What do you think of this game?ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ノ゙Is it funny?
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Asura Valley is a pretty good game with a lot of positive traits. The positives outweigh the negatives. I'll speak more about the negatives as there's room for improvement, but you actually have a very solid game here. I'm not saying it's bad.
First, the positives:
It's unique. It's challenging. The upgrade system is different from any other RPG maker game. The battles do require a degree of strategy. The New Game Plus system provides excellent replayability. The limited upgrade slots makes you have to decide carefully which of your new abilities you'll keep and which ones you'll pass up. It's easily one of the most difficult RPG maker games I've played without feeling impossible. There are a variety of combos that will allow you to become incredibly strong.
Now the negatives:
The game is weak in the mapping and environments. There are few locations and there's nothing particularly interesting or special about them. There are many closed doors and empty buildings so the world seems lifeless.
It's predictable. After the first playthrough, things remained mostly the same. There was one new hunter, a hunter asked for a healing item before you fought her, and there was a new boss devil around. Perhaps this is different in the full release, but it was mostly more of the same.
There's no special encounters or events. The game takes place in a world where people are constantly killing each other, yet you only see this in the first area. There's nobody who will jump out of the bushes at you or target you after you just finish killing another hunter. Your character encounters three new borns and one of them attacks him, but he can't kill the other two characters, who are NPCs. There's a variety of hunters at the start, but your character is forced to decide to just run away. You can't help or harm anyone. Overall the game feels very linear with there being very few if any choices the player can make besides combat stuff.
Many of the hunters have the same appearance. Once again, perhaps you'll change this in the full version. But the identical enemies detract from the experience. You kill the same white haired, sunglasses soldiers many times when you confront the Asura King. It would be nice if everyone had a unique appearance.
The translation could use some work in a few areas. It's still good for someone whose first language isn't english.
There's very little characterization. We don't know anything about the characters. Besides threatening you, we never learn much about the Asura king. Or any of his men. Or any of your party. Your teammates in the bar speak once in the whole game. It would be fantastic if there were more opportunities to learn who your friends are and what your main character wants. Or what his hobbies are or what he even likes.
Actually I believe that's the area where this game can shine the most. It would be a stressful and terrifying experience to have people hunt you for parts and your unique powers. To see people die in front of you like cattle. To have to actually kill other people to survive. Your character doesn't show any real reaction to the events that happen, which is a shame. There's a great possibility for an amazing horror and friendship game inside of this battle game and all it would take is a little bit of extra dialogue, a new party member or two who joins you in the early game and a few menacing hunters chasing you.
There are too few powers. I mentioned this before, but it's become even more apparent after being the game three or four times. It only makes sense to upgrade the main character and your second character. The other guys only get creeds. There's no reason to split your powers up and there are too few to share with all your teammates, who don't join with any.
Perhaps the lack of powers will change in the full version, as it apparently adds a new hunter for each time you play through it. Eventually you'll have enough powers for everyone, but it'll take quite a while and for many games your allies will be only really good for casting magic.
A quick word on the Devil boss. Why does he drop a power that increases your attributes when your character is alone? He was capable of dealing hundreds of damage with his shot gun. I only killed him when I had a party. That ability was completely useless at that point. Unless it's a random technique he drops, and I got unlucky?
The option at the end of the game to "give a bonus" is also useless. An extra 1000 gold for winning the tournament doesn't do anything for you, because at that point you'll just sell your parts for cash. The parts sell for a lot and you can just use the doctor if you want to heal again. The enemies in the tower will drop parts which enable you to have the money to always afford treatment.
The game is actually really short. It's probably possible to beat it in less than an hour.
So while it's got areas it could be better in, the cyborg experience is unique enough and good enough to be the main selling point. Your game will do well on Steam.
WOW,You can always make useful Suggestions ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ノ゙.Are you a professional game producer?
There are many changes:If you help the wounded hunter.The next “new game+” The village forge will open.But the hospital will close.
If you kill three devil.Tank villagers find tank shells in the Cemetery and then stand alone.
In the fourth “new game+” A troll came to the valley.After the kill, there will be foreign businessmen into the valley.
In the sixth “new game+”.The human adventurer entered the valley.
There are other changes.
Advanced weapons are more expensive.To defeat the human adventurer may need to arm everyone.
Every time a weapon is used to challenge the king, the villages that acquire that weapon will be upgraded.
After a complete upgrade, the hunter will have new abilities and will drop two enhancements.
I'm working on it now.
I try to show these changes in the early stages.Let the player have the motivation to play.
Ask the artist to draw some new soldiers.
More conversations
Thanks again for your advice.
You're welcome!
Yes, I noticed that all of the bonuses you select after beating the game can only be accessed after you reach Asura city. In which case there's only 6 more fights left in the entire game + whatever extra devils you've yet to defeat. So early bonuses that help before you reach Asura city would help a lot. Even something like the upgraded ring shop being accessible in one of the villages would be a big help.
Optionally, you could add some bonus fights before the player faces the Asura King's men. There could be an event where you hunt new borns just like what happened to you at the start of the game. Or maybe some extra hunters that aren't required to progress? Just some guys who are standing around and you only need 8 wins to reach the city. Besides the new enemies, which you'd need multiple playthroughs to fight, you don't get many opportunities to use all the new equipment, spells and weapons you've gotten. So basically once you get strong in this game, it ends.
I'd say you should show a lot of changes on the second playthrough so that the player really feels a difference. That's where most people will either quit or keep playing. When you start a new game +, you don't get to keep anything and it feels daunting to try again, starting from nothing.
Perhaps you could allow the player to select a unique special power when they start their second play through? It takes some of the sting out of going from beating the Asura king to being a weakling again. All the other hunters have unique abilities and the player is the only one who doesn't. It would make sense if you could do something special like everyone else.