combat and dash/backdash feeling stiff) , this game is very responsive , in a way that makes you want to explore every nook and cranny that the camera can't reach . What compliments this is the artstyle using multiple backgrounds and particle effects that mesmerize the player , and make them feel even more immersed ! The music is mediocre , but doesn't take away from the game's feel . Also i feel that cause of the limited time , the story wasn't able to be drawn out to it's full potential , and it seems a little bit convoluted if you are not paying attention . Overall , this game is a true gem , and i want to see how it gets to become in the future . Good luck with the competition !
Thank you for your feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed your time playing. I've already made changes to the aerial combat and combat in general (animations, timings, general feel etc) to make it feel less stiff and more satisfying. If I may, what did you feel was off about the dash/backdash?
As for the story, yes, I wanted to showcase the gameplay and overall structure of the game in this version more than the story if I'm honest. And yes, at the minute it's not explained in as great detail as it could be but I also want the game to be quite mysterious in that you'd learn a lot more from the world/NPC's through play and exploration than you would directly being told. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the limited time definitely is a factor here as I wasn't able to fill in the blanks with the lore and world building at all really, with only a few interactions that helped with us.
Thanks a lot for taking time of your day and reading my comment. As I've mentioned, I said that the dash/back dash feel stiff. That is using it with the rest of the fighting kit, and since the combat I experienced in your game had a lock mechanic (locking mob into a certain frame unable to do anything), it was always a better course of action to just run out of there. Given, the animations are really well made, but at the current state, I didn't find them that useful. I hope this clarifies a lot! I would also like to add that using two buttons for one action also felt really weird to me, and I think allocating each trigger to one action could be more natural to the game. By the way, I'm talking by experience mostly, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Good luck!
Hi, thanks for your clarification, although, I'm still a little unsure on this bit
'combat I experienced in your game had a lock mechanic (locking mob into a certain frame unable to do anything), it was always a better course of action to just run out of there.'
I'm not sure I understand this bit in particular as the Dash overrides your sword swings, so you can dash mid attack. It's actually a core feature of the combat as your 3 hit combo holds it's position if you dash and then continue with you sword. Would you be able to clarify a little bit more for me on this point? If not don't worry I don't want to take up your time having to answer my questions.
It's a fair point about the backdash tho, I'll revisit this and see if I can streamline the input somewhat.
The only problem i had with the dash feature is the end lag that happens after it is released (like 3-4 frames ) , other than that i found it to be useful for offensive combat . But since the enemies also have ranged attacks (the metal halos they can toss) it is easy to get damaged in between dashes , notably not frequently , but it is out of the player's control . Other than that , it was a great feature that improved the combats fluidity ! Hope this clarifies further ! It's just that this game reminds me off dead cells so much , and that game had almost 0 frame lag , making it a masterpiece in combat , and i hope your game can achieve that flow as well ! (sorry if i am too harsh on it btw , i just nitpick on the small things haha) .
Ah okay, I get what you are saying now, thank you. I'll see what I can do to make this better.
Graphics are really incredible! Pure eye candy.
Thank you man!
Really Nice Game ! enjoyed playing from the first 2 minutes ! i wish you best and good continuation and hope to see this game shine ! Keep up the good work !
Thank you! I'll be getting around to playing your entry soon as well, it looks great
Looooovely! Good work indeed! Can't wait to discuss some details with you if you want :)
Thank you! Definitely, discussions always welcome
The artwork is beautiful and your cut scenes are probably the best I've seen so far! I felt like I was playing an actual game, can't wait to play the rest! :D
Thanks baz, high praise indeed. Hope you enjoy the rest
I definitely like the feel of the game. And considering you were able to do this in such short time is really great too! ^_^ I do have a few gripes, specifically for the player character's movement, mind you part of it was just me using my PS4 controller, so I don't know if you made configurations or not, but that's beside the point.
Anyway, regarding the character, some of his movement feels stiff at times. I don't wanna sound nitpicky, but when he's in the air swing the sword, perhaps having the character descend a lot slowly during the animation instead of staying in the middle would be great.
I do like how you made the cutscenes, and the design altogether is REALLY well done! Though once again, the player does feel a bit stiff (yet again) even when he's using his attacks. But this game has REAL potential! Hope to see more! ^_^
Hi, thanks for playing glad you enjoyed it mostly :)
As for your gripes, completely got to test with PS4 controller, I'll take a look at it and fix it up for the ongoing dev. For the player movement I think you're right, I'll see what I can do about that, thanks for the suggestion and feedback!
NOTE: The demo ends when the game fades out to white. I ran out of time so didn't configure past this point.