Everblade

[table][th] Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces [/url] - The greatest games of all time on Steam. [/th][/table] Is this game a masterpiece? No, this is a retro action platformer. Not bad, but no fancy bells and whistles, just hardcore jumping and fighting monsters, often at the same time. Jump on platforms, jump against walls to climb them, avoid touching environmental dangers, destroy blocks to find treasure and hidden rooms, kill monsters and get killed by large, hard to beat bosses. Learn new skills and magic tricks as the adventure unfolds. If this is what you are looking for, you will be very happy with this game. A small, out of the way medieval village gets attacked by an evil sorcerer who kills most villagers and then steals the horn of a large, sleeping white cat (the town's guardian). You are the chosen villager to take revenge - and the game starts, with you and a magic knife standing at the entry of a cave full of skeletons in various sizes. Stab them with your knife, or throw the knife - you have a few shots which reload over time (it is a magic dagger after all). You have a bunch of health points, so you do survive a few hits. Stones to regenerate health points can be found during your adventure. You also start with four lifes and can find more. The game is still hard, but it comes with a continue option (at the level start) that even allows you to keep your treasure. No cloudsaves. Ultrawidescreen works, but with black borders to the sides. Gamepad is supported. [u][b] Conclusion:[/b][/u] Quite challenging retro platformer.

In a world full of Metroidvania-ish platformers, there's no reason to play one with so many self inflicted wounds. It's possible that the game gets better at some point, but it's hard to imagine. I've played for a little more than an hour but feel like I've accomplished almost nothing. It's a terrible first impression. The game doesn't teach you any important controls or interactions with the environment. You're going to learn everything by trial and error, but failing often won't give you a hint of what to do. What's the item you just picked up? Who knows!? Want to find power-ups? Attack every wall! The game punishes you for basic interactions. Exploding red blocks or skulls that come to life do little other than force you to perform basic travel through block walls more slowly. The red blocks in particular a terrible fun stopper. Their existence is counter-intuitive in a game that practically demands you try to destroy every wall. The red blocks explode and damage you very easily. To get around some of them without damage you have to attack them at a range in a way that feels a bit like kiting. The game's jumping isn't great. There are some minor mechanical issues. There are a number of "headbanger" leaps where you need to jump short to avoid hitting your head. The reaction from these 'headbangers" is not player friendly. Jumping and hanging wall can be difficult if there's a ceiling because you'll bounce way down if you tap it. The bigger problem is the jumping philosophy. Jumping in a game can be used as a challenge where it matters if you fail. But sometimes it's just a way to get from place to place and it shouldn't be difficult. Unfortunately, some games feel the need to make nearly every section with any jumping a challenge even if you have to travel the area multiple times, and these sections will have close to one right path which requires correct jumps from each platform. These jump combos aren't terrible the first time, but when the game does the same thing over again or forces you to run the same precise room to explore, it's a drag. The developer has spent extra work making routine sections of the game less fun. The first point where I'm wasting too much time is a large room you have to cross back and forth over several times to reach the top. If you miss a jump, there's a good chance you'll end up back at the bottom. You probably won't take damage (or much damage) so the penalty is time. If you try to explore the room, there's a good chance you'll have to end up back at the bottom of the room wasting more time. If you decide to go back and explore a previous room, you'll waste more time crossing it. these rooms with mostly one correct path and easy to miss jumps do little but suck time. I've seen games do jumping worse, but when I'm backtracking because I can't figure out how to tackle the first boss the bad travel jumping issues are magnified. And the first boss was the last straw. The game gives you little hints on how to damage the boss. Other enemies could be damaged the same with close range and long range weapons. The boss only works with close range. There's no indication of where the spot to hit is until you hit it, it doesn't have any color changes and it's the same kind of bone as the rest of the boss. It takes a lot of work to get to the point you can hit this spot, but since the long range weapon makes you think it's not a hitbox for anything there's plenty of reason not to try. The only reason I tried is because I had fought the boss for several lives and not done a point of damage, and then ran back across the map looking to see if I missed power-up, and then came back, and wasted more lives stabbing and shooting everything in the room from until something finally ticked. I quit when the boss then came up with a new move that made the already slow task less fun without a desire to spend more time on it. I'm honestly puzzled by the number of games like this that make the first boss difficult. You want the player to feel a sense of accomplishment. This game doesn't do that. As a bonus, the game won't dump your gold count for a level when you have to "continue', but it will if you quit the game because it's so hard to correctly store a number. The game is practically encouraging you to give up before your'e invested. I also ran into serious performance issues on a machine that runs modern 3D games fine in 1080. I've run Cyberpunk in 1080 on it without issue. It should be able to deal with a primitive pixel platformer. Jumping in many cases would slow down the game during a longer jump. Because this would usually happen without enemies on screen, I wasn't until I tried the game on another system that I was certain this wasn't just bad jump physics. There's enough skill shown in the parts of the game that work to be good, but the developer has shown little need (via the game play) to help the player understand the game, or recognition of elements that conflict with core game play. It's like playing an old 1980's NES game where all the important details are in the manual but you don't have the manual. And also like a bad 1980's NES game that punishes you because it can with arbitrary dangers and routine path jumps that are difficult. At the moment, it's hard to recommend this game at any price but especially $15. I'm not sure it's beyond fixing if the developer is willing to significantly reconsider the new player experience and make the game more intuitive. It would require believing that there's a problem and being willing to make serious changes to the presentation.

https://youtu.be/TFO9TwiBtgk So you've read the description and now you're down here in the comments trying to figure out what's it all about. Click the video above to see some of the gameplay, mechanic and hear my thoughts on the game. Everblade is latest contestant in the 2D Pixel Art world by Elion Games. In a space where so my pixelated platformers exist, what makes Everblade worth you hard earned money instead of other games on the market? Let’s discuss… Graphics/Art Style: You already know that they’re Pixel graphics. I’ve mentioned it numerous times up to this point so why beat a dead horse you ask? Close your eyes and think back to your favorite NES game. The look of the environments, characters and everything else; now convert that picture to HD and smoothness like butter and that’s what Everblade has going on for it. Story: It may be a classic story or an overplayed trope (depending on your individual view) but a town living in peace that’s wreck by a power hungry mage gets my blood pumping. After he ransacks my town, kills my friends and steals my favorite deity’s horn…I’m ready to shove some fireballs up where the sun don’t shine. Gameplay: It’s a Metroidvania, enough said. Wait? You want me to say more? Ok, the controls are simple (jump, attack, etc.) but there so smooth and responsive. Jumping, wall climbing, attacking and everything else is so effortless that you’ll have to catch yourself from making little mistakes. Upgrades, powers, abilities, and bosses…what more do you need? Music: Classic Retro NES jams and bangers all day every day. Highly recommend you pick up the soundtrack because you’ll find yourself humming it and nodding your head like I have since it crawled into my brain and laid beautiful music babies. Replayability: Two Modes (that I know of) are offered at the start Normal or Hard. This will give you a chance to go back through the game again and test your old school NES street credit. Maybe there will be a Hardcore or Insane mode once beaten, but normal was fun and challenging enough for me through my first playthrough. Overall, this is a good maybe even great addition to the 2D Pixel Platformer Metriodvanias on steam. The Time I have spent playing/reviewing this game has been some of the most enjoyable and I am looking forward to playing more after I post this review. I cannot strongly encourage you enough to pick this gem up for yourself. Will you succeed and restore order to the world? Only one way to find out…

There’s been a misconception about this game given its mis-labelling as a metroidvania. There's 9 main levels connected to a large hubworld, which contains its own secrets. Progress through these is semi-linear, plenty of side rooms to explore for extra goods, with some obvious barriers that stop you going everywhere. There is no map for these levels. You’ll be returning to many of these levels later in the game once you’ve gained the ability to break these barriers and pass these obstacles. The flame daggers (for destroying red thorns), a giant hammer (for breaking concrete floor/walls) and ice daggers (for freezing falling platforms). These abilities will be found in the later 5 levels of the hub that are unlocked after you finish the first 4. These returns visits are all optional, so if backtracking isn’t your thing you can keep plowing onwards. If you want that health buff or extra upgrade token, it’s there for you. This may be a point of frustration for some as the lack of maps for these primary levels means you simple just have to recall areas you couldn’t access from your own recollection, but it’s clear from the game’s aesthetics that it’s going for an old school feel. The level select nexus itself also uses these skills to unlock new areas for additional upgrade materials. Once all 9 of the main levels are done you'll have access to the final GigaLevel, which finally gives you a map and asks you to trek around and break NINE SEALS to get to the final boss. It feels like 9 half levels glued together resulting in something the feels 4.5 times the size of everything before it, then climaxes with the longest boss in the game. The level design is nice and varied between each level. The Oasis level alone features a heatstroke mechanic that requires you to cool off in puddles to avoid taking damage, a mini-boss, returning back to the beginning using an underground passage and shortcuts opened up by your new fire daggers, proceed into a temple, run away from a wave of lava, dodge swinging axes, etc. The Mines have their cart gimmick and track switching shenanigans. The Mountains have the wind mechanic which switches up the platforming greatly. There were quite a few frustrating elements to the game at release, but by browsing the patches you can see the devs appear to be open to player feedback and adjusting the game where appropriate. Errr, is this even a review at this point? I just wanted to clarify what is on offer here.

Leaving a review cause it's deserted in here—game is VERY good, it knows what it's doing and has a KILLER soundtrack. The world is very unique, it's like a metroivania without a map but it's not confusing for that matter. You have an intuitive melee attack as well as 3 magical swords rotating around you that you can throw and constantly replenish. Great game with a great concept pick it up

Fun exploration-based action/adventure/platformer.

Sloppy controls is a big turnoff for me. Worse, in 2022, this is a video game that seemingly doesn't let you rebind your controls. If it does, some mystical keypresses are required to get there because it's certainly not your usual arrow key or WASD suspects. Super Metroid, a **1994** video game, let you change your controls. Massive oversight in the current year afaic.

The final boss form is punishingly difficult. It is shame that the game had to end on a frustrating note after much enjoyment in getting to the final part. As such I find this game terrible

Everblade is one of the best retro style platformers I've played in the past 30 years! It's fresh with a lot of creativity, great gameplay and just a fun game to play. For my in-depth review please check it out on my YT channel, link below. https://youtu.be/BHp_80fqBmg -Graphics: 8.5/10 -Music/SFX: 9/10 -Gameplay: 9/10 Total Score: 9/10 The game has a LOT of variety and offers all jump and run conventions you would expect, including wall jumping, hidden items and bonus stages, puzzles and a lot of unlockable stuff throughout the game. Expect around 9 to 10 hours gameplay on normal if you just play the levels and 20+ hours with finding all secrets. A quick note regarding some really unfair comments here on Steam, if you cannot deal with bouncing platforms or exploding blocks after you encounter them the first time you shouldn't be playing video games!!! Also, there is a free demo to try out first, no excuses! Disclaimer: I have been given a free copy of the game. In no way is this a sponsorship as it took many days to play and review the full game. No money has changed hands and my opinions are entirely my own! The developer did not get to review my video before release!

An arcade platformer with retro visuals and light metroidvania features plus some questionable design choices. The plot is a cliché that can be found in almost every game. A tranquil village coexists with a big cat deity that serves as its defender. Suddenly, an evil wizard attacks the village, seeking one of the protector's horns. By demolishing the majority of the community and killing the lucky residents, he achieves in his goal. Those who are unlucky are transformed into skeleton warriors. You play as one of the few survivors who happens to pass past the protector and receives his other horn, as well as its abilities. This ability is a magical dagger that has a basic slashing attack with very short range or it can be thrown up to three times before requiring recharging. This takes a few seconds and prevents you from repeatedly spamming throw from a safe distance. The other ability is to hit enemy shots that can be either destroyed or deflected back to the attacker. Later on, you'll get elemental daggers, which help you solve puzzles and make some opponents easier to defeat. Bringing insanely rare ingots to the smithy in the main hub will unlock more skills. Several characters in the hub offer enhancements for a fee. The most crucial are skill coins, which are hidden in stages and give game-changing upgrades like more jewels in chests or a grappling blade that allows you to reach new areas. The skeleton, who requires completely different tokens and opens a door to the challenge area, is the one I disliked. The fact that you have to spend three tokens each time makes this a pain. If you fail, you'll have to look for them again or get lucky and find a cat that drops a nice bundle of tokens. These challenges need to be found in the game’s stages before they show up in the room. They’re a single-room and timed mini-games where you need to survive long enough to earn a gold medal. In the main hub, stages are represented by portals. While some are locked and only become active when a certain amount of progress has been completed, you typically have an option of which one to tackle first. Each portal features three gem slots, which fill up as you discover items and secrets. There’s no saving because the stages are played as an arcade game (but there are checkpoints). There are also no significant branching paths. Except for secret walls that lead to a plentiful chest or a collectible, it's a mainly straightforward adventure. The game has an unhealthy obsession with secret walls, with one in virtually every room. The problem is they look only slightly different from the rest of the environment. As a result, you'll be hammering on every possible wall since you don't want to miss out on any valuable jewels. This currency is then utilized in the main hub to buy limited-use potions and items with passive abilities that break upon death, such as the antipoison potion. I enjoyed the game’s puzzles. These usually entail throwing your dagger at glass surfaces and getting it to bounce at the perfect angle. They serve as a welcome distraction and don’t overstay their welcome. The stages themselves are difficult but not impossible to complete. They have the classic themes like frozen world and jungle. Although there are numerous enemies that can make your life difficult, particularly the various skeleton warriors who are too fast and fire cheap shots at you (get a freeze dagger and the tables turn), the main cause of death is still the numerous hazards found throughout the stages. Some examples include poisonous waters, thorns, and exploding rocks. Despite the nimble protagonist's ability to jump on walls unless they're covered in slippery material, I recommend going slowly. By the way, the hero has a problem with ladders. To be able to climb down, he must be exactly in the right spot. There aren’t that many of them, but it was funny how I continued kneeling rather than climbing just because I was a few pixels away from the area. Fortunately, dying does not mean the game is over because you have multiple lives and your health may be easily replenished. If you find a level too difficult and want to quit, you can do so but you will lose all the acquired gems. Re-visiting completed stages is possible. This is actually encouraged because some areas are blocked off by obstacles that can only be removed using tools that you will get later. The already unlocked doors and shortcuts make subsequent exploration considerably easy. During boss fights, you will almost certainly die. They strike hard and necessitate accurate jumping while waiting for an opening. The good news is that they only use about three attack moves during the fight and don't throw anything random at you. When half of their health is gone, there is no unexpected attack or increased difficulty. Some are even fun, such as the massive stone colossus. The worst thing is that if you return to the stage and want to keep the new loot, you'll have to beat them all over again. The exit portal appears only after the boss has been defeated; this isn't entertaining, and I'd prefer a portal outside the final room. Later bosses are even less fun because they can only be hit with a particular elemental dagger. These battles drag on far too long because you have to wait a few seconds after throwing three daggers. My recommendation is to grab the skill that shortens the recharge period as soon as possible. ([b] UPDATE - Fixed in the latest update [/b]) I encountered one of the few bugs during the first boss fight. When the bony fist punched me into the ground, I thought that being stuck in the ground was part of the game’s mechanic. It turns out I glitched inside the terrain and couldn't get out. I had no choice but to wait until the boss killed me. The other bug occurred later when I had to light a lantern by throwing a fire dagger between two moving rocks. An enemy died right between the rocks and dropped a jewel that stopped both rocks and completely blocked the lantern. I had to quit the game and restart the whole thing. Despite the slow and hard start, the game opens up and becomes more enjoyable the more you play it. You start getting some upgrades, the stages become more complex and with certain mechanics – such as the desert stage where you need to cool off in the water regularly – and even the main hub starts revealing its secrets. The achievements are fair for the most part; just collect everything and progress the story. However, the no-hit achievements for every boss are a nightmare. If you ignore the fact that you have to progress through stages each time just to fight them, most have a cheap attack that makes the entire run pointless and frustrating. I don't want to rely on luck. First boss drops random rocks at spots that allow you to hit the boss, one in the water stage swims faster than you, the next in the desert sends a swarm at you, etc. You can forget about using the shield ability, it won't work. No-hit means no hit! Also, at least one isn't working properly: the "Breaking the Bank" is stuck at 99,999. The last boss encounter, where the limited battle system rears its ugly head, receives criticism. The the weak points are located out of reach, so you have to dodge the insane attacks that require pixel-perfect precision while waiting for the grapple points to appear. Then you get one shot to reach the weak point that requires several hits. Once you finally do that, you can hit the boss once, twice if you're lucky, for tiny amount of damage.