[h1]I was a beta tester for Siphonophore so I'll go into a bit more depth about the game.[/h1]
[b]TL:DR - I enjoyed my time with the game, The gameplay loop is simple and fun, Boss fights are challenging and the game's story kept me interested while at times a little confused.[/b]
[b][u]Gameplay/Difficulty[/u][/b]
You start off with a basic cannon like weapon which you will be using for a majority of the game with new weapons and colour upgrades becoming available once you have defeated each boss. You also have a dash ability that can be used to propel you short or long distances with momentum affecting how far you travel. The creature also has some weapons to deal with enemies and is more useful against the bigger enemies you encounter.
As you traverse your way through each level you will be gathering up souls and feeding them to the creature who grows and morphs into different shapes depending on what coloured souls you feed him, unlocking puzzles by matching the symbols with the creature's shape and size. Bosses will be summoned once you have completed all symbols in each level.
Difficulty is well balanced with movement being the best way to avoid dying as the smaller enemies will swarm you and bigger enemies will have long range attacks that you will need to avoid. Boss fights are where the game departs a more casual feel with certain attacks becoming deadly.
[b][u]Visuals/Performance[/u][/b]
The game's art-style has a unique almost psychedelic look where everything is built of primary colours which causes the weapons, enemies and background visuals to combine in a type of lava lamp style in an underwater world. Creature tentacles have some cool features in how they are able to suck up energy/souls floating around the level and explode in light and colour when destroyed. Weaponry also has nice visual effects that feel satisfying to use along with the bosses that can put on quite a show of particles and projectiles during their encounters.
The performance is solid as the minimum requirements are low, and after extensive playing I did not encounter any game breaking bugs or glitches.
[b][u]Sound/Music[/u][/b]
Both the ambient sounds and music have a relaxing vibe which suit the visual style. With the storyboard and story elements going for a much sombre tone which brings with it a nice contrast to each level. Whereas boss fights shift the tone to be more comparable to that of a dangerous encounter.
[b][u]Story[/u][/b]
The story is mainly told through a back and forth between you and the creature, as well as storyboard sections featuring an alternate set of characters that plays out between different levels with the lovecraftian vibe being more psychological and subtle as opposed to encountering more typical lovecraftian named monsters. But at times I found the story's complexity a little jarring though certainly kept my interest.
