Robosynthesis

A fairly short but enjoyable game — 3 hours to 100% completion and it was absolutely worth it. The visuals are great, the atmosphere and audio perfectly match the game's art direction, and the retro-game inspiration is well-balanced. The gameplay feels a bit rough during the first 10 minutes, but you get used to the controls quickly. The target lock-on and switching mechanic is interesting — reminds me of PS2-era games — though it still needs some polish. A few minor FOV glitches here and there, but the camera doesn't sit too far back like another review suggested. Precise platforming is definitely doable (I think that one's a skill issue 😄). The "museum" section after collecting all 10 data logs (some are well-hidden but never unfair) is a nice touch. Outside of a few small bugs and FPS drops, the game is well worth it! [b]For the devs :[/b] Things to fix / improve: Customization: - FOV slider - Rebindable keys - The death sound (the falling metal bar meme) should have an on/off toggle — it gets quite annoying... Gameplay: - Enemy variety is lacking - Boss fights are too simple: just hug the swirl-shaped light bulb, spam the shoot button, and circle-strafe. Every single boss goes down the same way, which is a missed opportunity. - After clearing a zone and revisiting it, some enemies respawn and others don't — feels inconsistent - Data logs should be numbered in discovery order rather than chronological order. [SPOIL] [spoiler] For example, the log hidden under the platform with the energy halo — I found it after finishing the game, but it shows up as number 5 when it should be number 2. [/spoiler] [END SPOIL] Also, it would be helpful to know how many logs are in each zone (10 total across 3 zones — but which one has 4?) - [SPOIL] [spoiler] The final ascent as Super SUNNI is a great power-fantasy moment and the music nails it — but it lacks a clear goal and feels slightly undercooked. Also, shooting the big bosses at the end of the platform while breaking crates simultaneously causes significant framerate drops. [/spoiler] [END SPOIL] UI: [SPOIL][spoiler] - At the end of the game, when you become Super SUNNI, the grey outline of the energy bar doesn't track the actual energy level. It might be intentional, but it doesn't look great. [/spoiler] [END SPOIL] Bugs: [SPOIL][spoiler] - In Zone 2, when introduced to the "big blocks" you shoot to temporarily solidify them, I accidentally triggered a strange bug: my character started moving in sync with the left-right sliding blocks. I couldn't reproduce it despite multiple attempts. However i have the recording of the bug happening. - In Zone 3, the sequence where you shoot the light bulb to move a platform over the evil energy halo (to kill the wasp, then use its remains for the elevator) bugged out on me several times: the elevator would start rising, then the wasp remains would clip through the platform, leaving me completely stuck. Unfortunately I didn't record it. [/spoiler] [END SPOIL] Suggestions: - Add brief invincibility frames on respawn (or at least while the player hasn't moved yet) - A tool (alongside the gun) to retrieve objects that fall into the water — blocks and enemy remains fall in surprisingly often - Shooting empty blocks to solidify them is a clever mechanic; it would feel even better if shooting them also recharged their energy - Give each zone section its own name - Shooting an enemy should aggro it - Enemies shouldn't be able to aggro through walls - Give each enemy type a name - Bosses are too easy — either their max HP is too low or the player deals too much damage. Additionally, you can actually start shooting (and nearly kill) the boss while the platform is carrying you to the arena, which kills the tension tbh <3 <3 <3