The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island

I don't hate this game whatsoever, it's just.. this has left so baffled. Thinking about this game makes me think of a single question "why?". Why is this game being sold for 0,79€? Why has this been ported to EVERY major platform despite there being close to no content? Why has this game been translated into 9 different languages? WHY IS THIS GAME BEING SOLD FOR 0,79 €????????? The answers to these questions might seem logical, but after finishing this game, I promise you will have these exact same questions. I'll talk about this game's appeal and gameplay. The conclusion will also serve as a tl;dr, even though it's still long. [h2]Appeal[/h2] The game obviously has the goal to capture that retro zelda game feel, and with its pixelart, soundeffects and music, I'd say it succeeded here to some extent. All of these aspects are what attracted me to the game in the first place. They even give you the option to play on a 4:3 aspect ratio to fully immerse yourself in that gameboy advance vibe. In addition to this, they also allow coop, which might be this game's strongest quality. I never tried coop, but I can imagine it bringing some amount of joy. The game being hilariously short could be appealing to somebody who's usually very busy, though I personally wouldn't call it appealing, because it's not even an hour long. I mentioned that this game only succeeded in capturing the zelda feel to some extent, although not fully, and that's due to this game's gameplay [h2]Gameplay[/h2] When I first got this game, I was prepared for how short it was going to be, as I had already read a few reviews. My expectations were that this game was going to be short and sweet, so I thought that the combat and puzzles were going to be good; they were not. They're painfully mediocre. The combat boils down to just spamming the sword. Enemies have shields, yet they can't block your attacks, therefore, there are no reasons for you to switch up your tactics or even dodge. You have a dumb amount of hearts too, so you can afford a ton of mistakes with very few consequences. Bombs in this game are actually just useless in general. The boomarang is the only useful item during combat and it's exclusive to the free dlc island. It behaves the same way it does in every zelda game− they stun the enemy. The most joy I get out of this game's combat, is throwing pots at enemies, which feels good, don't get me wrong. However, this game seriously lacks an identity of its own, and it somehow still didn't take enough from the zelda games. You can't sword spin or even block/parry attacks in this game. I'm sure if they allowed that, the game would've had a bit more depth. I didn't mention the puzzles, because they might as well not exist. Most puzzles I remember, required me to push a single rock and it'll reward me immensely. Dungeons aren't themed around a single item like how other zelda games tend to do it, which is fine btw; The issue, though, is that it's simply pushing blocks at a certain direction or turning on a switch. I can't remember a single time where I even had to think to complete a puzzle. [h2]Conclusion[/h2] With the game's current price tag, I don't think it's a question of "is this game worth your money?" but more so "is this game worth your time?". And honestly, no. Unless you're really craving a zelda game, that's not a zelda game, and don't mind the fact that its combat and exploration are mediocre and bland, I feel like other games would be better at filling that void. I know I keep comparing it to zelda, however, this game doesn't try to establish an identity of its own. The closest thing it does have is a potion that increases your resistance (which I never found during my playthrough), and coop, neither of which you need to progress through the game. This game would've been a fine free fan game and/or showcase, unfortunately though, it's selling itself as a product, therefore leaving me baffled when the credits jumpscared me. I say dungeons in this review, but in reality, there are only 2 including the free dlc; Without the dlc, there is just one. The game presents itself as a full product with its presentation, such as the inventory UI having a lot of empty space, implying there will be more items to come (there are not); And it being on every platform imaginable, while being translated into 9 different languages, helps in it appearing like a completed product. I've played demos of games before that left more fulfilled and with more playtime than this game. HELL– WRITING THIS REVIEW TOOK LONGER THAN FINISHING THIS GAME. So if you do end up buying this game, your expectations should be extremely low. Kinda sad, because I do genuinely see potential in this game and believe the devs are passionate about it.