The gameplay is feels really polished and well balanced, except for the slippery bomb and slightly inconsistent wall jump. Controls are easy to learn and the platforming feels generous with the coyote time and jump buffer. Everything you do feels responsive thanks to the animation, particles and sound effect. The minimap is also a nice feature, though I still couldn't find the second recipe. Environmental art can still be improved, but I like how the scenery changes depending on the area you're in.
Some issues I encountered:
- Falling red spikes can 'slide' down a slope and damage you
- I don't really like how enemy's bombs have a hitbox even before detonating
- 'Lifetime' of the bomb blast is a little too long that I sometimes get hurt walking into it
- Had a weird bug when entering the uppermost lava area that made the player start swimming the moment the area is entered. Issue was gone after I respawned.
This is one of my favorite submission yet, mostly because I would not have expected a crafting element in a metriodvania. The generous heals and checkpoints made it a lot less punishing and encourage me to try again. A very great job to all involved!