Haunted Lands

Graphics are gorgeous pixel art, soundtrack is good, gameplay is fine. But I gotta give a thumb down because of the checkpoint system. First of all the game consists of multiple maps with each map consisting of multiple levels. In a level you have to complete about half of it to reach an optional checkpoint, which is due to the difficulty of the game already a bit grindy, but that's somewhat excusable. But when you close the game it doesn't save your progress in a level and you have to restart the entire level and since some levels can't be started from the hub because there is no major shortcut to them you have to play all the levels on that map that come prior before the mission where you left the game. For example the first map the mansion has 7 different levels (rose garden, the inside of the mansion, shed, wine cellar, library, laboratory and the control room) with one major shortcut after defeating the Prototype boss in the shed. Now let's say you played all the way to the final boss in the control room, but you gotta log off because the bossfight frustrates you or because you have something else to tend to irl. Now instead of restarting at the boss again you have to play from the major shortcut and complete the wine cellar, library and laboratory all over again just to end up where you left the game. That's just stupid grind. On top of that there are also minor shortcuts in levels, but they are completely useless since they are not saved by the game. Overall gorgeous pixel art, awesome retro soundtrack, decent gameplay, but all hindered by a stupid amount of grind due to a awful checkpoint system.

キャラの能力違いで行ける場所が変わったりするのと、ステージギミックや敵のアルゴリズム、ゲームのルールなども何度もやって学習していくゲーム。 先ずは3キャラを一通りチュートリアルからやってみて、どのキャラが自分に合うか試すのが良いと思う。 メトロヴァニアと云うより、ステージクリア型の昔ながらの探索アクションといった感じで、スタート地点に戻ればアイテムを保持して戻れるので、途中で手に入れたアイテムが攻略を易しくする場合もある。 色数の問題で、レトロなグラが見難く感じる場合があるのがマイナスか。 価格は安いが、外部販売所だとセール価格の半額くらいの事もあるので、コストパフォーマンスも良い。