Yay! Congratulations on reaching this point, and thanks for posting the update here.
I picked up a copy on Steam right away.
I previously played through the demo too when it was released. Want to share some impressions I had.
Right from the beginning, the puzzling begins. The environment feels appropriately thematic, and the side-view experience is novel for a Magic Tower game and offers some fresh mechanics. The visual style and ambiance you apply in your games works for me here.
Playing with multiple characters! I went through with the first one, and after completing the two areas in the demo, I can see how the others could change the experience and possibly routing.
Playing through with the first character, I needed to take care to survive. I felt my exploration was rewarded. I liked seeing areas that were teased to me, though I wasn't able to access them right away. This gave me implicit goals to shoot for that I kept in the back of my mind.
Indeed, the way Magic Tower mechanics are applied here makes this experience feel like a Metroidvania, where new areas become accessible as you acquire new "
powers"
, in a clean and natural way that just works in this genre. There was a logical progression to how areas opened up to me as I progressed, though also as in Metroidvanias, it may also be possible to "
brute force"
some secluded areas early if you feel like throwing enough resources at it (e.g., a gating or environmental challenge). This presents intriguing possibilities for further exploration and optimization trade-offs.
I tried to play through without dying, so I'm unsure how much the respawn option actually enables progression when a player gets stuck, but I like that the option is there to reduce the chance of the player hitting a hard wall at some point.
I like the auto-map functionality. The map shows that the demo covers two of possibly four total areas included in the full game. If this is an accurate representation of the total content in the game, it might feel a bit short (compared to, say, Myth Bearer), but I'm just guessing here. At its current price point, it's an automatic buy for me regardless. Also, I want to support developers who provide new takes on the Magic Tower genre.
After completing and mopping up in the first two areas, I feel quite pleased with the experience. I'm looking forward to what comes next. There appear to be multiple character development options that I have yet to unlock. I like how potential for spatial and movement puzzles in a side-view format is leveraged here. The included gaming widgets fit together nicely into the whole, hand-crafted package.
A must-play for anyone who likes Magic Tower games, and for those who simply like Metroidvanias for their ambiance and exploration, it's also worth checking out.
____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.
[Last edited by mrimer at 10-14-2021 03:53 PM]
