Burden of the Blue

Some classic dungeon exploration with enemies and puzzles is held back by backtracking issues and frustrating, poorly balanced combat mechanics. You’re a freshly hatched bird on a secluded island, joined by two feathered companions. The early moments of your life are filled with lighthearted play and combat training, preparing you for a rite of passage: taking flight into the larger world. But when the day finally arrives, your attempt is halted by a shadowy sea serpent coiled in dark clouds. From a gameplay perspective, this top-down action-adventure opts for a minimalist control scheme. Your feathered fighter is equipped with a simple sword combo and a pistol. The sword delivers a three-hit combo and is your main method of dishing out damage. The gun, on the other hand, is more tactical. It only fires when you aim, can only shoot in the four cardinal directions, and is best used for stunning enemies rather than causing meaningful damage. Reloading is possible in two ways: you either pick up your spent bullets if they get stopped by walls or simply reload by switching screens. Exploration begins on your modest island, which cleverly expands through a central elevator that connects to four main dungeons. You initially choose between a sunken temple or catacombs, but progression to one higher and deeper stage is tied to a foolish mechanic. Instead of simply riding the elevator, you need to find a special spot in two other dungeons that lets you travel there. Each dungeon plays out as a series of interlinked rooms filled with enemies, puzzles, keys, and switches. However, what sets these dungeons apart is their unique environmental gimmicks. One may feature gusts of wind that alter your movement, another might rely on traps like rolling pins. While these ideas sound intriguing, their actual implementation is frustratingly shallow. These mechanics often require backtracking to manipulate specific objects, which are limited to certain rooms. Rooms don’t have any visual clues on what you can find there, but there is an overall treasure counter that lets you know when a dungeon is completely cleared out. Enemies don’t drop coins or gear, just health-restoring feathers. These can also be found in destructible pots and objects scattered throughout. Treasure chests, however, are where the real upgrades lie. These often contain special feathers that extend your health bar, materials to permanently boost your bullet count or sword damage, and trinkets that provide gameplay perks. These can range from a shotgun blast that fires all bullets at once to more damage. While all of this sounds fairly solid, the game’s biggest misstep lies in its combat design. Simply put, it’s the weakest part of the experience. The lack of invincibility frames when taking damage, combined with knockback and contact damage from enemies, results in cheap and frustrating deaths. Enemy-filled rooms and boss arenas are often overcrowded with environmental hazards like spikes and holes. You can find yourself stun-locked and juggled between enemies and traps until you’re out of health. Thankfully, the checkpoint system is fairly generous and enemies don’t respawn (unless you quit the game or rest at the elevator). Dying respawns you at the entrance of the room you perished in, which makes repeated attempts less punishing. Still, this doesn’t fully alleviate the pain of being knocked into a pit just before solving a puzzle or beating a tough enemy.