Periodicity - Hats and scars

A fast paced survival game that is easy to get absorbed into, the old school graphics feel nostalgic and the music makes you want to keep playing. The added integration into steams achievements keeps you coming back to unlock more to compete against others playing the game.

Erst dachte ich, ganz schön kurzes Spiel. Aber dann hats BOOM gemacht und es ging weiter :D Ein bisschen mehr Erklärung im Spiel wäre manchmal nicht schlecht. Aber die Sachen selber herausfinden fühlt sich auch sehr gut an.

Fun and challenging 👍

[h1]Periodicity Not Quite Ready for the Masses.[/h1] [h2]Overview[/h2] Periodicity: Hats and Scars aims to deliver a survival-based auto-shooter experience, but falls short in key areas, making it feel closer to an experimental game jam title than a polished release. [list] [*]Progression feels tedious with no real sense of growth. [*]Combat lacks variety, with no ranged attacks from enemies and underwhelming weapons for players. [*]Level design features overly large, empty maps, making exploration aimless. Enemies will accumulate in large groups that will never clear out due to the HP progression, leaving an unsatisfying experience, as I'd hope to be able to plow through particular low-level enemies over time. [*]Tasks are vague, leaving players unclear about objectives or goals. Some examples include an unlisted time frame to survive before returning to the hub, or retrieving an undetermined amount of supplies before reaching a milestone. These elements should be communicated clearly to players, so that they have a fun objective to work toward. [*]The UI feels disorganized and prioritizes a developer-focused layout over usability. [*]As a survival combat game, the music needs to have balances and peaks of intensity, but remains overly intense, which is daunting for long runs. [/list] [hr][/hr] [h2]Comparison to Similar Games[/h2] The game draws obvious inspiration from Archero, a freemium auto-shooter, but misses many elements that make Archero enjoyable: [list] [*][b]Engaging Progression:[/b] Archero uses gear-based leveling and tailored play styles. While Periodicity introduces weapons over time, what is chosen is not by choice, and none of them feel relatively interesting or helpful. Enemies for ~40 levels continue to only be of melee combat, and don't seem to have attack variety despite having different character sprites and sizes. [*][b]Clear Goals:[/b] Despite being a freemium game, Archero provides structure and achievable milestones. [*][b]Polished Combat:[/b] Smooth animations and satisfying attacks make each run rewarding, even in challenging scenarios. In each environment, different types of enemies live there. You can expect different, unique, theme-suited enemies that add a new challenge to that area. [*]By comparison, Periodicity lacks the polish and depth that make Archero’s progression and gameplay loop rewarding. [/list] [h2]Suggestions for Improvement[/h2] [b]To elevate Periodicity - Hats and Scars, here’s what could be addressed:[/b] [list] [*][b]Better Combat Variety:[/b] Introduce weapons in a way that lead to a feeling of prospect to player choice. Games like these succeed when the player has a sense of trial and error for their personal gamefeel without feeling punished or have unnecessary addons. [*][b]Streamlined Progression:[/b] Create a leveling system tied to gear or upgrades that offers meaningful player growth. Take note into gear upgrade systems similar to Minecraft Dungeons, where playstyle plays a role in the types of gear worn for its passive and active abilities as well as additional perks that can be added onto the armor or weapons. [*][b]Improved Objectives:[/b] Add clear goals or milestones to guide players through the game. [*][b]Enhanced Level Design:[/b] Reduce map size or add more interactive elements to make exploration engaging. The visuals can be improved, as the grass can be eye-straining as only a solid color. Introduce paths, brick roads, etc. The choice of this is up to the developer, but it should not be a solid color. [*][b]Refined UI and Music:[/b] Redesign the interface for better usability and use more fitting, less intense background music for extended gameplay. [/list] [h2]Final Thoughts[/h2] Periodicity: Hats and Scars has potential, but it feels unfinished and unbalanced. Everything listed above marks as a starting point while taking the game "as-is" for the first 30 minutes. While the game shows potential, there’s much to I beieve with iteration and continuing to refine mechanics seen in games of this genre could be beneficial. Because of the reasons listed above, I unfortunately cannot recommend the game at its current state or will be covering it on stream in further depth until significant visual and mechanical reworks are integrated. I am always open to providing additional feedback via surveys or keeping in contact with developers that feel my input would be valuable. Although it wasn't a hit this time, I have faith that any developer that loves their projects have the ability to push their concepts further into something that can be a lot of fun. Thank you for reaching out, and I look forward to staying in touch with you and helping anywhere I can! [h2]Overall[/h2] Unpolished progression, vague objectives, clunky combat, tedious gamefeel, and "too open" level design have Periodicity fall short. More iterations in mechanics and level layout could help make the experience more immersive. [b]⛔1/5.[/b]

First things first: The game is fun and runs smoothly. After about 4 to 5 hours, all levels and content are unlocked. A minor drawback: As mentioned in other comments, the game could use some fine-tuning to keep players coming back in the long run. I hope this will be improved in the future.