Skull Stompers

Quick Disclaimer; I am reviewing this game not just as a friend, but someone with a little background in game development and testing, and also doing this at a time when this game is Free. (though I'm not aware of any plans for the game to be given a price tag) My comments are going to have little to no bias, and just tell it as it is. This game is currently a work in progress by someone who is just beginning to dip their toes in Game Design, and I will review it with that in mind. Anyone who doesn't get that can bite me. (You know who you are) That said, the actual review... I played this game for at least 8 hours, checking every nook and cranny for any bugs, glitches, or anything I felt could use improvement which I will cover as of the version I played as of 10/1/2024. Cons: - The placement of some the levels in the maps are going off screen. simple fix just gotta move them in more - Some art assets clash a little, but that will be an easy fix. - I think that there are too many enemies in a lot of the levels especially toward the end. There is currently no reward for getting combos other than a catchphrase every 5 kills without touching the ground. - before more enemy behaviors have been added, the ground enemies had very little to separate themselves besides looks and size. (projectiles have recently been added however so the player isn't mindlessly jumping on enemies. - When he makes a gimmick level, he runs them multiple times but with more enemies. I would have liked there to be more variety of layouts, or at least not have multiple survival stages in a row. I'd rearrange the levels a little more. - The catch phrases repeat a lot. I'd fix this with just having a "Yeah!" or "Bam!" thrown into the mix. -- Was NOT a fan of the Floor is Lava level, the enemies move one way or the other at random, and the hitboxes are only as big as the enemie's heads (which are small at this time.) I'd bet if the enemy upper hitbox were a little wider, it would make the level more fun. -- I often forgot about the slo-mo mechanic. -- The last few Trump levels in the last world have so many enemies, and one of them only gives you one shield to work with. Pros: + Though this game needs work, it is updated regularly. it's been updated twice since I last played it fully. The developer IS taking advice (when it's constructive) seriously. + The jumping combo mechanic is pretty satisfying when you get the hang of it. but it would help a great deal of enemy hitboxes were easier to hit. + The mazes were fun, wish there was more levels like that. (just not in a row.) ++ A lot of the vocal lines were pretty funny. at least imo. ++ If the Trump Races had a countdown before Trump starts running, and Dapperman had a catchphrase when the player loses, those levels would be much better. ++ Not gonna lie, The Boss Fight was actually fun. I was able to combo up into the sky. I don't know if that was intentional, but if that's a bug, that's the kind of bug I'd call it a "feature". I might be forgetting some thoughts I had after this (damn ADHD brain), but that pretty much covers at least most of my main thoughts as I played the game. I think that instead of just Trash-talking the game, I am going to help out instead.