I love this game so much, and now that I’ve finally completed all the research, I feel that I can give my thoughts on it.
Firstly, the praise:
- The alchemy system is really well done. I like how it actually feels like I’m putting together a complex concoction out of different components, rather than just clicking around a gui. It also avoids being so complex that it’s hard to use. Brilliantly done.
- The overworld art style, despite being taken from google IIRC, is very cohesive and sells the atmosphere of the game really well. Nothing feels out of place.
- There are certain situations, specifically in the destroyed mage’s house mission, where the game really throws a excellently timed emotional punch. The little note at once you’ve travelled there; about how nobody is visiting anymore, or how the forest would be beautiful if not for the nearby tragedy; hit harder when you remember that these people aren’t really all that different from the protagonist, and he’s probably feeling some level of kinship with them at that moment.
- The game is very fair. Even the snakes, as complained about as they are, aren’t that bad, and normally just require some careful navigation to get around. I do have my criticisms of them, but 99% of the time, when you die it feels like it’s your fault. The game as a whole falls squarely into the hard but fair category.
Secondly, things that I noted while playing, but don’t feel are strictly good or bad things:
- The homeward crystal is, objectively, the best item in the game. I’m guessing that the delay was to stop you from using it to run from a fight, but that only works if you’re being swarmed. It’s easy to run around for 20 turns and avoid, for instance, the lich, and then come back and explore around elsewhere in the level. I’m not sure whether this is intentional, or even a bad thing, as too long a delay would be even worse. However, I feel that it bears noting.
- There are a large amount of resources which only have a sorting or grinding recipe, and no others. I’m not sure if you’re planning on giving them more recipes, or just leaving them as something to immediately be converted into essences.
- Why can you push stuff around? This isn’t a problem with the game, it’s just something I’ve never used, and I kind of want to know why it was added.
Thirdly, criticism and feature requests:
- Let’s get this one out of the way first: Snakes. I know that in your latest devlog you mention that you are going to make them less likely to move towards the player, which I think is a great change. My problem with them, however, is that semi frequently they will “chase” me, repeatedly moving towards my character. I’m not sure how this specifically could be fixed, but it’s somewhat annoying.
- This one’s more of a quality of life tweak, but could you change it so that you treat bats like passive animals while the character is holding a light source? Please? It gets somewhat annoying to go into my settings and turn on “ignore hostiles” whenever I want to move halfway across a dungeon without clicking a million times.
- I would like to see more uses for ecclesiastical knowledge, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to add it. This isn’t a big deal at all.
That’s about it. Sorry for writing an essay, but I have a lot of thoughts on this game.