Exoder

DEEPLY ABSURD! It's frontloaded with the second hardest level in the game, and has you navigate what appears to be the strange innards of a subterranean leviathan [and the deconsecrated cityscapes atop it], so I render my two-word judgement categorically. Exoder is in the gut of a living, alien hell, and as her puppetmaster, you will feel her pain and catharsis in spades. Get her out of there. A few levels, including the very first, are like running a marathon through hail—long, exhausting, there are projectiles hitting you from who-knows-where possibly thrown by some sort of evil deity, and you WILL have a runner's high by the end of them; other levels will feel like mellow palette cleansers, some like proper adventures. The flexible checkpoints are upsetting and brilliant—lots of strategy deciding when to place them, when to [i]hang onto them[/i], even when to run down the clock and let the Wanly devour an old checkpoint, forcing a new one to appear on Exoder's current roost. Default control bindings are clunky [bless you autohotkey scripts] but the in-game responsiveness is tight and precise. Bosses are *ALMOST ALL* breaths of fresh air after long levels, only a few enemies made me see blood, I was struck from off-screen by at least seven dozen shambling ghouls, and I do not like bouncy castles anymore!! The ghost city trampoline labyrinth is not up to code and must be shut down Left me really fulfilled after every other level, and in its final minutes. Getting past the multi-hour gauntlet of the first level leaves an atmosphere of relief and safety resting beneath me... I haven't felt anything quite like it since Jump King. I like thinking about its world and NOT thinking about the rotating platforms in the moss grotto

Just like Marrow, it took 2 playthroughs for me to really start appreciating this game. Gameplay is more focused on precision platforming than the dev's previous work, and the goal is to beat each level as quickly as possible so you don't get caught by the Wanly's shadow. Most enemies can't be killed, and your melee attack is instead used for destroying or reflecting projectiles, and also bouncing off enemies to gain additional height. One of my favorite things about Exoder is how different the areas are: every stage looks different, introduces unique mechanics, and has an entirely new set of enemies to keep you on your toes. Bosses are easier than the stages, but are pretty interesting and fun overall. Exoder herself also controls well once you get used to the movement, although, just like Marrow, the game is missing out on some basic modern features like control rebinding. At least this one included a pause button (and the keyboard+mouse controls work just fine). In terms of difficulty and length, Exoder is both shorter and easier than Marrow, although the 1st stage can be a major difficulty wall. Stages are long (5, 10, 15 minutes), and the starting level is relentless: tiny platforms, tons of enemies, and projectiles everywhere, and don't forget that you're on a time limit. Things get easier after the intro stage, though, so if you can beat the 1st level, you can 100% beat the rest of the game. Music is great, and the retro visuals looks good (it reminds me a lot of Axiom Verge). Like Marrow there are some small bugs, jank, and general frustrations that can make a 1st playthrough difficult to get into, but due to the shorter playtime and linear stages, I think Exoder is the easier of the two to pick up and play. While I still prefer Marrow's exploration and slower pacing, this 2nd game is worth picking up too if you want a tough platformer, and it's been just as sadly overlooked. It's taken 6 years to finally hit enough reviews for a score listing on steam, and that ain't right. I hope FDG is still working on the 3rd game in the series.

great if you can get past the first level

Хороший, но не честный платформер с отличной атмосферой.

Стильный дизайн и музыка, но откровенно неудобное управление. Если у вас нет геймпада, вам будет тяжело насладиться прохождением. Игра забрасывает вас в мир практически без туториала, и разобраться в происходящем самостоятельно лично для меня оказалось нелегко.

This cute little platformer game makes me want to go to my local grocery store and mow everyone down with an assault rifle. 10/10

Greaat concept and I love the theme they have. I just wish you can change the keybindings. As a keyboard user, it really is frustrating to be forced to learn bindings.