DNA: Episode 1

I don't play beat em ups often but having a story definitely helped bring it in. This is only the first chapter so I think it's important going into it knowing that there will be more to come. It feels like that first chapter you get in a demo to help you see if you'd want to play it or not. Anyway, here's my rant on my thoughts :D Okay so Animation: The animation is hand drawn and simple but I like it. It's nothing fancy but gets the job done. It conveys the story and everything is cohesive. It's easy to tell who the characters are and the main two characters actually have pretty details costumes. Fighting animations are also simple but have enough frames to show what attack or move is being used. For a solo development, I think it's solid work. Not the best but still has a charm to it Gameplay: I think it could use a bit more guidance. I played through it twice to test the difficulties. Normal was actually easier for me if only because i learned the controls more. There's special attacks and blocks you have to get from the skill tree but there's nothing showing you or prompting you to use it. My first play through I didn't even know that was a feature. One attack didn't work. There were options to us X or Z for a hit but it never did anything. I was able to use a beam using Right click but only one special attack despite being able to get 2. There was glitch where the block wouldn't work. I would press control and it would flicker the animation before reverting back. I think it was just a bug because it worked perfectly in the first half of the game. The movements also feel a bit floaty but nothing bad. I'd like if the jumping was faster so I can control how I dodge better. The fighting did feel a bit bland at moments. It's basically just spamming left click to attack. Fighting Alpha does knock your XP a lot but I had a hard time getting a strategy as it was really simple. It made the fighting a little less impressive but I still enjoyed and got focused on the task at hand. Story: Super fast paced, a little too fast. I was constantly being hit with new information. I think a few establishing shots would help. The animation was constantly running, which impressive work getting all that made, but it was so much I couldn't keep track. The dialogue was one after another as well. Regardless, it does have the start of an interesting story. I'd have to play more to really see but so far it has potentials. There's definitely a few areas where I felt confused or questioned motives or actions but it's not a high budget project and for a bit of fun, I'm willing to ignore it. SPOILERS I do wish Alpha was explored more. We're thrown into his village with no explanation or objective and just start beating people up. Then we get Alpha and have long fight with him. Once we win we get a bit of him saying Leo is a strong but shouldn't be a puppet. We find out we're after another specimen but Alpha didn't even know what Leo was after the whole time. Leo seems like he's figuring himself out, mainly wanting to get approval from the chairman but wants to do it by himself. I cannot spell his name (sorryyyy) but Thatius??? anyway he shows up and just beheads Alpha, which caught me OFF GUARD. It wasn't gory at all and was kinda sick to see. Most stories don't kill characters. I was hoping that there'd be some sort of alliance between him and Leo once he realizes the Chairman is evil but alas. Foiled. I'm interested to see how the story evolves and takes the characters. I'm hoping the pacing slows down but all in all, I think it's good for what it is and it's nice to enjoy as a little fun game after work or when you have an hour free.

Visually stunning cutscenes and a cool anime-style story, but the gameplay is super shallow. Combat is just clicking, with no variety or challenge, and the character animation feels unfinished.

This Review would be based on someone who enjoys anime. Based on my personal gameplay, DNA is a beat-em up game where you play as Leo, the Hybrid Commander that has conflicting feelings about killing. Basically a failure in the military. This game uses simple hand drawn animation that is easy to follow and enjoy. Making the game actually immersive and easily attracts me to the story. Gameplay wise, I think there should be some more guidance on what button is what action based on real time tutorials. Or at the very least, give the game a built-in tutorial screen in the controller that shows what button is what action. You would easily get confused if you use XBOX Controller but I get it working in no time. Enemies are a bit bland since there is no interaction if you hit or get hit. Making it feels repetitive. Boss fight health bar is a little too much in my opinion. Making it feels a bit hard to fight without dying. Several question pop up in my mind while playing: - Why are we in this village slaying people? - Who is this Alpha guy? - Why are we following Chairman Guz? There is nothing stating that he's like a father figure or something like that. That's all I get from episode one. Quite an interesting story and I'm interested to know more about it. Will try the rest later!

La historia es excelente, atrapante desde el primer momento. La música es simplemente hermosa, logra envolverte en cada escena, y los gráficos estilo anime son preciosos, cuidados en cada detalle. El sonido también es de muy buena calidad y le da un toque aún más inmersivo a toda la experiencia. Me encantó jugarlo y definitivamente lo recomiendo si amas las buenas historias y la estética anime. Aquí puedes ver un poco de mi gameplay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2442711836

I’m blown away by how much this feels like a playable anime. The cutscenes are gorgeous, and the story hooked me from the start. Combat is straightforward, but the world building and art kept me going. Huge respect to the solo dev, this is pure passion!

This game is just a scam, no content at all. There's is just 1 stage, no progression, combat is simple and lazily done. All these positive reviews were purchased by the devs.

there is no content at all

I saw on Instagram a ton of gamers hyped for DNAVERSUS, so I figured I'd check out the story of DNA 1 before DNAVERSUS drops, and honestly, DNA 1 Episode 1 was a really solid surprise to start off. For something made by one dude, it's pretty impressive especially have a whole anime in the episodes did not expect that at all. The story is what really got me. I like how it's split into DNA 1 episodes, and even just from the first one, the story has me hooked for sure. That Terius and Alpha moment definitely caught me off guard too... lets just say without spoilers that Terius is one cold blooded psycho 😂 and I did not see that coming. You will know what I am talking about bc I was like holy... sh.. 😂😂 But all in all so far the DNA Episode 1 story is a 10/10 for sure. The combat is alright and can get really repetitive but it reminded me a little of TMNT 2 with the button mashing lol. I played on normal mode, not nova mode, so I can only imagine how hard the Alpha boss will be on that difficulty. Leo's beam was my favorite special to use. It felt like Gohan's one-handed Kamehameha, which I loved. I also liked that you can charge up the beam to do more damage. The Alpha boss fight was probably one of the best parts for me too. He started getting a lot harder once his health got lower, almost like he was learning my moves or something, and by the end he was throwing out sword combos that would take out like half my life bar. That fight took me a minute, but beating him felt really good. Overall though 6/10 for gameplay could use improvement. The controls were a little confusing at first, but thankfully the options menu shows the button mappings and you can edit the control mappings on steam, that helped a lot. Once I got further into the stage, I got used to it pretty quick and it ended up feeling easy after that. The anime parts in the episode were really the best part, and the voice acting was solid. The music was epic though overall is a 10/10 for me for the music. It really fits the game and anime perfect. Crazy to see his newer work now especially with DNAVERSUS and DNA 2. It's night and day compared to DNA 1 like its not even close, and I'm really impressed that this was developed by one dude... That makes it even more respect-worthy. Price for the DNA 1 bundle price was good for $8 bucks for the 12 episodes with an anime which is solid for me.. Overall, I'd give it an 8/10. The story is a 10/10 for me so far, the gameplay is more like a 6/10 bc of how repetitive it was but the specials and combos were cool, and the music is definitely a 10/10 for sure. Still, the story, style, music, and the fact that one guy made this really sold it for me. I also played the episode several times just trying to beat my 158 combo record, and that alone shows how addictive the game can be. But love the story, so if you are a anime fan you will love this. Oh and who has the combo record? again mine is 158 😂.

pretty dope game. Nice story and cool music. Can't wait for Episode 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IjgHDqqrjA&t=697s

The story of "DNA: Episode 1" revolves around Leo, a young man burdened by his troubled past and seeking redemption. After losing everything he once cared about, Leo embarks on a journey to confront his inner demons and uncover the truth behind the mysteries of the DNA universe. The game introduces a world shaped by advanced genetic technologies, creating ethical dilemmas and conflicts between characters who wield its power. Gameplay focuses on dynamic side-scrolling action combined with RPG elements. Regarding skills, the game incorporates a skill tree system where players can unlock and upgrade Leo’s abilities as they progress.