Valkie 64

This game reminds me of Zelda so perhaps I had high expectations. no dungeons have any tools or equipment. Bosses do have heart containers, and town and fields usually have heart pieces. For the first boss I pressed the attack key and parried when it did an animation. For the second boss I pressed the attack key, walked up to it, and parried when it did an animation. For the third boss I pressed the attack key and parried when it did an animation. For the fourth boss I pressed the attack key and parried when it did an animation. Now for the final boss, I tried to change my strategy up. I pressed the attack key and parried when it did an animation. Game done. Edit: I feel like adding a bit more to my review now that sodium levels associated with experiencing this have died down. There are no exploration upgrades aside from a gliding multi jump thing. The jump is on enough of a delay that you can't gain height with it, with the exception of two maps. Outside of that, every side quest and field chest is basically HP, or quest items for a fetch quest/trade chain. you can get upgrades to your defense and attack. Dungeons are a series of combat challenges and extremely mild puzzles. the hardest of which was finding a chest in a maze, only because I didn't see it at first. You gain 3 keys during them, with the third allowing you to challenge the boss. The boss fight is just a brawl, hit and don't get hit. Two bosses in the entire game have projectiles, and only one of them has a gimmick. the gimmick is moving away from you. Parrying was added as a post launch update, and I'm not sure how you could play the game without it. Enemies do not stagger or flinch, but they can be knocked backwards. You can cancel most actions with a dodge, but the attack combos you can perform feel sluggish and limiting, so the combat isn't pleasant. Playing with exclusively the dodge at first was painful. like, hopping off of ledges by accident painful. While enemies could be dodged, whittling their hp bars were slow. Parrying is faster as your defense is now your offense, but also has a cooldown that seems to be a second long, maybe longer. perfect timing reduces it. here's the kicker though; Parrying sometimes just doesn't work. If you've hit an enemy recently, even if it visually seems to be in range, the parry will not counter the enemy attack. This may have to do with the enemy becoming invulnerable, not sure. The parry will also not stun the enemy in any way, so you'll sometimes be hit with a follow up attack before you can parry again. You are probably able to dodge-cancel to avoid that attack, it just doesn't feel good to do so. there is a sort of upgrade to the double jump, which makes you invincible to melee attacks while using it. I was never struck while using it to begin with. There is also fast travel. no notes, it works. I was skipping out on talking about some other upgrades you can get from the dojo. better dodging, extra hit in your combo, making the potions you can buy stronger. The potion upgrades feel like they should be default, and the extra combo is nice to pump out a little more damage. didn't bother with the dodge upgrade as I just parried everything by the end. When beating the game, you unlock hard mode. If this somehow changes the game dramatically, that might be worth a look, but the first playthrough was so dull, I'd need convincing to return to it. I will be missing the 3 achievements. beating it on hard, with no gear upgrades, with no heart upgrades, but I don't think I care enough to do them. The graphics, like most people said, are very pleasant. I do not care for the character's running animation, feels too stock, but outside of that, it looks nice.

Just finished the game. Somehow I never saw this game before yesterday, and immediately bought it and gifted it to a friend. I think there is a lot to like here. To get direct references out of the way, it's obviously reminiscent of the 64 era Zelda games, adopting a lot of mechanics, visuals and health readouts. It is a lot more combat-focused, you have combos that build damage, and you can restart them by switching between vertical or horizontal. The strikes aren't based on movement input, so you have full range for evasion, which is probably necessary since a lot of enemies have very short startup times to their attacks. Some subquests give you direct armor and sword upgrades, which is good because some bosses and enemy gauntlets can be a bit trying. There is a parry that I think was added in an update, and I went out of my way to limit its use just to see how pure movement factors into the combat mechanics, and I think for the most part the enemies are pretty well designed for the attacks you have to dispatch them. I took off my parry restriction for the sand boss and final boss because they're tanky even if they seem like they're plenty possible with pure movement [spoiler](I noticed during my second attempt that the second phase generals don't actually chase you in the sand boss as long as you aren't near them when they're released)[/spoiler] Movement is a little unintuitive when you begin (switching between unsheathed to jog to sprint, remembering to unsheathe before combat) but after you have the muscle memory it's pretty easy to get your head around. I didn't go without the sprint because there is a lot of backtracking in the game and the fields are kind of long. [spoiler]I think your ability for warping to hubs should be active sooner, like second dungeon at most, because the travel can be obnoxious It's already limited in utility and there are situations where save/quitting is genuinely the fastest route, which I don't think is great design, even if your inspiration has moments like that.[/spoiler] The aesthetic is fine, the main character is cute, but I think she's the only thing I'm going to really remember visually. The real time lighting kind of messes with the aesthetic of the game, but otherwise it's pretty reliably well done throughout. Nothing stood out as distracting or an asset, other than the curiously smooth movement, which I give a pass for. I like getting outfits and I like that some of the potions visually change your character. The music is mostly reminiscent of OoT down to specific midi instrument usage in themed locations, and I think it's well done and isn't distracting, but the only song that really got me into it personally was the forest trial theme which didn't make me recall anything specifically. I think the dungeons are also relatively unique music-wise. The game might be a little difficult until you know what things do, which kind of leads into one of my criticisms, is I didn't buy a lot of store things because they aren't well explained. Exactly what and how the haste potion affects you, whether it's a loss on hit chance or every hit you have to go back and buy it, etc. Item upgrades sometimes don't come with clear descriptions and you can't reference them in the menu (or change back) I do really like visually changing over time but I would have liked at some point if it let you swap between the visuals and customize a bit. I could see the hard mode being a draw, and it has the kind of difficulty customization that you might expect from a zelda-like, where you simply choose not to upgrade yourself and just beeline the story. Miscellaneous stuff------- I had a situation where I quit out but I apparently picked the option that didn't save so I lost a third of the total game progress. It is a pretty short game and I was enjoying it but that should be impossible in this kind of game, there are very few situations where losing your progress since the last manual save is beneficial in any way. Yes, the screen has a save and quit button, but zelda prompts to save explicitly on every quit for example. I think it's a lot more clear when it's done that way. I think the enemy attacks are well designed but larger bosses have strange tells and some enemies will attack twice in quick succession, which I think might be an AI quirk but can punish you if you parry or try to take advantage of what should be an attack window. A lot of enemies will whiff their first attack which - I actually like. I think it just serves to keep you cautious and not rush them. It's the kind of defensive play you would use if you were playing a game like OoT and stops it from just being a button mash slop action game. Some "arenas" that close off exits have slightly differing open requirements, and there is one arena in particular where after you open it you find out [spoiler]you also need to collect literally all of the gems[/spoiler] and then you have to open it again which is just kind of meanspirited. In lieu of a parry I would have just liked one or two more attack options, like a limited range weapon or stun. I also don't think I saw any real utility to having separate horizontal and vertical slashes outside of combo resets which are largely situational because enemies have damage cooldown. I would like to see this game continued in some way. Maybe something with a larger platforming emphasis that can incorporate the glide, There are only two areas that really use it at all. I'm fine with a relative lack of puzzle gameplay, as that kind of makes this game stand out from its inspiration, but having a new movement thing that barely gets utilized at all is a huge shame. Also the low res filter is just really really really bad.

I have played this game for almost 20 hours and have a lot of issues with the combat / game design Get this game on a sale if possible I highly do not recommend playing this game and going for 100% percent completion the flaws of the game really show combat is very slow boring and unintuitive every enemy can be defeated by walking up to them and mashing parry on reaction - Until they can't because the parry will straight up not work either due to range issues or the enemy attack going right through me / missing completely causing me to miss my parry and get stuck in the animation where I cannot move and get hit and die. Also on top of that their is a weird glitch that will happen randomly where the monsters will just cancel their attacking whiff animation into another attack immediately. This is really horrible on hard mode/ 3 heart goddess runs where the instant attack will hit you on your successful parry counter attack recovery because you do not have enough i-frames to not get hit. The most time wasting of this play through is the lack of checkpoint before the final boss and the 2 forced encounter rooms do not add any challenge to the final boss but makes it very punishing and time consuming for no reason. I also think that the enemies have the ability to crowd door frames is unnecessary as the room should reset upon entering it. This caused a lot unfair deaths causing the entire dungeon to reset. This is extremely noticeable in the dessert dungeon where enemies will pile up and hit you the moment you open the door. Tldr: Game is fine to buy on sale but do not attempt to get 100% it's not worth your sanity

It might be not a Ocarina of Time, but it playable and Cheap to buy. I had my fun playing through it,but i agree to other players, that the Game could've need more polish.

I didn't like the bj level (backwards jump, you PERVS). don't know why the dev included a 45 minute bj tutorial.

Valkie 64 is a retro-inspired action-adventure game developed and published by Malte Glade that proudly embraces the charm of the Nintendo 64 era while incorporating enough modern refinements to remain enjoyable for today's players. Instead of relying solely on nostalgia, the game captures the adventurous spirit of classic 3D platformers and exploration-driven action titles through an engaging fantasy setting, colorful low-polygon visuals, and gameplay centered on discovery. From the opening moments, it is clear that the developer's goal is to recreate the excitement of venturing into a mysterious world filled with secrets, memorable dungeons, and rewarding progression rather than simply copying the appearance of older games. Players assume the role of Valkie, a courageous guardian tasked with saving the kingdom of Celisa from looming danger. The narrative follows a traditional fantasy structure, placing greater emphasis on exploration and adventure than on lengthy cinematic storytelling. Throughout the journey, players encounter friendly villages populated with unique characters who provide useful information, optional quests, and additional world-building that gives Celisa a welcoming personality. Although the story itself remains relatively straightforward, its simplicity works well because it keeps the gameplay moving while encouraging players to uncover more of the world's lore through exploration instead of lengthy dialogue sequences. Exploration is one of Valkie 64's strongest qualities. The game encourages players to wander beyond the main objectives by rewarding curiosity with hidden collectibles, useful upgrades, and optional discoveries scattered throughout each environment. Rather than guiding players down a strictly linear path, many areas invite experimentation and backtracking after acquiring new abilities or equipment. This approach creates a satisfying sense of adventure, as revisiting earlier locations often reveals previously inaccessible secrets that make progression feel both organic and rewarding. Dungeon design forms the core of the experience and consistently delivers enjoyable challenges. Every dungeon introduces its own distinct layout, enemies, environmental hazards, and puzzles that require observation as much as combat skill. Instead of relying solely on fighting, players must navigate obstacles, uncover hidden passages, and solve environmental challenges before confronting large boss encounters. These battles demand patience, pattern recognition, and proper timing, making each victory feel earned. The steady increase in difficulty ensures that the adventure remains engaging without becoming overwhelmingly frustrating for players willing to learn its mechanics. Combat is intentionally uncomplicated, favoring responsiveness and precision over flashy combinations or deep customization systems. Players gradually improve their capabilities by collecting upgrades and equipment that make later encounters more manageable while preserving the challenge presented by stronger enemies. This steady progression mirrors many classic adventure games where character growth comes through exploration and item acquisition rather than extensive skill trees. The result is a combat system that remains accessible while still providing enough variety to support the game's lengthy adventure. The game also offers a satisfying amount of optional content beyond the main storyline. Side quests encourage players to interact with villagers, revisit familiar regions, and investigate hidden corners of the world in exchange for valuable rewards and additional lore. Completionists will appreciate the abundance of collectibles and secrets, while players who simply enjoy exploring will find plenty of optional objectives that extend the game's replay value. Even after the primary campaign concludes, post-game content provides additional reasons to continue adventuring through Celisa. Visually, Valkie 64 succeeds in recreating the distinctive appearance of fifth-generation console games without feeling technically outdated. The colorful low-poly environments, simple character models, and vibrant visual style evoke nostalgia while benefiting from modern performance improvements, smoother controls, and cleaner presentation. The soundtrack complements the atmosphere with adventurous compositions that suit both peaceful exploration and intense dungeon encounters, enhancing the game's overall sense of wonder without overwhelming the experience. While Valkie 64 successfully recreates the appeal of classic action-adventure games, it also carries a few of the limitations associated with its inspirations. Camera behavior can occasionally become awkward in confined spaces, combat mechanics remain intentionally simple, and some players accustomed to more modern open-world adventures may find certain gameplay systems somewhat basic. However, these aspects feel like deliberate design decisions rather than shortcomings, as the game consistently prioritizes classic gameplay philosophy over contemporary complexity. Overall, Valkie 64 delivers an enjoyable and heartfelt adventure that understands what made retro 3D action games so memorable. Its rewarding exploration, thoughtfully designed dungeons, charming fantasy world, worthwhile side content, and nostalgic presentation combine to create an experience that feels both familiar and refreshing. While it may not reinvent the genre, it confidently delivers exactly what it promises: a lovingly crafted adventure that celebrates the golden age of 3D platforming and exploration. Fans of classic console adventures will find plenty to appreciate, while newcomers looking for a charming, exploration-focused experience will discover a game with lasting appeal. Rating: 7/10