The Godkiller - Chapter 1

episodic releases are the worst, mostly because they rarely get finished. devs need money to make more, people don't buy the first part because there's no more, catch-22. I avoid them too, but [b]godkiller is by the creator of [url=https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Caravel%20Games]drod[/url], the best puzzle game series ever[/b], and it's [b]supposedly a full 30-hour game[/b] anyway (store page playtimes are often wildly inaccurate for marketing purposes, so ymmv). [b]not sure why adding chapter 1 was necessary[/b], I assume it'll hurt sales more than help them, and people will rightly be baffled by the $20 price tag for a single chapter of anything. the story is about emm, who suddenly finds herself in a weird place, then god tells her she died but it's not heaven, nor hell. it's somewhere else, created specifically for her, a personalized paradise, where the only rule is not to eat the apple. so cue eating the apple, getting kicked from the good place, only to be presented with more corridors, stairs and whatnot. [b]not only is the game fully voiced, but there are also songs[/b], good ones too (well, some of them). a bunch of characters to meet, some funny dialog, pretty cool, except [b]god repeating 'it's okay' a billion times on multiple occasions is incredibly annoying[/b], as is some other looping dialog later. as for the game itself, it's yet another [b]top-down turn-based[/b] affair, but [b]the 3rd dimension is just as necessary as it is potentially nauseating and very much frustrating[/b]. especially since [b]getting an overview of your surroundings is rarely possible[/b] via view points or by running around like a maniac, instead of convenient camera controls. at the very least [b]once a view point is visited, you should be able to bring it up while in the same area[/b]. movement options are always highlighted around you and [b]annoying sounds accompany every step[/b], be it regular movement, going up or down stairs or flinging (wall-to-wall movement, works like a sliding game, great for getting around faster). there's no fall damage in general, but after a while it becomes possible to [b]die in various ways, but it's often just another mechanic to progress, not a complete fail state[/b]. you're put back to the last checkpoint (might be the beginning of the level) to try again, but not before [b]hearing the same ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ annoying chanting every time[/b]. a toggle for it would be a must, as it's tied to the music slider. [b]58 levels[/b], linear progression, but levels can be explored for hidden or optional stuff, including [b]a collectible to find on each[/b]. not sure what they do, if anything. besides climbing stairs and flinging yourself across rooms, it's mostly [b]block-pushing and word-spelling[/b] to open doors, create platforms, etc. touching letter blocks results in wall-to-wall action, so again it's more sliding than sokoban. blocks reset to their original position if flung into an obstacle or pushed against a wall, which is handy and necessary but also annoying if they spawned miles away. the grass police can also be frustrating, as they move along with you (first you, then them), can push and reset blocks and push and kill you too. [b]controls are non-rebindable and less than ideal.[/b] wasd, arrows or controller to move, shift+move to fling, always a bad idea because shift+tab is the default for bringing up the steam overlay. [b]no camera controls[/b], as already mentioned, and movement also needs some getting used to. can't put my finger on it but it's weird. no need to restart levels but you might have to reset puzzles piece by piece because there's [b]no undo[/b]. wouldn't be absolutely necessary with better level or puzzle design (or camera controls), but as it is, [b]there's a lot of backtracking[/b] when you fall off somewhere or a block gets sent back to its spawn location. [b]I like a good puzzle, but when I know what to do and how to do it, yet the game wants me to waste a ton of time going back and forth, I'm out.[/b] so I didn't bother with collectibles behind extra puzzles after a while, just beelined to the exit, but even then [b]'tedious' came to mind just as often as 'clever'[/b]. [b]presentation is acceptable at best.[/b] graphics are functional, nothing more and sometimes less. 'professional' voiceovers (says the official website) are not that great, including the protagonist, and music, both background and the songs, are a mixed bag. same as [b]drod[/b] in this respect, not a huge deal. however, the game says [b]it was 'designed to be enjoyed without subtitles'[/b], which is pretty arrogant, considering how many people don't have a good enough grasp of the english language and there's also singing here. what's worse, the pop-up saying so and offering subtitle adjustments comes _after_ the opening song. [b]no problem with going for a specific experience if other options are provided, but make them known before the game starts.[/b] I'm sure movies in various languages are also 'designed' to be enjoyed without subtitles, but they don't rub the viewer's nose in it, and definitely not 10 minutes in. if anything, faces should be off by default, covering each other and large portions of the screen, unlike discreet subtitles on the bottom. [b]the settings screen is shockingly sparse:[/b] separate volume sliders for [b]audio that's all sorts of buggy[/b], subtitle size, 'show faces' toggle, that's it. [b]no windowed mode or resolutions[/b], alt+enter for a non-resizable window, useless, have to edit the registry. that's where progress is lazily stored as well. there's no main menu, you just quit the whole game and next time it loads the last level. [b]'restore' is level select[/b], ugly and unintuitive with big-ass thumbnails and inverted mobile-like scrolling. the whole thing should be 3 screens tops, but it marks found collectibles at least. [b]there is no mid-level saving[/b] though, so have fun re-doing stuff and listening to the same [b]unskippable dialog[/b] because you quit before finishing it. in a game like this it's an absolute dealbreaker. there's also a [b]hint button that opens the game's wiki in a browser[/b]. are you kidding me? I had major performance issues on level 18 (accordorium), not enough ram for a lot more vertical location than anything before or after (potentially, as I stopped playing at the halfway point), with even more annoying effects. it shouldn't affect anybody with a half-decent potato and I'd have been fine with some stuttering and turning things down or off, but [b]there are no graphics settings at all[/b]. it's not just about performance, different people prefer different things on or off if given the option. episodic shenanigans aside, $20 isn't necessarily unreasonable for a game of decent length and quality, but [b]functionality is seriously lacking here[/b] and all the more noticable [b]compared to some other aspects that are done much better[/b]. didn't expect this from the same person who created my absolute favorite puzzler ever, so even if you're fine with the 3rd dimension (I rarely appreciate it in a puzzler and this was no exception), [b]in its current state I can't recommend it[/b]. if you want a taste, [b]there's a demo[/b] and some patching will happen eventually, but [b]I'm not sure they're gonna be able to turn things around[/b] (or want to, for one reason or another), and leaving the game without patches for weeks right after release is not a good look either. in any case, I'll monitor updates and try to keep the review up-to-date.

This game oozes charm. Great puzzle game mechanics. What sets it apart is the absurd humour and amazing sound design. It's a bold style that really worked for me. Controls take a bit to get used to and a little hard on the wrists. 4.5/5 Loving it!

It's wonderfully weird, full of original songs and solid puzzles.

I've been a fan of DROD for the better part of a decade, but surprisingly this game has a lot of problems that Hermansen's earlier series avoids. While I love Erik Hermansen's illustrations as seen in the various character portraits, and the environments do seem like a 3D extension of his style, the harsh lighting is not kind to his colors. In addition, the music gets grating--especially the songs with lyrics, which are very distracting when trying to solve puzzles. One of these songs actually made me quit the game; I shouldn't have to actively ignore the music in order to play. There's also no undo feature, which is extremely useful when puzzles require a series of specific steps to be solved--again, this is something DROD had down in 2008. It's really cool to make puzzles unable to be made impossible, but it doesn't remove the necessity for an undo feature, as some people can't even remember what they did two turns ago, meaning a single mistake will send them hopelessly off-course (these people also have two thumbs). I can't knock the puzzle system itself, though; it's definitely a solid idea that can be, and is, explored in various ways. All in all I'd say some will enjoy this game but it needs some tweaking in order for me to recommend buying this version of it.

Pretty nice puzzles so far. Normal solutions haven't been too complex, but optional presents are tricky. Story, music, and voice acting have been pretty fun so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing more. Lack of an undo button is a bit frustrating when a single mispressed key makes you redo 30 seconds of work or more.

A fun and interesting puzzle game - I'm maybe about half way through but enjoying the puzzles and finishing one or two of an evening. I like how the game will introduce new mechanics as you go along to keep things fresh. This is paced really well and the game doesn't hand-hold you and slow things down too much like some puzzle games do. Difficulty is pitched right for me - challenging but not frustratingly hard. There's extra collectables on each stage too for a harder challenge. The story/setting is surreal and interesting too. It's difficult to get a sense of the game from just the screenshots so worth downloading the demo to give it a go.

This game is extremely fun and charming. I like how you can just progress through the story, or try to get all of the presents which is where most of the gameplay is. The voice acting, music and singing is all very well done. My only complaint is about the flashing lights in a few areas, which can make me feel sick.

This is a fun puzzle exploration game with a story. The game has very easy puzzles that are required to complete the game yet offers a more difficult puzzle on each level for those who prefer a more challenging test. I particularly like this 3D graphical style where you can see your player walking around in the 3D world interacting with everything. The graphics are very clean and clear.

A witty game with amusing character interactions and thought-provoking block-push puzzles.

Just a really good game. The hidden gem of hidden gems. One of those rare games capable of leaving a lasting impression, as evidenced by this unprompted review I'm writing two years after playing it.