Nightmarena

I am loving this game. It is wonderful mix of good character design, a refeshing backstory and a lore to back it up. I Perticularly enjoyed that I had to time my dodges and attacks instead of mashing buttons. Very welldone!

Fun little game. The inputs and dodges are quite tough by times making the game a decent challenge and for me quite fun. It has a recommended from me but it will need major improvements in the first patch for it to stay that way. It's very rough around the edges and has some bugs that need tidying up as long as they're dealth with my review will stay positive. The two biggest issues are: 1 - That status menu doesn't work. Text doesn't line up with the info box and this needs immediate fixing. 2 - Some of the audio is run at like 200 pitch and speed and is just plain annoying and everytime it happens I have to hope I speed through the fight or turn off the game. It faituges the ears really quickly and kills the fun. Pro's: The biggest pro's so far are some quite fun enemy designs even if they get a little repetive after half an hour to an hour. The game feels like it'll beatable relatively quickly which makes runs pretty fun. Con's: Some of the skill animations and timings don't line up well, when that happens the game feels very unfair, occasionally frustrating. The story is simple but explained in a super convoluted way that doesn't make much sense.

An interesting game that no does not allow you to take passive strategies. It's turn based but also timing base with it's combat. Your fights are based upon if you can duck, jump or backstep away from an incoming attack by reading the attack right. There is some that even have faint little details between the two that let you know, like a sound clue or a certain item turned upwards or downwards. However, when it's your own turn you must act quickly or you'll do nothing more than a simple punch! The combat in this feels smooth, very good and balanced, with it increasingly getting difficult as the game progresses. Some enemies may prove more difficult than others for you depending on not only how well you can read their attacks, but how well you can react in time! With enough victories you get the currency Energi to trade for upgrades to your stats or even buffs, and those first few battles will be easy peasy. Combat alone is not the only thing though. There's plenty of lore and story sprinkled about and given to you in short bursts of dialogue versus long winded exposition. Each NPC that speaks with you having their own personalities and it shows through their dialogue. The knights speaking with a ye old English with "Thous" and "Doths" while the Nagas speak with the typical (but still comical) overpronounced S. Even the fairy that ends up helping you has their own uniqueness in how they address the player with their own unique butchering of their last name. With everything, I give this game a solid 5 out of 5. It devliers what it promises, though wish it would deliver more.

It’s not the kind of game you’d expect from an RPG Maker title. There are no maps, no exploration and no levelling up or collecting gear — just pure combat with a refreshingly new twist. If you know what you’re getting into, it's definitely worth experiencing. Anyone who enjoys combat systems with interactive dodging and special attack windows (basically what Dark Souls does at its most basic level) will have a great time. Since the game is quite short, it doesn't outstay its welcome. The price is reasonable, supporting a solo developer who wants to create another project. Given the premise of this debut work, I’m curious to see what lies ahead. The combat system itself feels a bit clunky at first, but after you've dodged the first 2–3 attacks and got to grips with your own moves, it starts to feel better. Of course, you can see the engine’s limitations in some areas since it isn’t designed for this type of combat. However, for what the game sets out to do, it does it well. My biggest criticism is aimed more at the UI, which looks blocky and unappealing. However, anyone looking for pure gameplay and willing to do without pretty graphics will feel right at home here for the few hours the game has to offer.

NA is a game that will challenge you. NA fits as this rouge-like turned based RPG that uses the combat to keep the player on their toes. The game is timing based, using a quick timed event skills by the enemy, that the player will need to either avoid or interact with to succeed. The combat is where this game shines as every enemy attack is a test of the reflexes and some skills themselves can be puzzles meant to be solved. The upgrades at the shop are helpful for your quest and will likely buy you more time when you make mistakes. The story of the game maybe the area that can use the most improvement. Not a lot is going to be understood by the player initially but it does appear that as you meet new factions, you learn more about this world that you find yourself a part of and more of the main character's motivations. I generally find this game fun to play and looking to see what more I can see as I get further into the game.

This game has an interesting battle mechanic of learning enemy attack patterns, pressing the correct direction key to dodge out of the way, and fighting back in a flurry of punches and kicks. Your character gradually grows stronger as you earn points to purchase upgrades in between attempts of challenging the arena. What I enjoyed the most is the creativity in the types of enemies and their attack patterns - growing more complex and surprising as you delve deeper into the arena levels. Some can be quite amusing! However, the telegraphing of some enemy attacks can be unintuitive, occasionally leaving barely any time to react. Some often require a bit of trial and error to decipher what the game is trying to convey. While a little rough around the edges, I still had a fun time!