Elowen's Light

[h1]🤔Overall Impressions🤔[/h1][quote][h2][b]Elowen’s Light is a pretty, charming, and relaxing platformer but the platforming mechanics are very uncooperative and unresponsive leading to many moments of frustration. The story is over quite quickly and the game play is rather repetitive. There are a lot of nice ideas, and with the mechanics fixed it would be a very relaxing experience, but I can’t recommend a platforming game when there are so many faults with the controls. [/b][/h2][/quote][quote] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41039956/] Visit Indie Blast! For more reviews [/url][/quote][h1] 📕Story📕 [/h1]Elowen and Briony are lovers, but because Elowen is perceived as not being suitable for a Princess, their love is forbidden by her parents. Separated and longing for each other, Elowen tries to find Briony, but she is injured and in a far away land. The only chance they have of reuniting is to restore Briony’s health using magic that Elowen collects from the animals and plants in the environment. The story is charming and there is some nice pixel art depicting their plight, but it is over very quickly and there really isn’t much substance to the plot. I was surprised when the story ended and the credits started to roll on the screen as I was still platforming. It was quite bizarre. It was a nice addition to the platforming game play, but don’t expect too much. I would just see it as a bit of an introduction to the game. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2950355937[h1] 🕹️Gameplay🕹️[/h1] The main aim of the game is to collect magic to restore Briony so they can be together again. The trouble is that this is easily achieved after half an hour or so, but there is scope to continue if you are interested in achievements or growing plants in the garden of your floating house. Elowen can gather magic by collecting orbs as she moves through the land, filling her magic meter. Once full, she returns back to her house and gives it to Briony, aiding her recovery. Returning back to the house is a bit of a pain, as you have to navigate the platforming obstacles and obstructions once again in reverse. In the end, I just deliberately died, which returns you to your house without any penalties anyway. I think it would be much easier to have an option that that automatically sent you home. There are a few other ways of collecting magic, through cultivating seeds that grow into magic bearing trees, by escorting creatures to the safety of their mother, earning a multiplier on the amount of magic collected, and by respecting nature and avoiding the wildlife, by not touching them during platform sections. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2950400593 Once Briony and Elowen are together, Briony asks you to cultivate seeds for her garden, and then different plants which you can find in the environment and bring back to her. You can use magic to extend your garden to grow even more plants if you wish. I think the game is endless in this respect. The game has a nice environmental feel about it. [h1] 🏃‍♀️Platforming🏃‍♀️ [/h1] Elowen can do a single jump initially and that is all she has in her repertoire. By helping creatures, she can also gain a double jump and a glide. The double jump is awarded when you meet the Mushroom King without touching any of his babies, and the glide is awarded for rescuing and returning children to their mother. Platforming sections repeat over and over again. There is only one world and although it looks quite nice, it is the only one, and the same terrain is copied and pasted in an endless loop, so game play feels a little repetitive. The only saving grace is that the music and visuals are very relaxing so I almost didn’t mind until I achieved all the achievements I wanted, then I had no incentive to continue. Navigating the world has no jeopardy as you don’t get penalized for dying. No magic is lost or progression stunted. Some of the jumps are quite difficult and avoiding the mushroom babies can be a challenge. If any of these tasks prove too much of a burden, you are allowed to float in your house past these difficult bits, and get out when you want. The house moves very slowly though so this can take time. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2950400565 The controls are very unresponsive sometimes and often do things you are not expecting. I would rely upon a platforming game to have tight controls, but even with just the single jump I had issues when Elowen wouldn’t jump when asked, and sometimes jumped unexpectedly. When you gain the glide and double jump, they don’t seem to interact with each other. The glide hardly works at all, and if you’re looking to glide, jump, glide, jump, for example, then just forget it. I was very disappointed with the controls, especially the lack of combinations, as this could have been fun rather than frustrating. When you do get the glide to work, it is easy to jump over the long distances that a single jump struggled with, so game play becomes too easy. [h1]🍳Conclusion🍳[/h1] [quote][h2][b] [i]Elowen’s Light[/i] shows a lot of promise and could prove to be a very relaxed and chilled little platforming adventure if the controls were more responsive and less unpredictable. I liked the idea of growing plants in the garden, and quite enjoyed finding and collecting them, but this becomes a little repetitive, especially because the same platforming environments are copied over and over. There’s definitely some improvements needed, but I’ve seen a few updates already so I wouldn’t be surprised if this game can be turned around. [/b][/h2][/quote] [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/] Follow [b]IndieGems[/b] [/url] for more reviews like this one. [/quote]

Elowen's Light is an interesting platformer that keeps things casual. There isn't the stress of lives or getting game over that gives the game an interesting pace. Once you understand how each of the mechanics come together you end up in an interesting flow and can just vibe with the game. The art for this game is impressive. The use of lighting in areas along with a pixel art style give the game a uniqueness that adds to the feel of the world. Having transitions from day to night also allows different aspects of the game stand out as well. The music for the game is very soothing fitting quite well with the theme. The sound also helps in indicating where things are happening. Other sounds are great for giving creatures in the game more flavor as well too. Narrative is definitely a big part of this game. It is a sweet and endearing story that while the main narrative can be completed quickly there is still a world narrative to explore. It makes you wonder more about the other creatures and what drives them. From a gameplay perspective it is a straight forward platformer that plays it safe but the unlockables really change the flow of the game. Some of the creature behaviors feel counter intuitive at times and it isn't always clear what you shouldn't run into or not initially. It becomes clear as you play more. That may be the only downside to this charming game though. With all that said it is worth checking out and putting your time into it!

[h1]心にやさしいプラットフォーマー[/h1] 日本語未対応 メインとなるストーリーはあるものの その他の要素もいい感じのリラックス系プラットフォーマー 絵本のようなビジュアルとお話 操作もジャンプと移動だけでカジュアル 森の中にある魔法の素を集めておうちに戻り 好きな事にそれを使いましょう メインストーリーを進めるもよし スキルを強化するもよし 自由気ままに遊べます むずかしいゲームに疲れちゃったよ…という人にオススメ [code] Steamキュレーターで紹介しました [URL=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41056472/]「3D酔いでもゲームがしたい」[/URL]　[URL=https://twitter.com/_Rlyeh]Twitter[/URL] 毎日更新してます！ [/code]

My copy was given by the devs* Unfortunately, I thought the game had a lot of problems with the platforming gameplay, such as poorly implemented momentum, shaky camera, sensitive jumps, and other gameplay issues. In theory, it should be a relaxing experience where you collect gems to progress the narrative, but it just has too many polish and visual issues, even in terms of aesthetics it feels like the game is lacking some consistency. I actually don't mind the narrative, the characters were interesting to follow, but even then you can get to the credits in about 15 minutes before unlocking some of the platforming power-ups. The only reason I played it for 2 hours is that I kept finding new flowers, but I am not sure if it does much after you completed the game. I do wish you had more optional content inside the house, if you had more interaction between the characters, maybe like more cutscenes with them doing things together, that would help, I think the game needs at least 30+ minutes of narrative, it felt like only 10 to me. You pretty much just run around and collect gems to unlock some features inside your house, sometimes you can also find optional quests that give you rewards such as double jump or glide. The most obvious problem with the game is that if you look at the character sprite, every 4 frames or so it bounces back, so not only it makes the animation look junky, but if you time the jump at the wrong time, you are going to miss the platform. It also feels like the camera is moving a bit too much, I get why you implemented it, but I feel like if you can see all of the platforms, you don't need to constantly change the perspective. [h1] Pros: [/h1] (+) I didn't have any problems with the story, if anything I would love to see the characters do more things together, but you can finish the main game in 15 minutes, so not enough there to have much closure with the experience. Maybe if you had more optional things to do in the house, more rooms, and more exploration, that would make it more wholesome. [h1] Feedback: [/h1] [u] Platforming [/u] - so when you press glide, it should work in mid-air, but right now it mostly works if you hold it after the first jump. The character sprite bounces back a lot, maybe every 4 frames or so, it does not look smooth, and it can make you miss the jumps too. The camera moves a bit too much, I am not sure why but it feels like the game is stuttery, not like lag, it just does not feel smooth to play. Also, even when you die you want to have some type of animation and maybe not have the death floor so low, maybe like sparkles with a sound effect, just so it's not just a random respawn. [u] Content [/u] - the main story can be completed in 15 minutes, it's just not enough. Perhaps you would need more rooms in the house that have other types of purpose, more cutscenes with the characters doing things together. On a side note, I think it would have been better if entering the house just opened a new fullscreen window so you could show the detail. Also instead of having an invisible wall that respawns you at the door, it would be better just to have another platform there so you could enter manually, it would feel more natural. On a side note, you can get several double jumps, which I thought was kinda cute, to be honest. I don't think the achievement for the flutters is working. [b] Overall Thoughts: 4/10 [/b] So as far as the narrative I think you doing fine, I just want to the story to be a bit longer. If doing like platforming gameplay is too difficult, maybe the next game you could be more of a narrative-focused experience, perhaps some top-down exploration with cutscenes. I like the concept of the game, you know you have a floating house and you come back into to unlock the narrative and other trinkets, but it needs to look and feel better, that is unfortunately what it comes down to, the game is too clunky, you need to put more effort into the design of the locations and how the player navigates the game so it's not just junky platforming. [code]Niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]

I really wanted to give this game a thumbs up, but I can't yet. While being cute and relaxing, it feels like it is still unfinished and can use some polishing. The good things about this game are music and art style, they work together very well. The gameplay loop is also good enough, I never spent too much time doing only one thing and it kept me interested until I beat it. The biggest problem in my opinion is player movement. Overall it is okay, but bugs like random forward teleportation, clipping through ground or getting stuck in one horizontal position for a couple of seconds (probably related to gliding) are very common and ruin the feel. I believe that these bugs were noticed during the development because they happen way too often, and I don't know why they haven't been fixed. I can't call this a problem, but the game is VERY slow-paced. I get that it tries to be like that on purpose, but it gets boring quite quickly if you have no task to do. Thankfully you have tasks to do until you complete the game, BUT: Why is there an achievement for 10.000 jumps if you beat the game at around 1500 jumps? I either have to spam jumps under a ceiling for like half an hour or I'll never get that achievement at all, because getting to 10k at the regular pace would take 10+ hours of repetitive platforming. Also there is some minor stuff, like critters and foliage spawning on the air or in the walls and janky double jump (it gives more height if I tap jump twice in quick succession). I will change the review to positive if most of things I mentioned get addressed though, I'd left a neutral review if Steam had them. Developers, feel free to add me, I'll gladly explain what I felt is broken and try to provide more details on my feedback.

I really wish I could give a recommendation in the middle of Yes and No as this game was not all bad. I don't like leaving negative reviews, especially for a game that has so many positives. If you like supporting smaller shops and devs, I DO recommend picking this up. But, given my pros and cons, you'll understand why I gave it the rating I did. And, if it's fixed, I'll be happy to update the review. Pros: * I enjoyed the graphics. * I enjoyed the music (the music is so soothing, I think it might have even put me to sleep a couple times when playing it). * I enjoyed the casual pace of the game. * I enjoyed the no deaths mechanism. Neutral: * The story line was very minimal and doesn't impact game play. It wasn't a bad story line, just that wasn't much there. Cons: * The game can be "completed" very quickly (10-15 minutes) and the "ending" credits roll while you're still playing (and sometimes obstruct your view. But, only a few of the achievements unlock by then. If you want the full game experience (which can last several hours), keep playing. * Also, the game has no ending. After that initial ending point, you start building a garden of plants collected. Nothing tells you when you've completed the garden (and there is an end as the character asking for plants all of a sudden stops asking you to get more - but, there is no messaging or resolution). * When starting out, some of the platforming jumps are nearly impossible to make because of the character's starting stats. In those cases, you wait for the house to catch up and push you past those points. * The menu system upon initial loading wasn't displaying... and apparently, I was clicking right where the "Exit" button is. Without a confirmation "Are you sure?", the game kept exiting. So, on my fourth load, I pressed the space bar after it loaded and the menu appeared. *Biggest* Con: * After putting in several hours into the game (I was one achievement away from platinum), I hit Esc to go to the main menu and again, the menu wasn't displaying. I clicked on the screen and apparently I clicked where the "New Game" button lives. Instantly, a new game started and all of my prior progress was gone. Again, no confirmation message. I decided to push through and re-play the game, but that was a very bad experience. If you can avoid that (use your space bar), you will like the game a lot more. If you can avoid the cons above or if they don't matter to you, I recommend the game... otherwise, I recommend waiting until it is fixed (if it will be). But, until that point, I can't give that thumbs up... sorry.

Pretty pixel art and terraria music gives my brain the happy chemical

It was so nice to play a game like this again. It brings back memories of when computer games were more simple. No fancy effects, but the story is credible and full of fantasy and romance. The MUSIC is AWESOME! Nothing childish or mundane, making this fun to listen to while playing. I have only reached a few achievements, but they are challenging and delightfully inspiring! My granddaughter took over the controls and picked it up easily. The story was moot, because she doesn't read yet (she's 7), but she enjoyed playing it. Some of the jumps were difficult and too challenging for her age, but I got her through those spots, although many of them are like a puzzle to solve.

This was a quick game with a cute story. I wound up continuing longer than I expected. I encountered a few minor bugs (metaphorically, but also literally). I definitely have a non-gaming PC, and wouldn't dream of playing most games on this computer. I experienced a bug immediately in which it was hard to move without my character constantly trying to turn around. But this bug went away if I went to Settings and un-checked the Visual FX checkbox. (This removed some interesting, but unnecessary background images.) You collect magic and use that to advance the story, gain abilities, or increase the number of trees you can plant (makes you gain magic more quickly). You can't contribute magic towards any task unless your magic bar is filled, and I did get confused that the lantern (i.e. the way to advance the story) implies that you can deposit magic at any time. Once I realized that wasn't the case though, the confusion was over. The post-game is pretty repetitive. But like I said, I played longer than I expected. It's a good way to kill an hour, or maybe a little more.

I found this game really sweet and particularly enjoyed the art, music and world. The home floating after your calmly was a very innovative feeling and interesting platforming conceit and really set the tone for the peaceful quality of the world. Adorable!