Pretty slick. Don't have the energy for its particular precision game play just now, but good to know it's out there. (Also had no idea it was a Gun Gal spin-off until reading these comments-- apparently I don't read the back of game cases anymore lmao)
Shinobu está todisima
For once Inti made a game with a difficulty that felt good (I played on veteran). They really understood that it's fun to figure out what's good for what situation based on the terrain, level obstacles, and enemy attack patterns.
However it's got a few strange decisions:
- No proper map?? This really would've helped on subsequent runs through a level, to check all the areas I want to explore. The preview map showing the routes and secrets is a cute idea, but you're not going to be cross referencing or decoding it when it's not even available during a stage.
- There's no English voice acting in cutscenes for some reason? Like why even do a dub if you're not gonna dub the important bits???
- I didn't get to sex Big Kurona
Additionally, the revival mechanic is a good way of maintaining momentum, but if one sister dies in a spot the other can't reach (or otherwise forces one sister to go through a section clearly not made for her), it kinda goes against itself. So you either have to retry (going back to the last proper checkpoint, forfeiting the momentum the revival was supposed to keep) or slug through; neither of which feels right. There are actually a few areas where it sets the dead one back to a more attainable point by the other, but it's clear they aren't able to account for every situation you find yourself in when exploring.
good game though, recommend if you like inti pilk like me
However it's got a few strange decisions:
- No proper map?? This really would've helped on subsequent runs through a level, to check all the areas I want to explore. The preview map showing the routes and secrets is a cute idea, but you're not going to be cross referencing or decoding it when it's not even available during a stage.
- There's no English voice acting in cutscenes for some reason? Like why even do a dub if you're not gonna dub the important bits???
- I didn't get to sex Big Kurona
Additionally, the revival mechanic is a good way of maintaining momentum, but if one sister dies in a spot the other can't reach (or otherwise forces one sister to go through a section clearly not made for her), it kinda goes against itself. So you either have to retry (going back to the last proper checkpoint, forfeiting the momentum the revival was supposed to keep) or slug through; neither of which feels right. There are actually a few areas where it sets the dead one back to a more attainable point by the other, but it's clear they aren't able to account for every situation you find yourself in when exploring.
good game though, recommend if you like inti pilk like me
bro i am NOT about this gameplay, i don’t know if i’m just a classicvania hater or what but i NEED some movement tools here. there’s nothing!!! i'm not horny enough for this!!!
Gal Guardians has been a very pleasant experience, no doubt Inti Creates has made another retro style game with a good level of quality, still, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed in some aspects.
For starters, I didn't know what the hell Gal Gun was before learning about this game, when I first saw it announced I thought it was a new IP from Inti Creates that would expand from the foundations of Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 1 and 2... But no, when I found out that the creators of Mega Man Zero were also the creators of "this", and that this game is specifically a Spin off of Gal Gun.... my disappointment was immeasurable and I simply won't see Inti Creates in the same way again, and it was a bad taste in my mouth that stayed throughout my playthough with this game, I'm just not a fan of that kind of school anime setting and fan service, the game is much more than just that, but frankly I would have preferred something different, especially in a game that I won't play alone because it's two player.
But well, talking about the gameplay, as I mentioned before, this game is a kind of spiritual sequel to Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 2, so we have the typical structure of a classic Castlevania where we must go through several levels to reach the top of the castle and defeat Dracula, and being Inti Creates, obviously it has a touch of Mega Man game, because each boss we defeat will give us a new ability. I think the most striking aspect of this game is the fact that we have 2 characters that we can switch between with a single button, Maya focused on melee attack and Shinobu specialized in ranged combat. The captivating thing here is that the game can be played in two-player cooperative mode, which makes it very fun especially for the fact that the playable characters are very different and need each other, so teamwork is essential. All this added with a very well polished control scheme and a wide repertoire of Sub-weapons, make this a game with a very solid and complete gameplay. Compared to Bloodstained Curse of the Moon, this game has only 2 playable characters instead of 4, but it makes up for it by making the abilities bigger and more unique.
What I can't speak so highly of is the recycling of enemies, as it's quite easy to notice that there are a lot of elements from this game that have been directly reused from Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 1 and 2, which seems a bit negative to me, given that this game is supposed to belong to a completely different IP, in that sense I would have preferred to see something much more novel and not a simple "copy and paste". However, thankfully new enemies were introduced and some of these are interesting, as were the bosses, which were decent challenges with interesting patterns and behaviors.
Where this game did leave me completely disappointed is its music. These types of games should mandatorily for me have a good memorable and catchy soundtrack, that's one of the aspects that make Mega Man and Castlevania games iconic. It's strange especially because Inti Creates games usually have good soundtracks, but I guess this game is the exception, as the songs aren't memorable at all, they're just decent and that's it. In the end I literally had to play with Castlevania music playing in the background to make amends for this. But well, at least where I have no complaints is in the art of this game, as the pixel art is beautiful, similar to that of the Castlevania games on DS, colorful and detailed, with very good animations and visual effects.
And as always, being an Inti Creates game, it is implied that you must play this game 2 times to access the true ending, and although it is not something I dislike, honestly it is an aspect that I would have liked to see better worked.
Conclusion
Gal Guardians is possibly one of the most misunderstood games of recent times. No, just because a game is in pixel art and takes place in a castle with a gothic setting doesn't automatically make it a Metroidvania. This game is a platformer like those of the 90s, yes, the levels have alternate routes and hidden collectibles, but it's far from being Metroidvania, think of it as something like Mega Man X.
It's a good retro style platformer, in fact, it has very good quality elements and it's quite fun, but even so, I feel it left a little to be desired. Maybe if this game had a different story and a good soundtrack I would have rated it an 8/10, I don't know. I would honestly prefer to see a Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 3 with the visuals of this game in the future.
For starters, I didn't know what the hell Gal Gun was before learning about this game, when I first saw it announced I thought it was a new IP from Inti Creates that would expand from the foundations of Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 1 and 2... But no, when I found out that the creators of Mega Man Zero were also the creators of "this", and that this game is specifically a Spin off of Gal Gun.... my disappointment was immeasurable and I simply won't see Inti Creates in the same way again, and it was a bad taste in my mouth that stayed throughout my playthough with this game, I'm just not a fan of that kind of school anime setting and fan service, the game is much more than just that, but frankly I would have preferred something different, especially in a game that I won't play alone because it's two player.
But well, talking about the gameplay, as I mentioned before, this game is a kind of spiritual sequel to Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 2, so we have the typical structure of a classic Castlevania where we must go through several levels to reach the top of the castle and defeat Dracula, and being Inti Creates, obviously it has a touch of Mega Man game, because each boss we defeat will give us a new ability. I think the most striking aspect of this game is the fact that we have 2 characters that we can switch between with a single button, Maya focused on melee attack and Shinobu specialized in ranged combat. The captivating thing here is that the game can be played in two-player cooperative mode, which makes it very fun especially for the fact that the playable characters are very different and need each other, so teamwork is essential. All this added with a very well polished control scheme and a wide repertoire of Sub-weapons, make this a game with a very solid and complete gameplay. Compared to Bloodstained Curse of the Moon, this game has only 2 playable characters instead of 4, but it makes up for it by making the abilities bigger and more unique.
What I can't speak so highly of is the recycling of enemies, as it's quite easy to notice that there are a lot of elements from this game that have been directly reused from Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 1 and 2, which seems a bit negative to me, given that this game is supposed to belong to a completely different IP, in that sense I would have preferred to see something much more novel and not a simple "copy and paste". However, thankfully new enemies were introduced and some of these are interesting, as were the bosses, which were decent challenges with interesting patterns and behaviors.
Where this game did leave me completely disappointed is its music. These types of games should mandatorily for me have a good memorable and catchy soundtrack, that's one of the aspects that make Mega Man and Castlevania games iconic. It's strange especially because Inti Creates games usually have good soundtracks, but I guess this game is the exception, as the songs aren't memorable at all, they're just decent and that's it. In the end I literally had to play with Castlevania music playing in the background to make amends for this. But well, at least where I have no complaints is in the art of this game, as the pixel art is beautiful, similar to that of the Castlevania games on DS, colorful and detailed, with very good animations and visual effects.
And as always, being an Inti Creates game, it is implied that you must play this game 2 times to access the true ending, and although it is not something I dislike, honestly it is an aspect that I would have liked to see better worked.
Conclusion
Gal Guardians is possibly one of the most misunderstood games of recent times. No, just because a game is in pixel art and takes place in a castle with a gothic setting doesn't automatically make it a Metroidvania. This game is a platformer like those of the 90s, yes, the levels have alternate routes and hidden collectibles, but it's far from being Metroidvania, think of it as something like Mega Man X.
It's a good retro style platformer, in fact, it has very good quality elements and it's quite fun, but even so, I feel it left a little to be desired. Maybe if this game had a different story and a good soundtrack I would have rated it an 8/10, I don't know. I would honestly prefer to see a Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 3 with the visuals of this game in the future.
This review contains spoilers
Bonne progression avec des combats funs et des améliorations amusantes à utiliser. L'idée de revisiter les niveaux à la moitié du jeu est bien exécuté avec des boss revu avec une difficulté accrue et la découverte de nouvelles zones à l'aide des pouvoirs acquis lors de notre premier parcours.
I found the hitboxes to be kinda wack at times but otherwise it was a solid castlevania inspired romp. The levels were short enough in of themselves that the whole "second run" the game tells you to do to actually beat it wasn't a chore. Also for being a galgun game, there wasn't a whole lot of what you associate that series with here. There was like maybe a handful of them, and most weren't overt. Shinobu and Maya play differently enough from each other but I always found myself trying to do actions that would fit in these types of games (no double jump or backdash, or dash) but the game is more limited in character actions. Shinobu for example can't hit small enemies unless you've been firing long enough once you get to round 2 unless you wanna spend your sub weapon points. I did find some other ways to speed up my rounds with clever use of the subweapon mechanics, one was clearly intended as it says so in the tutorial but the other was CLEARLY not and I was able to avoid entire rooms and platforming challenges with it.
I however do not agree with having no actual map to view outside of the fast travel menu, which is only at the pillars between levels and at your base. This is a metroidvania type game, so there are secret rooms and doors that require the abilities you get latter on to open. You better remember where they are buddy! That compass that they have that points you in the direction of the boss and collectables like upgrades or girls to rescue only works for the later if you're in the same room (I also saw it only have things appear halfway through some long rooms too), plus this compass doesn't have the other collectable on it which are panties. I already told you this was a galgun game, you should have expected it. Also I get that Maya is the younger sister, and smaller the game makes sure you know that, but having the melee focused character have half the hp of the ranged is weird as AF.
It might seem petty, but that whole thing with the map knocked a whole point off my score. I got so tired of running around the levels for the 5th time trying to find my last few girls and panties that I just pulled up a video to find the rest of theme were. A metroid type game needs a readily accessible map!
I however do not agree with having no actual map to view outside of the fast travel menu, which is only at the pillars between levels and at your base. This is a metroidvania type game, so there are secret rooms and doors that require the abilities you get latter on to open. You better remember where they are buddy! That compass that they have that points you in the direction of the boss and collectables like upgrades or girls to rescue only works for the later if you're in the same room (I also saw it only have things appear halfway through some long rooms too), plus this compass doesn't have the other collectable on it which are panties. I already told you this was a galgun game, you should have expected it. Also I get that Maya is the younger sister, and smaller the game makes sure you know that, but having the melee focused character have half the hp of the ranged is weird as AF.
It might seem petty, but that whole thing with the map knocked a whole point off my score. I got so tired of running around the levels for the 5th time trying to find my last few girls and panties that I just pulled up a video to find the rest of theme were. A metroid type game needs a readily accessible map!
É um metroidvania bem inspirado em casttlevania (o jogo inteiro ocorre em um castelo). Assim, tem uma história bem básica e simples: um demônio mandou uma escola pro mundo demoníaco, que acabou virando um castelo, e ai as duas protagonista vão derrotar esse demônio, mas com um porém de que esse jogo tava normal até a metade e do nda vem uma quest pra tu recuperar as calcinhas de todas personagens q tu salvou do castelo o.O (ganhei a conquista 'Mestre das Calcinhas') e tem até final secreto q tu tem q jogar escondido, e no fim descubro que esse game na vdd é um spin off de outro jogo ecchi da msm desenvolvedora '-'.
Quanto a jogabilidade é bem boa, tanto quanto os equipamentos quanto o estilo individual das duas personagens jogáveis (uma é focado mais em armas de fogo/explosivo e a outra é combate de perto/magia de invocação) que acaba dando uma dinâmica melhor para a gameplay e as fases possuem level design apropriado pro estilo (posicionamentos dos monstro, itens e area escondidas) tão bem feitos. Além de que os design dos monstros e personagens tão tbm em mt boa qualidade.
Agora os pontos negativos, em que a maioria são especifico por exemplo a mecânica de quando um dos seus personagens morre: é feito o respawn no ultimo save point toda hora quando isso acontece, em vez de continuar, quebrando mt o ritmo da gameplay e outro ponto é como foi feita a progressão da gameplay tendo q repetir as fases 2x só na história principal, porém se tu quiser fazer um final secreto ou platinar o jogo tu basicamente revisita todas os mapas umas 5x (no msm nível de dific.) q torna mt maçante, contudo por o jogo não apresentar dificuldade tão desafiador então acaba tornando menos estressante. E o 100% é bem tranquilo de se fazer.
Em resumo, ótimo jogo do estilo de referência a castlevania (q em vez de coletar as parte do dracula tu coleta calcinha), tem uma dificuldade moderada então é boa pra jogar casualmente e não é tão longo (5h/6h). Recomendo ainda mais dpois do final secreto ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
Quanto a jogabilidade é bem boa, tanto quanto os equipamentos quanto o estilo individual das duas personagens jogáveis (uma é focado mais em armas de fogo/explosivo e a outra é combate de perto/magia de invocação) que acaba dando uma dinâmica melhor para a gameplay e as fases possuem level design apropriado pro estilo (posicionamentos dos monstro, itens e area escondidas) tão bem feitos. Além de que os design dos monstros e personagens tão tbm em mt boa qualidade.
Agora os pontos negativos, em que a maioria são especifico por exemplo a mecânica de quando um dos seus personagens morre: é feito o respawn no ultimo save point toda hora quando isso acontece, em vez de continuar, quebrando mt o ritmo da gameplay e outro ponto é como foi feita a progressão da gameplay tendo q repetir as fases 2x só na história principal, porém se tu quiser fazer um final secreto ou platinar o jogo tu basicamente revisita todas os mapas umas 5x (no msm nível de dific.) q torna mt maçante, contudo por o jogo não apresentar dificuldade tão desafiador então acaba tornando menos estressante. E o 100% é bem tranquilo de se fazer.
Em resumo, ótimo jogo do estilo de referência a castlevania (q em vez de coletar as parte do dracula tu coleta calcinha), tem uma dificuldade moderada então é boa pra jogar casualmente e não é tão longo (5h/6h). Recomendo ainda mais dpois do final secreto ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
How many Castlevania fans played this back when it was called Grim Guardians and got whiplash from the plant vines moment?
From the demo I played during NEXT Fest, it seemed like a competent enough Metroidvania with semi-interesting designs and gameplay but there was nothing that really made it stand out. It was just kind of standard anime stuff so if you really love the Metroidvania genre pick this up but only after playing the better ones first.
Gal Guardians ended up being a game I didn't expect to have fun with as I first thought that it was a game mainly for those that have played the gal gun series. I myself know too little to know what the gal gun series is like so I'm pretty sure I missed a few references here and there. But what I am a fan of is metroidvania/castlevania games. Now I have to say that this game wasn't advertised correctly as it is a castlevania not a metroidvania. The difference is that castlevania is more level selection reach the final boss of that level (in other words linear in nature) and find secrets in the game here and there. Metroidvania is more exploration and find the next fight or upgrade to progress through the game(in other words open world).
With that being said gameplay is enjoyable not only can you play through the game but you can do some pretty cool things in it (like freezing lava, glide, grappling up walls or across rooms, etc.). This ended up being a really fun way of traversing through the levels. Not only that, the interaction with the games levels is interesting to see. My favorite part was going back and accessing a room that I couldn't earlier to get whatever reward was there. In my excitement of exploring one of the secrets I ended up soft locking myself but that was cause of me being stubborn.
Overall the game does a great job being a fun castlevania game. The game doesn't take itself seriously and it has an enjoyable sense of humor. All this coming together with a game with a short playtime ended up being something I needed after playing some crazy 90+hr games
With that being said gameplay is enjoyable not only can you play through the game but you can do some pretty cool things in it (like freezing lava, glide, grappling up walls or across rooms, etc.). This ended up being a really fun way of traversing through the levels. Not only that, the interaction with the games levels is interesting to see. My favorite part was going back and accessing a room that I couldn't earlier to get whatever reward was there. In my excitement of exploring one of the secrets I ended up soft locking myself but that was cause of me being stubborn.
Overall the game does a great job being a fun castlevania game. The game doesn't take itself seriously and it has an enjoyable sense of humor. All this coming together with a game with a short playtime ended up being something I needed after playing some crazy 90+hr games
I thought the game was fun but it was all right it started out pretty well but the second half of the game kinda overstayed it's welcome. It's gotten me more interested in trying more of Castlevania though
This was a pretty solid Metroidvania, but the game just kept getting better for me as I got deeper into the second half. It's charming and funny. I was sold after seeing a girl with an uzi, and there are even more ridiculous and cool weapons to unlock. I really dug it. Great Metoidvania with some good boss fights.
This review contains spoilers
It's a pretty fun game in its own right, but it can't stand up to the inspirations it wears on its sleeves, not mechanically at least. The level design works quite alright, giving ample reason to use either girl and the tools at their disposal at any given opportunity. But it doesn't compare to the Classicvanias, which require precise and deliberate maneuvers to make it through various do-or-die scenarios. The gameplay here just isn't busy or demanding enough. With that being said, it was at least engaging enough to justify the mandatory second playthrough to get the ending, owed in part to the myriad of new paths unlocked in each level and the plethora of secrets to discover.
While it's no Rondo of Blood (not by a long shot), it makes up for what it lacks in mechanical brilliance with that classic Gal Gun cute and funny charm. Rescuing defenseless high school students screaming their hearts out from a whole screen away, collecting used leggings to get the Pillar Man's libido up to get to the final level, Kurona's dumbass saying HELL every sentence, it all warms my heart 😌 . I was going to give this game a 7, but after getting the bunny suit CG, I started reconsidering. Then they hit me with the alt ending, where you rescue every high school student, get to the final boss, and use the power of friendship to create the Pheromone shot, allowing you to shoot hormones at the final boss in a rail shooter minigame until she climaxes, culminating in the ending where every chick in the entire school wants to bang you due to your overwhelming hormone energy. Can't do that in Castlevania 3!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find everyone's panties in the dimensional rifts. The 'Master of Panties' achievement ain't gonna get itself, ya smell me?
While it's no Rondo of Blood (not by a long shot), it makes up for what it lacks in mechanical brilliance with that classic Gal Gun cute and funny charm. Rescuing defenseless high school students screaming their hearts out from a whole screen away, collecting used leggings to get the Pillar Man's libido up to get to the final level, Kurona's dumbass saying HELL every sentence, it all warms my heart 😌 . I was going to give this game a 7, but after getting the bunny suit CG, I started reconsidering. Then they hit me with the alt ending, where you rescue every high school student, get to the final boss, and use the power of friendship to create the Pheromone shot, allowing you to shoot hormones at the final boss in a rail shooter minigame until she climaxes, culminating in the ending where every chick in the entire school wants to bang you due to your overwhelming hormone energy. Can't do that in Castlevania 3!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find everyone's panties in the dimensional rifts. The 'Master of Panties' achievement ain't gonna get itself, ya smell me?
After playing and feeling disappointed by Curse of the Moon 2 I moved onto this game to see if Inti Creates had done any better.
Generally it has the same core formula as Curse of the Moon, but instead of controlling a variety of characters you unlock throughout a few levels you start with 2 characters to use until the end, with the unlocks being new subweapons that are always available in your inventory to quickly switch through.
The level design is smaller, but offers some more compelling alternate paths upon revisiting as well as giving you more freedom to backtrack, the game focuses more on choosing the right subweapon in the moment rather than picking up individual ones trying to predict when you'll need them.
The game is easier than both CotM games for the most part as if one of your characters dies, you can go reach their corpse after respawning and resuscitate them to continue, preventing you from losing a life unless both characters die. The levels are also less punishing for the most part, feels like there's a lot more healing, and also less opportunities for knockback to kill you, but I honestly didn't mind this especially after CotM 2.
What keeps me from giving a higher rating is 2 issues I have with the game, for one while the game generally being easier didn't bother me I wished the bosses had some more challenge to them, still prefer easier bosses over health taxes like there is in CotM 2. The other issue is that unbeknownst to me at first, this is a Gal Gun spin-off, the game doesn't lean into this until after you do the second playthrough for the real ending but I found it to just be weird, I guess they're playing into their audience but I really don't think it fits a Castlevania-like and I would have rather the game kept on with the slightly more serious tone of the first run.
Overall though if they make another Curse of the Moon game, I hope it's like this one, using more focused level design and balancing as well as 16-bit style visuals, because I think the first game already perfected the NES style.
Generally it has the same core formula as Curse of the Moon, but instead of controlling a variety of characters you unlock throughout a few levels you start with 2 characters to use until the end, with the unlocks being new subweapons that are always available in your inventory to quickly switch through.
The level design is smaller, but offers some more compelling alternate paths upon revisiting as well as giving you more freedom to backtrack, the game focuses more on choosing the right subweapon in the moment rather than picking up individual ones trying to predict when you'll need them.
The game is easier than both CotM games for the most part as if one of your characters dies, you can go reach their corpse after respawning and resuscitate them to continue, preventing you from losing a life unless both characters die. The levels are also less punishing for the most part, feels like there's a lot more healing, and also less opportunities for knockback to kill you, but I honestly didn't mind this especially after CotM 2.
What keeps me from giving a higher rating is 2 issues I have with the game, for one while the game generally being easier didn't bother me I wished the bosses had some more challenge to them, still prefer easier bosses over health taxes like there is in CotM 2. The other issue is that unbeknownst to me at first, this is a Gal Gun spin-off, the game doesn't lean into this until after you do the second playthrough for the real ending but I found it to just be weird, I guess they're playing into their audience but I really don't think it fits a Castlevania-like and I would have rather the game kept on with the slightly more serious tone of the first run.
Overall though if they make another Curse of the Moon game, I hope it's like this one, using more focused level design and balancing as well as 16-bit style visuals, because I think the first game already perfected the NES style.
Shinobu is for me
Never would have thought I'd enjoy a Gal Gun METROIDVANIA, but here we are. . . . Up until all thatbwas leftnis BOSS RUSH MODE, where your character upgrades are taken away and you're left doing base dmage and taking full hits... the final boss is THREE STAGES, no resources for healing, and the second stage can ONEAHOT ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM FULL HEALTH... ON EASY. ON EASY! Love of GOD, even KIRBY doesn't do that!
AYAYAYA Version of metroidvania.
Bom jogo com alguns problemas. O jogo poderia ser mais intuitivo e ter um sistema de mapas melhor, e poderia apresentar uma melhor variedade na jogabilidade. Em contrapartida, as músicas são excelentes; os controles funcionam muito bem; e o boss final é muito bom de se jogar contra.
2nd video game with no redeeming qualities.
nota: 2.5/5
dificuldade: C
comentário: ele é envolvente o bastante mas não existe nada de característico para se lembrar, tudo é bem comum, desde inimigos, cenários e músicas.
dificuldade: C
comentário: ele é envolvente o bastante mas não existe nada de característico para se lembrar, tudo é bem comum, desde inimigos, cenários e músicas.
This review contains spoilers
Что понравилось:
— Графон. Спрайты персонажей, боссы, портреты выглядят отлично. Бэкграунды тоже вполне хороши.
— Боссы. В целом, битвы с боссами достаточно интересные. Пара-тройка боссов хорошо запомнилась.
— Два разные по геймплею персонажи. Есть девочка с автоматом, большой полоской хп, но слабым уроном, а есть девочка с чисто ближним боем, небольшой полоской хп и мощным уроном. Плюс у них доп оружия сильно отличаются.
— Кооп. Сам не играл, но возможность радует. Судя по всему, помогает в платформинге (но не всегда).
Что не зашло:
— Уровни. Интересного платформинга практически нет.
— Исследование. Если эту игру кто-то называет метроидованией — то это очень плохая метроидования. Карту можно увидеть только в самом начале уровня. Нет индикаторов и подсказок, сколько предметов на уровне, найдено всё или нет. Чтобы хоть как-то исследовать локации, нужно один раз пройти до последнего уровня (потом, по сюжету, героинь откинут в самое начало), и только потом можно искать всё… сказал бы я, но после полного прохождения (то бишь второго захода до последнего босса) появляются ещё собираемые предметы (не уверен, на что они влияют).
— Концовки. Первую концовку можно получить только после двойного прохождения уровней, потом открывается настоящий финальный босс. Вторую концовку дают за сбор 3-х особых предметов. Третью дают за сбор всех “девочек в беде” (у финального босса меняется последняя фаза).
— Сложность. Её практически нет. Максимум проблемы возникают с поиском предметов. Максимальная сложность открывается только после первого прохождения.
Первое дохождение до финального уровня вполне ничего. Второе уже скучновато, хоть, порой, и ходишь по другим путям (не всегда). Искать секреты очень неудобно: если бы их было в разы меньше, то оно не ощущалось бы таким дурным.
Стоит ли играть? Игра на любителя.Фанатам серии Gal Gun будет приятно увидеть знакомых персонажей, фанатам классической кастлы, кому не хватило двух Бладстейнов, в целом, может понравиться. Тем, кто хочет метроидованию — проходить мимо.
— Графон. Спрайты персонажей, боссы, портреты выглядят отлично. Бэкграунды тоже вполне хороши.
— Боссы. В целом, битвы с боссами достаточно интересные. Пара-тройка боссов хорошо запомнилась.
— Два разные по геймплею персонажи. Есть девочка с автоматом, большой полоской хп, но слабым уроном, а есть девочка с чисто ближним боем, небольшой полоской хп и мощным уроном. Плюс у них доп оружия сильно отличаются.
— Кооп. Сам не играл, но возможность радует. Судя по всему, помогает в платформинге (но не всегда).
Что не зашло:
— Уровни. Интересного платформинга практически нет.
— Исследование. Если эту игру кто-то называет метроидованией — то это очень плохая метроидования. Карту можно увидеть только в самом начале уровня. Нет индикаторов и подсказок, сколько предметов на уровне, найдено всё или нет. Чтобы хоть как-то исследовать локации, нужно один раз пройти до последнего уровня (потом, по сюжету, героинь откинут в самое начало), и только потом можно искать всё… сказал бы я, но после полного прохождения (то бишь второго захода до последнего босса) появляются ещё собираемые предметы (не уверен, на что они влияют).
— Концовки. Первую концовку можно получить только после двойного прохождения уровней, потом открывается настоящий финальный босс. Вторую концовку дают за сбор 3-х особых предметов. Третью дают за сбор всех “девочек в беде” (у финального босса меняется последняя фаза).
— Сложность. Её практически нет. Максимум проблемы возникают с поиском предметов. Максимальная сложность открывается только после первого прохождения.
Первое дохождение до финального уровня вполне ничего. Второе уже скучновато, хоть, порой, и ходишь по другим путям (не всегда). Искать секреты очень неудобно: если бы их было в разы меньше, то оно не ощущалось бы таким дурным.
Стоит ли играть? Игра на любителя.Фанатам серии Gal Gun будет приятно увидеть знакомых персонажей, фанатам классической кастлы, кому не хватило двух Бладстейнов, в целом, может понравиться. Тем, кто хочет метроидованию — проходить мимо.
Extremely good Metroidvania (with local co-op!) with very little fan service considering the franchise it's a spin-off of.
So I 'beat' this game after playing it for a few days but fill disclosure, I only played through it once and the game wants you to play through it again to fully experience it. So my thoughts on this game do not represent a thorough experience with it but I played it for enough time to have some thoughts.
I liked it! The basic mechanics are fun. It's incredibly Castlevania inspired if you couldn't tell. I liked playing as Shinobu a lot because having a gun in a game like this is a fun way to spice up the formula. I like the art, particularly with some of the bosses. It's a shorter game that helped get me out of a month-long gaming hiatus and a good time killer until Final Fantasy XVI comes out.
The map system is a little pointlessly archaic. You can only view it when you engage with fast travel and you can only fast travel at the beginning of each stage, which was a bummer. I have to be honest, I wasn't really inspired to go completionist with this one. I did not use a guide and I missed every secret area in every level. Oops!
Overall a good time with some flaws that I wouldn't completely recommend but I also wouldn't advise against!
I liked it! The basic mechanics are fun. It's incredibly Castlevania inspired if you couldn't tell. I liked playing as Shinobu a lot because having a gun in a game like this is a fun way to spice up the formula. I like the art, particularly with some of the bosses. It's a shorter game that helped get me out of a month-long gaming hiatus and a good time killer until Final Fantasy XVI comes out.
The map system is a little pointlessly archaic. You can only view it when you engage with fast travel and you can only fast travel at the beginning of each stage, which was a bummer. I have to be honest, I wasn't really inspired to go completionist with this one. I did not use a guide and I missed every secret area in every level. Oops!
Overall a good time with some flaws that I wouldn't completely recommend but I also wouldn't advise against!
Definitely could have waited for a price drop on this one, not a fan of the whole "play through the whole game again to actually beat it" cop-out unless it is done really damn well. This game does good at making a fun unique take on the Metroidvania style, but I don't understand how you can make a game with branching paths and secrets to unlock without adding a map option anywhere besides when you first get a glimpse of the stage you are selecting. So to just beat the game once you have to play through it twice and to get the other endings you have to collect nearly everything. I had tried to find the parts to this side quest that the compass showed, but the items would never show up. Loved the enemies and characters' sprites and beautiful artwork, it's not a bad game, but it does have a decent amount of setbacks that could have been avoided. I still enjoyed it, just not what I expected this game to be.
this game is a psyop by inti creates to get people to become gal gun fans and im sorry to say i fell for it
An alright game. I think co-op is the best way to go here--that's how I played it. The level design and enemies could be a bit generic (and sometimes annoying), and it definitely suffers from a bit of padding; still, it isn't trying to be anything more than a cute Castlevania homage/parody. Shinobu and Maya are fun to play as but don't reach their full potential until their full movesets are unlocked. My friend and I both agreed if they changed some stuff about this game structurally, it would be a bit better. I definitely had more fun once we could do everything. Play if you want a short, but decent couple of hours of action-platforming with a friend.
Good game overall! Probably the best grappling hook to ever exist in a 2D game, but doing 100% completion was absolute hell. I'm not sure why Inti insisted on having no good map system considering how many collectibles there are, but it basically means you have to go through each stage soooo many times in order to find everything.
Soundtrack here is pretty good too, but III never misses so in comparison to GV3 and iX2 this one is just okay.
Soundtrack here is pretty good too, but III never misses so in comparison to GV3 and iX2 this one is just okay.
A solid castlevania game with fun co-op integration, unfortunately brought down by the developer's insistence on forcing repeat playthroughs with minor differences to pad playtime and boss fights that are largely a joke. Also while I do find the gal gun girls cute, they spend way too much time talking without anything of value to actually say.
well presented and competently put together, yet otherwise unremarkable! no one loves inti creates tropes more than inti creates!!!
I kinda respect the level of love they always show for their own IPs and reoccurring elements in these things. this one turned out pretty FINE, but ain't as CONSIDERED and smart a package as those other retro bloodstained games they made that we're invoking here.
level design's whatever, enemy placements are too cheeseable with your powerful ranged options and "fuck it, whatever" tier of side weapons, the repeat content asked of you to do is pretty bad, and lmao that usual anime boobies and children angle is as iffy as ever. what ya gonna do! all the degenerate stuff is actually rather harmless feeling compared to the level gal gun proper usually parades around, but I suppose the CONCEIT of these games alone is enough to set off alarms for some folk... rightfully so! All around a little thoughtless and empty an experience! Quite fitting for something born from vapid ecchi shit, I suppose!
jus go play bloodstained~ the second one has dominique in it!
I kinda respect the level of love they always show for their own IPs and reoccurring elements in these things. this one turned out pretty FINE, but ain't as CONSIDERED and smart a package as those other retro bloodstained games they made that we're invoking here.
level design's whatever, enemy placements are too cheeseable with your powerful ranged options and "fuck it, whatever" tier of side weapons, the repeat content asked of you to do is pretty bad, and lmao that usual anime boobies and children angle is as iffy as ever. what ya gonna do! all the degenerate stuff is actually rather harmless feeling compared to the level gal gun proper usually parades around, but I suppose the CONCEIT of these games alone is enough to set off alarms for some folk... rightfully so! All around a little thoughtless and empty an experience! Quite fitting for something born from vapid ecchi shit, I suppose!
jus go play bloodstained~ the second one has dominique in it!