Post Game Review:
An update from my last review as I have now finished the game and all achievements. I can say the game felt amazing to play and is great for those who love playing indie games and like a more minimalistic feel.
Combat:
The combat systems in the game felt responsive and were satisfying to use. I was discovering new combinations even during the last levels. The weapon variety sets this game apart from others I have played in the same genre.
Story and Setting:
I personally appreciated the mixture of old and new styles in the setting (and weaponry choices too). The story was captivating and unique from others I have experienced. I also should note that the story is interesting but for those who do not like story driven games it is not essential for the enjoyment of the game. The atmosphere of the levels was great and the vast size of each one was well appreciated.
Magic System:
The magic system was simple enough to be understood relatively fast, but the fun in it was learning how to combine the magic system with non magical attacks to make brilliant combos. If one is looking for a super advanced magic system, this might not be it, but it is a good supplement to other features
Exploration:
The massive level design made exploration fun, and the grapplehook was genius game design. It felt very fun to use, was simple to learn but hard to master. Swinging around looking for loot was a fun past time and trying to find the fastest way to complete levels was fun too. I replayed levels a few times always finding new secrets too, the game rewards careful exploration.
Customisation & Progression:
The game gives four options for race and on top of that gives customisation to each race, and that feature was nice. The game pacing may throw some off, as the game has some harder levels in the beginning but can feel easy in the middle.
Co-op and Social:
The local co-op was fun to play and the online co-op and versus is fun too, but it really only works if you have friends to play with, as because this is a smaller game there are not many people ever in versus lobbies.
Performance and Polish:
I am a mac gamer and this game ran fantastic on Wine, even on my older 8gb M1 macbook air. I cannot speak to performance on Windows, but for me I have never had a problem running the game. I think the game looks beautiful too, and I like the sharp colours and simplistic design, but that might not be for everyone. The music fits the general aesthetic of the game too and the sound effects are not bad. Just do not expect graphically that you will be getting a AAA game, remember that it is indie!
Bugs:
Like any good game, there are some fun bugs to encounter. None of them that I have found are gamebreaking. Many of them are intentional and hard to encounter naturally.
Replayability:
There is a good amount of replayability. Levels have 2 difficulty adjustments that will make there be more enemies or have the player take more damage. There are also many places on some of the larger levels that are easy to miss and fun to go back to later. Overall, while the main game is on the shorter side, there is a solid amount of replayability.
Controls:
The game has good controller support that feels intuitive and is easy to change and rebind if needed. The keyboard and mouse controls are simple enough to learn and feel comfortable.
General Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Great Combat system, weapon variety and ability for combos
- Unique magic system
- Grapplehook (need I say more)
- Great indie game feel
Cons:
- Some features may feel rough or minimalistic to some
- Story may not be as strong as some would desire
Original Review:
Zofia, one of those rare indie gems. While I have by no means finished everything this game has to offer; I can tell right now the game will certainly be a great one. Even better, for the low price of one AAA game DLC pack, the entire adventure can be yours. The controls are easy to learn, the graphics great, and the mechanics well planned. Also, the developer still seems to be active and updating. The game also ran great, even on my weak computer, This was one of those rare gems that I bought just from the Demo. Thanks for making this 77 Ninjas
*Also, for you Mac gamers, I have had zero problems running this game with Wine on M1.
**Sorry if my English is poor, its not my native tongue.
