Initially, just another victim of my compulsive buying, this seemingly not-so-promising game is better than I expected, and I had a blast playing it. Unfortunately, maybe the first hour or so, the level design does not show this game in the best light, ordinary at best, but it does improve over time, I would even say the game gets 2-3 times better across the board. Maybe the dev just didn't want to make it too complicated right away, but even in terms of visuals, I think game gradually gets better. It does not have that PS1 aesthetic, but it is going for that collection-oriented content, there are generally 2 hidden items in each level, and you can unlock new areas, skins, and a few power-ups when collecting them, very similar to PS1 platformers from the 90s. Just for reference, in case the dev reads this review, the last 2 stages are the most enjoyable (Coaster Park and the Low Gravity zone), I especially liked the park, if only you would use the rides for more platforming though, I think it gave the game that nice feeling of escapism. So you do have some nice moments in the game, it just wasn't something that I felt consistently.
I guess my point is that you should use some of those interesting mechanical elements like the moving rides in the first levels, just to make a nice first impression, you could even use another rollercoaster in a hub just to get around, you know, use your tools since they are already in the game. Now I am not sure if this game is using any assets, not that there is anything wrong with it, I just never know with cheap games, but if you did create everything props to you because it seems you did a lot, with very little. For me, a good platforming game is 80% level design, and starting around the second hub of stages, I think the game improves significantly in terms of using different mechanics, stage verticality, and just fun platforming sections. I didn't have too many issues with the controls, except for the occasional under rotation on the wall bounce, sometimes the game really wants that perfect distance.
On a side note, I enjoyed the short psychological segments, they got few smiles out of me. Even though this game obviously does not look all that great in comparison, I liked that you put a few cute moments here and there, it gave the game more personality than I initially anticipated.
[h1] Pros: [/h1]
(+) While not consistently good, I think the level design improved significantly as the game progressed, and I enjoyed most of the platforming sections, with the lower hub being the least interesting. You also did a good job introducing new elements into the stages, like the rides, wind, gravity, or that slide section.
(+) I enjoyed occasionally cute moments, during the stages and during playable cutscenes, and while the game didn't have a ton of personality, what was there still made it a lot better and less repetitive.
(+) The game has decent collection support, considering the price, maybe 4 to 6 hours depending on how much effort you put in. You can also get some cosmetics like colors and facial skins.
[h1] Feedback: [/h1]
[u] Level Design [/u] - not just in terms of gameplay (which is expected to progress), but also in terms of visuals, the first couple of levels don't represent the game that well, I think what you did later is so much better, and I wish you would use something like those RollerCoaster rides in the hub as well, you know, just make a nice first impression, it's a very cheap game, but not everything in it feels cheap, you have some nice areas and some nice gameplay elements later.
[u] Nitpicks: [/u] - the only time I felt frustrated in the game was the section with shooting flowers, even though I got past it in 5 minutes, it felt a little random. Also, the boss is way too tedious, you should make the objective shorter. The game crashes when you try to change color by the completion %. Just for fun, I wish you could slide a little faster, maybe with the default run button. I would often miss my wall jump because the rotation was not always easy to predict, maybe just a tiny bit more height would help.
[b] Overall Thoughts: 7/10 [/b]
What kinda frustrates me is that I know you have a lot of good elements in this game, I know you can make very nice level design, but it seems you didn't do it as well when introducing this game, and I think if you used some of those mechanical elements like those park rides in the hub and even early stages, it would be a lot easier for me to defend this game. Overall, everything you are doing is good, just have to look at it from a player's perspective, you not using some fun elements and aesthetics that you already have in the game, like you could have done so much more with those park rides or the slide stages.
[code]Niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]
