-----They say a picture is worth a thousand words. For Dandara here, a platforming metroidvania developed by Long Hat House and published by Raw Fury, a screenshot was all it took for me to buy the game and try it out. And that's because of a couple of reasons. First the art of the game is beautiful. Long Hat House's artistic talent shows up in full force here. The sprite work is well drawn and well animated.
-----The other big facet that hooked me into playing Dandara was it's movement system. Unlike your normal platformer, Dandara's movement exists in a world without gravity. Instead, our titular character quickly hops from white wall to white wall, whisking across scenes at a breakneck pace. In practice, it feels very satisfying.
-----Another aspect I think is pretty well done in practice is the metroidvanian exploration Dandara boasts. There's a sizeable labyrinth to trek across, and plenty of collectables and upgrades to acquire. Though, I also think mentioning the exploration brings me into some of my negative criticisms for Dandara. First, the map provided makes for a fine reference point, but things get weird when the camera during gameplay spins as you snap between walls. It can be easy to lose your bearings.
-----Additionally, the combat of Dandara could be very clunky. The attack you are given has to be charged somewhat every time before you can fire it, meaning you have to sit still for a few frames or more. This can cause trouble with fast attack patterns from enemies, or foes in large numbers which Dandara likes to throw at you in the later half of it's playtime.
-----The story, or lack of, also bugged me a lot. There is a story, but it's so mired in abstraction that it can be hard to get a grasp on what's really happening in Dandara's world. I feel this is even reflected in the environment design, which while drawn beautifully, have a lack of character. This places you visited felt bland and uninspired.
-----Finally, there is a souls-like system of progression in Dandara in the form of salt. You get it every time you kill something, and lose it sort of every time you die. Like Souls, you have to retrieve a spirit to get your expierence back. This system is fine, and can even make going out into Dandara's world and braving it's tough difficulty feel tense. But I never felt like this was fully realized until the later parts of the game.
-----In conclusion, Dandara features some great exploration and movement. The music is dynamic and sweeping, and art is so well done that pixel enthusiasts will be pleased. However, clunky combat, dynamic spinning cameras, and lack of character were major downsides to the experience. I would overall recommend Dandara, and I hope Long Hat House continues with this concept to flesh it out into something worth a thousand words.

VERDICT: HIGH 6 / 10