Treasures of the Aegean

This is a really neat little game. I wouldn't call it a metroidvania; it's really more a platformer puzzler with a time loop mechanic. You run through a massive, open environment within a time limit, solving small puzzles and navigation challenges. Any items you collect either permanently add to your time limit, or add to some of the game's lore. You're working towards solving some of the game's biggest puzzles, and the final challenge is to unlock them all in the same run. Graphics-wise the game is modest, but the environment design is pleasant. The character portraits are clearly hand-drawn and nice, though they aren't very consistent. Your main character, Marie, can look like a different person from panel to panel. The only other criticism I have is the game's English translation has some occasional issues. Nothing that would stop you from playing through it though. Overall just a really neat idea for a game that is well-executed and doesn't last longer than it feels like it should. I beat it in about 6 hours with only a few optional collectibles missed.

텅 빈 고대유적에서 적막하게 유물을 뒤져가는 루프형 2d게임 아무것도 없는데서 혼자 파쿠르 액션을 한다는게 취향을 좀 많이 탈 수 있을것 같으니 데모를 해보고 구매하는것이 바람직하다 첫 인상은 별의 커비 동굴 대작전처럼 그냥 간단하게 보물을 전부 찾으면 끝나겠지? 라고 생각했지만 그런거 없고, 예언을 전부 뒤지는 고통스러운 게임이었다.. 세무녀의 예언에 대한 공략은 스팀에 존재하지만 그 외 예언맞추기는 공략이 없고 핀포인트 동영상 공략은 전혀 없어서 유물 100% 공략 중에 예언과 관련된 유물을 추리고 부족한 부분은 센스로 덧붙여서 탐색할수밖에 없다. 던전 기물에 대한 구동 공략은 세이브 파일마다 다르며, 구동법을 예언에 박아넣기 전까지 작동되지 않으니, 진짜 온갖곳을 싸돌아다니면서 예언의 방을 뒤져야 한다. 파이팅!

Tonnes of potential with an enormous map to explore, ruined completely by abysmal controls. There is no mid-air manipulation - direction is set at the time of the jump; you will experience random speed boosts for no apparent reason, causing you to overshoot your target; wall slide only works half of the time - the other half you won't even stick to the wall in the first place. You cannot make a game about parkour on a strict time limit when the traversal is this tedious and inconsistent. The art and the game concept show a lot of promise, but whoever programs the controls has let the team down big time.

Take a 2D action-platformer, have a parkour emphasis to the movement, add a big map to explore, all done with a comic-book aesthetic, and you've got Treasures of the Aegean. I wouldn't call it a Metroidvania since there are no movement upgrades - but your base movement is very fluid. Getting around the map is fun, which is good, because simple traversal is 95%+ of the game. You can't fight, and there are only a few enemies (with the slowest bullets in history) that just act as a minor obstacle here and there. The challenge is in getting around, grabbing what you need to, figuring out where to go and how to get there, and gradually piecing together the story and the answers to puzzles. It has some minor issues but no deal-breakers, and the most annoying thing is the typos scattered around the text. You'll always know what they meant, so it's not a huge deal. The game is fun, the gameplay loop is fun, and it's well-designed. It's one huge map, with no (visible) loading screens or other divisions between its areas - yet you can tell when you're in a different area because it FEELS different. No need to announce the name of the zone when the change in palette and shift in the background music will do it for you. Super fun, very recommended on like a 50% sale or better since it's not all that long, but very worth playing.

[2023/11/26 도전과제 100% 완] 요약: 재밌음. 퍼즐은 공략 보는 게 심신에 좋다. 유물 올클 여부따라 엔딩 바뀜. 올클 못하고 엔딩본 후 도전과제 깨려면 올클로 엔딩 다시 봐야 함. 재밌음. 맵이 생각보다 넓고 스폰 위치가 달라져서 귀찮긴 한데 유물 찾기 어렵진 않음. 근데 몇 개가 정말 먹기 힘들게 되어 있거나(뱀 든 무녀 밑 쪽 보물 등), 장치 퍼즐 못 풀어서 공략봄.. 가이드가 무녀 장치들 정도만 있고, 유튜브도 그냥 플레이 영상들이라 공략 찾기가 어려웠음. 유튭 유물 100% 영상으로 보는게 제일 나은 듯. 유물 번호는 타이틀 나와야 볼 수 있어서 그것도 약간 귀찮았음 ㅎ 플레이 짜증났던 건 패드로 했는데 벽 올라가는 게 잘 안 되서 적응 좀 오래 걸림. 이건 걍 내 문제일수도? 그리고 무녀 장치 보물 여러 개 필요한데 다른 유물처럼 누적인 줄 알고 보일 때마다 열심히 모아놨었는데 20 루프 쯤에 루프마다 리셋되는 거 알고 개허탈했음 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 엔딩 보려면 한 루프 안에서 그 넓은 맵 왔다갔다 해서 유물 모아서 퍼즐들 깨고 해야해서 무녀 관련들은 걍 모든 걸 다 끝내고 손대야 됨. 이때 맵 위쪽으로 올라갔다오고 그래야 하는데 지도로 동선 짜서 가면 묘하게 점프로 안 닿는 구간이라 못 가서 돌아가야 되고 그런 게 많은 것도 열받았음 ㅋㅋ ㅠ 열받은 것만 잔뜩 썼지만 재밌었음 !! +팁) 중간중간 놓인 여신상? 같은 거는 나중에 리스폰 위치로 쓰는 거고 별 의미 없음. 퍼즐 깰 때 뭐 써야되는지 모르겠을 때 일단 유물 쭉 찾아두고 유물 지도 봐야됨... 엄청 멀리서 가져와야 되는 것들 있어서. 뭔지 모를 땐 걍 공략보길.....

Awesome game, I enjoyed it a lot! Be sure to make smart use of the game's marker system. *edit: Also, I've noticed this game still hasn't gotten more traction. I'd just like to say, this is one of very few games that, when I see it while scrolling through my Steam library, still makes me feel a little happier inside just remembering how neat it was, and I would very much like more people to play it.

Fantastic game. I was dubious of the time loop mechanic but it seems to work well enough - can't decide if the game would be better without or not, though. Still, everything here is top notch and the gameplay is very addictive.