BioGun

I like this game. But I have mixed feelings. The art, the progression, the level design... it's all good. The music is engaging and the gameplay too. It's just that, for some reason, I feel very lost in what to do or where to go when comparing this to other metroidvanias. I wouldn't stop recommending this game because of this feeling... maybe it's just that I'm not a patient gamer anymore. Also the fact that it's not working well on Deck (it can be played but there is some bug related to the game engine that makes it difficult to have good FPS on it). It looks amazing on a Windows PC though. I will continue until I see the end credits so, I still think it's worth your money and time if you're thinking about getting this game.

BioGun is a very large scope Metroidvania that looks like Hollow Knight but biology related at every turn. It has its own unique spin on the Metroidvania, adding fun mechanics and twists. There's a lot of experimentation with combat mechanics, fun cosmetics to unlock, and a variety of weapons to play around with. You get the fun platforming and combat feel of Hollow Knight, but without the intense and punishing difficulty. Death isn't the end and you don't really lose anything. There is a very...very large map. I'm only 7 hours in and I keep discovering more areas. I think I might have found the general shape of the whole map by now, and it's a lot bigger than I was expecting for something made by two people. Very impressive, and well done. The story seems intriguing, and I'm loving this mix between biology and anime in a 2D Metroidvania. The characters all seem to have different personalities, and pretty much everything ties into the main theme of the game. Nothing really seems out of place and the immersion is great. There are lots of comical moments and sometimes the characters even react to what you do outside of dialogue. I will say some of the story moments made me a little uncomfortable ([spoiler] like when boogers are kissing each other [/spoiler]), but for the most part it has been fine so far (and I'm really sensitive to that kind of stuff). There are definitely some bugs in the game. The developers have tried squashing many of them but were starting to run into limitations of the game engine they are working in. There hasn't been anything terrible yet, and bugs aren't very common. Considering the size of this game and the incredibly small development team, I would say that's a welcome surprise. Overall, BioGun is a really enjoyable experience for a variety of gaming skill levels. It's a charming and thoughtful game that really ties the story and gameplay together well. I'm excited to see how the game continues from here. Give it a go and help this dog feel better while saving dogkind!

Edit: Ok I was a little fast to judge. After that particular section, I haven't encountered anything buggy like that. And not gonna lie, I'm really enjoying myself. There is a heavy Metroid vibes here that I absolutely love. And some inspiration by Hallow knight. The story and setting is kind of new and pretty cute. (well the fact that you're inside the body of a cute dog, with cute cells is very cute.) BUT if you have Trypophobia, stay the hell away from this one. It's hell for you. 😂😂 (my first review was pretty negative. Hope I don't change my mind again.)

Great art, cute presentation that has a fun Saturday Morning style but isn't generic, excellent run n' gun gameplay. It's a game I can tell could easily become a solid all time favorite. I put off playing this game for a LONG time but finally decided to jump in and it lives up to my own personal hype. With a caveat that I am well aware it has a janky engine, so there are performance issues. I'm playing a very modest desktop so far and plan to try out my Legion GO eventually. So far (and I'm very early) on Desktop the game plays very well 90% of the time with very occasional hitches. But the game is good enough that I can (so far) easily look past slight technical issues.

100% RECOMMEND WITH ALL MY HEART. This is one of the BEST Metroidvanias I've ever played. It also just so happens to be one of the most unique and original mvs on the market. The story, world building, unlockable moves, artwork, platforming, and combat are all top notch and combine to form one of the most fun metroidvanias you'll ever play. I honestly cannot believe this isn't listed up there with the likes of Hollow Knight by the majority of fans but it belongs right under it imo. The ONLY issues I have with the game is the difficulty could stand to go up a notch on some of the bosses and there I encountered a handful of bugs that half of which caused me to have to turn the game off. The other half of bugs were fixable by hitting the start button to kind of reset the games state I guess while still playing. Then I just shot my blaster and moved around and was fine.

The campiness, the so-so 2d shooting, and the occasional bugs all make me feel like playing something else.

After about two hours, I realized you need three hands to play this game. One to steer, one to aim, and the third to shoot/jump/heal. Online threads told me it would be easier if the left stick controlled both actions, but I couldn't figure out how to do that in Steam Overlay. I gave up and enabled the in-game cheats (auto aim, god mode, etc.) and finished the game like this. The rest of the game was absolutely mediocre, and nothing redeemed the game, in fact, it ruined it, like the elements at the end (escaping Diromitus), so I finished the game frustrated.