This could probably be described pretty easily as "Titan AE: The Metroidvania". I don't know if the similarities in the art style are intentional, but this game reminds me of it very strongly. It's actually a really good look.
So, obviously as a Metroidvania, this is a platformer in which you explore a world, filled with monsters, traps, treasure and bosses. As you explore, you collect shards and perks, which allow you to upgrade your abilities in a tree structure, which is reminiscent of that used for Final Fantasy X. I assume that here, as in that game, sufficient grinding will allow me to fill the entire tree.
Grinding looks like it's going to be fun though, as there is quite a range of baddies to slaughter. All of which have their own specific annoyances. There are melee troops that run across the ground (and climb the walls, which was unexpected and an interesting variation not often seen). There are enemies that shoot at you from off the screen, and only allow you to avoid them by using tracer fire which you can dodge, and many others. One of the most irritating is the pointy plant, which sucks you in by sitting perfectly still and being very sharp. Sneaky.
The controls are crisp, and the movement feels very smooth and responsive. There's no clunkiness here, though you are likely to be a little frustrated until you start unlocking some of the upgrades (hello double jump). They're sufficiently smooth that your death never feels cheap though, as when you're overwhelmed (as you almost certainly will be occasionally), it doesn't feel like it's because the button didn't respond quick enough. You just were able to fight off that many monsters.
You look quite cool when fighting though, as you've been upgraded by a living weapon (who has an interestingly evil appearance. We'll see if he stays good throughout the game.) You can turn limbs into blades and slash open prey while dashing through the air. It's pretty fitting, given that you're exploring a world of horrific creatures, including bio-mechanical assassins, something that looks like a living mass of tentacles with a lamprey mouth and slightly too huge killer robots. It's pretty Lovecraftian.
It's great fun, in the similar vein as Ori or Hollow Knight (I really must start going back further for things that I've played.) And I'm going to keep playing it, hopefully to completion.
Highly recommended.
Tagged: Game Roguelike 2D Hard difficulty PC