That was a really fun use of my time. I liked the art, how you animated the character portraits in the corners, as well as the overall feedback you gave the player. It was really immersive overall. It can easily be a game that can suck someone in since, although difficult, there is just something that just screams “one more” every time you lose.
Heck, I lost like 5 times, each round taking about 2-6 mins (I don’t know exactly. I wasn’t counting), and finally prevailed after a lot of strategies and, ahem, bug exploiting. Still, I would willingly play it again.
Giving the player a bit of healing was a good choice, by the way.
I also liked the small bit of dialog you gave. The character’s, well, character added some to the experience.
The way you incorporated the theme was great too. You strongly emphasized a strong fast-placed gameplay and encouraged it greatly. The fact that guns the Boss has used, and not reloaded, have less than max bullets is also a great detail.
Now, for the criticisms I had. Please excuse me if I sound nitpicky. I honestly really enjoyed your game overall, no matter what I say below. You got a great rating from me!
Anyway, first, there were a few bugs. Ignoring the obvious one (the boss can teleport in the walls, unable to even attack you), I also noticed that if you reset the room with “R” while in the dead cutscene, the game is softlocked.
In addition, having the reset button so close to the “pick up” button might not have been the best idea… Luckily, I didn’t need to use “E” that often, since you made guns automatically pick up when you’re gunless and nearby (great design choice), so I didn’t have many opportunities to make that mistake luckily.
Also, also. After you press “R”, there are a few moments where you can’t move, but the boss can still shoot you. This basically just gives them a free, unfair, shot at you.
Also, about the bosses’s design. I like difficulty, I do, but it feels…unfair. Artifical difficulty. Please allow me to explain.
Basically, the game is a 2D platformer with some movement patterns that let you traverse upwards on the map. That’s good on its own (very fluid controls, albeit a very insignificant-feeling dodge), however, it is important to know that moving upwards is slower than it will ever be to just fall down, or even just run horizontally.
Considering that you are being shot at constantly, this is an important distinction to make. Ultimately, you are punished for trying to go upwards, at any point, and instead incentivized to stay in your lane. …except you’re not, because it feels like some guns just spawn at the top parts of the map, leaving you stranded without a weapon if you miss your gun toss.
In other words, you are punished for ever going up but also are forced to go upwards to get more guns. Meanwhile, you fall off a small bit, and you are right back in comfort at the bottom.
Also, there is this circle bomb attack near the end of the Boss. These bombs happen constantly and pack an extremely unforgiving punch (1/6 of your max HP [keep in mind that the player will likely only have 2/6 of their HP left at this time]). These are supposed to keep the player moving. To always be on the go. To always be in a race to dodge and attack. In that aspect, I think this mechanic is amazing.
However, when moving up the map is both required and already punished, it starts becoming a bit unfair when the player is even more punished for moving slowly upwards. Again, I like difficulty, and I defeated the boss, so it’s not UNFAIR unfair, but it is still a design flaw worth considering.
Speaking of those blue bombs, they are way too calm of an occurrence. They eventually just, you know, fade into the background with how consistent they happen and how insignificantly they look. One time, I even forgot they existed mid-fight and got hit twice over. There should probably be some more feedback to the player for that attack (something more different than the boss teleport telegraph). A bigger sound or visual effect maybe?
OH. Also, +1 for anime demon girls. …n-no, I’m not biased. Shush you.