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.
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!