Gestalt: Steam & Cinder Steam Charts & Stats

I had a great time with this one. Look great, sounds great, and I really enjoyed the combat and traversal (especially once you unlock your full move-set). I don't know if any other metroidvanias have ever used a stagger bar, but this is first I've played, and I found it really fun and novel. As someone who finds most games to be too long, I thought the length was perfect. I hope they get to make the sequel that they're clearly setting up here, because I would definitely like to play it!

A good metroidvania bogged down by really boring boss fights that last way longer than they should.

Aaaaand it's bad, like, really bad. Game Design and Level Design in particular are really annoing. Combat is trash, the plot is generic, the storytelling is boring. Don't buy this game. The only thing here is great pixel art, nothing more.

it's a nice little experience, great for people who just want to play a short and simple metroidvania game. The game is only around 7 hours long (had the game on in the background for 2 hours hence the 9 hour playtime) and the bosses are nowhere near as hard as some of the big name metroidvanias out there but they are challenging enough to be fun and also give enough narrative tension to keep you engaged. Not a big fan of the story near the end, but the world building was pretty good up until that point. Other than that i loved everything else, the art, the characters, even the level design. Would absolutely love more.

A lovely game with a fun story and a great steampunk world. For a metroidvania i found it a bit to easy and the world was very small, compared to others, but it didn't really bother me that much. I recommend this game to everyone who likes metroidvania games, especially if you're new to the genre. Now, go and rescue some Dogs! :D

This was a fun and chill experience from start to finish. All the abilities are interesting enough and fun to use while the level design slowly expands with each one. The combat was engaging and satisfying and i love the style of the world. The story was told well enough where it explained the main concepts enough but left some room for the imagination of the player. My only main gripe was with how they ended the story with a cliffhanger/sequel bait kind of end but i don't think it ruins the game or experience overall. I just hope they follow through with another game and it isn't left in the air

Well, surprisingly good! Combat is solidly put together. It can feel a bit dodgy at times and you'll definitely find a set of moves that "works for you" but each new technique has good utility. Wish the dodge cooldown was a bit faster, but I get that it might not be the developer's vision. Thankful to have a bar that shows when it's restored though! There's nothing too new here, but it's decently well paced, solidly put together, and a story novel enough that I was genuinely interested in its twists and turns. It's not gonna change the world, but I don't think you'll be upset if you give it a go. It was a good time, and I definitely recommend it.

Short review. 7.5/10. Very nice visuals and music. Environments are very detailed, the pixel art is very well done and controls are extremely solid. Story is a tad too much at the beginning due to all the interruptions but its not a hassle. It just needs a little more oomph to cross the 7.5 line.

The good: Absolutely gorgeous pixel art, very VERY tight movement and level design, and an exceptional soundtrack. While I found some of the leveling to be a bit extra at times (frankly, the game stops being difficult after a point, and I highly suggest sticking to attack power leveling) I never felt like it was particularly wasting my time. A notably backtracking-light metroidvania if you're thorough, something I consider a bonus. Overall, the game should take a couple of afternoons to chug through, though I do reccommend taking some time to just appreciate the artistry on display. There's quite a lot of love poured into the pixel art here, and its hard not to be impressed by that! I think if there's a sequel, dropping the level system in favor of something else might be a good idea. Perhaps a gear system, something a bit more mechanical in nature to reward exploration instead of marginal gains that stack up to a difficulty reduction so severe it actually impacts the payoff of the final boss. I give that a free pass though, since that's a problem in a lot of level-focused metroidvanias. The bad: The story is mediocre and pulls from some pretty rotten places, though gaslamp fantasy IS prone to reiterating on imperialist concepts, the story still hinges on a eugenics ubermensch plot and monarchist inclinations. There's even a bit of Perfidious Minority in there, just for good measure. Also, for all the game's splash page talks about corruption, it never actually shows any of it. At best you get a bit of implication resources are being strained and there's some wacky trade laws. I chalk this up to technical limitation though, chartering art of a good guard beating can be difficult to fund for indie games. Few of the characters had any stand-out personality traits, with the exception of Ren's suave yet loyal spymastering. He's barebones, but he does stand out! The crazy scientist also feels properly menacing and pompous, though I do hope we get to kill him later in the sequel for all the implied atrocities. Last thing we want is another Mengele type wandering about, yeah? The crazy dude in the scrap sea was also interesting, but died before his character could really tug at the heartstrings. Feels like he was a missed opportunity to explore dementia and how it can destroy people, as most of the characters just wind up moderately annoyed by their cagey attitude instead. The main character is not so lucky though, being weirdly sauceless for how much personality is implied in her animations. You'd think someone who dresses like a victorian witch-hunter would at least be a bit harsh, but outside of optional dialogue, she's so businesslike as to be dull. I think she's a casualty of a writing instinct I call "oh man she's so cool guys, she is incredibly focused on her work as a mercenary and values her freedom above all else!" which then results in the same character every stifled teenager comes up with and puts into their first bit of writing. I've been there, I sympathize. Consider making them a bit crazier in the sequel, she's almost died and that messes with people's heads. You have leeway to fix that sauce! I attribute a lot of that to the game's short length, however. Rotten theming and lackluster character writing aside, I do think the gameplay and brisk pacing both make up for it. This is worth full price, if for nothing more than the art and gameplay. It really is that gorgeous to look at.

If you're a metroidvania lover i highly recommend this game. If you're an achievement hunter, it's an easy completion.