It isn't a proper Godot Wild Jam without an Anonymyst submission, because it's usually the most unique entry with experimental features and ideas applied to true-and-tested mechanics, and makes for a memorable experience. I still remember how Chapter 2: Smoke and Iron took pieces of my soul.
In Into the Void, one of the experiments lie in the unique click + hold method of player movement, and automatic bullet shooting. I like the latter, not too sure about the former, but would agree that traditional mechanics of mouse movement to move + click to shoot would've been too "regular."
The bullet hell occurs when multiple enemies or boss characters appear on the screen, and avoiding their red circles is challenging, requiring the player to stay focused on their own sprite at all times. This difficulty is offset by features like a protective shield that gives you invincibility frames for a few seconds, which concurrently allows you to move anywhere on the screen during that time and get to a better position. There definitely is some strategic thinking required to survive the space-hell.
I did try to reach for the thunder icon a few times to kill all red circles (died a couple of times in the process), but wasn't sure if I was ever able to activate it. It could use a hover graphic, or it's perhaps better assigned to an input (right-click?).
Would've liked to have seen a progression system of sorts that made it more apparent how much closer a player is getting to the end, or even a copyrighted Anonymyst story as those also are unique ideas into a foreign universe that I crave for.
Excellent music, 2D sprites, and top-notch particle work make this game a whole different world. I love the fact that the difficulty is acknowledged by the developer, who balances it with unlimited tries without too much loss of progress. Fun and challenging. My only disappointment is that this isn't titled Chapter 11: Ship Ton of Bullets.
