I quite liked this one! At some points I forgot to take notes and was just playing a game, which is always the mark of a good game. I particularly like how the platforming feels, and the use of lighting throughout the scene. Also, 10/10 save system. Had I needed to leave and come back, this game would have had me for sure
Also, great boss fight. Really well done. 10/10
I have a couple notes for future polish if you're interested:
- The sword should do knockback, whether to the player (think duck tales cane) or to the enemy. Right now fights feel weird because the weapon feels weightless, and it feels like you have no way to claim space against the enemies
- Firing the fireball resets the sword's cooldown. Why? I get they are both movement mechanics, but you should either not have the sword be a movement mechanic, or just account for them both being available in the design (I recommend not making that required, or even acknowledging it. Let the player feel like they're cheating)
- Reverting to the previous room every time you die feels a bit jarring because of the camera. I would either respawn the player at the beginning of the current room, or fade to black while moving the camera
- I didn't discover the upgrade menu until I was mid boss and paused to take notes. You should point the player towards it after they pick up 2 gems the first time. Not everyone pauses a game this short
- The sword currently works through walls. I'm sure this isn't intentional and is just a jam thing, but just wanted to note it down
- The boss only being vulnerable when the head is flaming left me confused as to how to hurt it at first. I would either introduce the hurtbox much earlier in the fight, or just make the head hurtable the entire time and increase the bosses health as needed
Alright, now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go play around some more with the best item in the game: the crown. I need that jewels upgrade