Hi there! So I just made it to the end of the demo version. Wow, can't wait for the full game...
So just to clarify, as an artist myself, I like to give feedback because I know how valuable it can be. Both with giving and receiving I like to take the approach of "here are a few comments reflecting my experience playing this game/ listening to this music/ reading this story/ looking at this artwork, etc (regardless of medium), you don't need to respond or agree but here's the offhand reaction of someone who doesn't know you and has just spend some time engaging with this artwork." Anyway, that's the approach I try to take with both giving and receiving feedback. Saying that because I don't want you to feel like I am attacking or criticizing. Rather just trying to offer up what comes to my mind as I play, and maybe some of it's helpful and some of it's not.
For the language stuff: I can't give you any specific examples off the top of my head but there were quite a lot of grammatical errors. Unfortunately it's not the kind of thing I stop and take notes on while playing. But it's definitely noticeable. Again, I'm saying this not to be nitpicky or negative but just to bring to your attention that it's an issue, since I really do enjoy this game and want the best for it! If I play through again I will try and make a note of some examples.
I did notice a few contexts where things have not been translated at all, for instance the message it gives you if you try to learn a skill at a save point and there are no skills to be learned.
About the queer stuff: I agree with the story not being ABOUT him being queer (tbh I get tired of most queer stories and games being about the character being queer and not, say, a man going on an adventure and he just happens to love another man, which is what this seems to be and I'm all for it.) So no need to explain there. I'm all for it.
I was just saying that it was a little hard at first to form an emotional investment with Sai and Raydir-- that a little more leaning into their emotional connection (I don't know how much you want to divulge that early on) might help the players form more of an emotional investment in the characters. Again, I'm saying this as my totally subjective impression as a viewer/ player, which you should take or leave however you see fit. I'm just saying that my suggestion would be something along those lines.
Finally: I found the whole skills/ talents/ abilities system very confusing and overwhelming at first. By the end I was starting to get the hang of it, but not quite. This might come with the info-dumpy stuff as well. At first there was just a whole lot of information to take in at once, from the worldbuilding to the battle system to also wanting to get to know the characters etc.
In general about the battle system-- It feels like you're making an effort to make the battles "not just another RPG battle system" which makes sense and I appreciate it. It sorta feels like it's almost there but it needs some work to be more "wow, this is interesting and unique" rather than confusing and overwhelming.
Here's an example: the whole, you don't get gold from most battles but instead you get these collectible items that you can sell. It's a really cool idea. Took me a little while to figure out (cuz I was like "wait why don't I have any money after fighting all these bad guys?") and then I wasn't sure if I wanted to sell these items because I wasn't sure if they did anything or I could use them for something else. It's a cool concept but I was a little confused at first.
Performance issues: I've got a pretty new, middle of the road gaming PC, not the best but also not the worst. I did notice a little bit of a performance issue in some scenes, especially in the village, but none of it caused any serious problems. There was just the slightest bit of lag when the character moved around and caused the camera to be a bit jittery when panning, which made it a bit hard to look at. Other than that, no performance issues aside from the one time that it crashed.
Since I don't want to sound like I am dumping a whole bunch of criticism, let me make it clear that I'm saying all this because I love the game and I hope to be as helpful as possible. So here are a few things that I loved:
- What I said about info-dumping aside, I love the worldbuilding. From the beginning I feel interested in the plot. It's not some random "you're a knight and you have to slay the dragon in the castle" story. It feels well thought out and intentional. I have a sense of what these places are and what their relationship is. And it's clear you've put a lot of time and thought into this. I coming away from this like ... wow I really want to know what's really going on here. Seems clear there are lots of layers.
- (SPOILER ALERT) The reveal about Mara being a demon. That's pretty cool and definitely has me intrigued. Also the fact that there are rebels in the underworld. Makes me wonder is there any political discontent in the overworld as well. Again with the worldbuilding... I'm wondering lots of stuff. Can't wait to see the full version and learn more about what's really going on.
- The pixel art: Looks really nice.
- How gay it is. Lots of people are gay. Nice.
- Again connects with the worldbuilding, but the plot feels immersive. I want to keep playing because I want to know what happens next, and I want to learn more about these characters and see them complete their journeys.
Anyway, once again thank you for all your hard work and for putting this out in the world. I can't wait to play the full version. Best of luck!