I went on a whim and decided to get a 9-Game puzzle game pack that would be a fun idea to stream, this was one of the games.
Light Ball is a dimly lit platformer that raises intensity for completing levels, but the intensity happens to be for the wrong reason.
Light Ball at first seems like a very bare-bones game with little to offer with my first 10 minutes of the game consisted of me trying to beat a stage with just the tiny light around your orb, until I realized I'm an idiot and I seriously should've looked at the controls, I figured out you can right click shoot out a ball of light that lights up the stage as the balls move across the screen. Then after another 10 minutes, I realize I can double jump, which sounds self-explanatory but theres an issue that would lead someone to believe there isn't one, I'll explain down below.
The platforming introduces you to things such as bounce pads, portals, etc. alongside drills and projectile shooting orbs(?)
Its not much more than that, but there are 2 things that do kinda kill it for me.
1:The lack of design/color
2:The double jump mechanics
With the lack of color, it makes it feel lifeless and bland. I know the point of the game is to have the lights off so "dark" is the running theme, but a gray and white checkerboard background doesn't compliment the concept very well.
The biggest problem that ruins the experience entirely is the double-jump. In the first level, about 6-7 platforms in, there's a far away platform you have to double-jump to. If you're not careful, the double-jump doesn't always work. I'm assuming it may have something to do with the code being overloaded with inputs too fast or something, but after the first jump happens, a second jump doesn't always follow, which the layout of the stages are begging to be sped through creating an intense fast-paced "in the dark" sidescrolling platformer with thinking elements of how you'll complete each stage. The double-jump error prevents you from doing it, and punishes you for no reason by sending you back to the beginning of the stage for not being able to perform a second jump.
Even with the flaws it still has the potential to be a pretty fun game, if it fleshes out its problems, and of course, it gets a huge pass for being released very recently. I'm assuming feedback would be necessary for such an early upload on an indie developer's game.
Solid 7/10 needs to be fleshed out
