Really good and unique 3D platformer, which is rarer than you think. It is also a metroidvania(!), which may sound like a slog in a 3D space, but is surprisingly tight once you become familiar with it.
The real sauce here is that wonderful movement. The air-kick wall rebounds may take some getting used to, but once you get to grips, everywhere feels accessible. Sequence breaking comes very naturally in this game, as you push to see what you can do with Siybl's movement, rather than wandering to find items.
Of course, some solutions do require powerups, and while there are only 10 major powerups, each one is a worthwhile addition to Siybl's moveset. What starts at awkward bumbling and air kicking, becomes suped-up bunny-hopping through levels. 3D platformers live or die by their feel and despite its amateur appearance, Pseudoregalia has the fluidity of an auteur.
Which is why it pains me so that Pseudoregalia remains a tad amateur and rough in places. Moment-to-moment gameplay is spotless, but menu UI is real rough looking and several cutscene moments lack audio queues or music. The game originally didn't launch with a map, and considering how much I used it, I think it's pretty important addition. The metroidvania design works for the most part, but there is certainly "dead space" with connection rooms that feel redundant. I do feel these can add to the non-linearity further, but it doesn't feel great to explore a new area to find it was just an alternate connecting path to another level. These things are so very minor that all it needs is a bit of spit and polish to be one of the most compelling titles of 2023. Which considering this was pratically a one-person-show of a game, I aquate to monstrously high praise, and I will certainly be buying their next game.
Oh and it's also got a goat-bunny-cat lady with a massive arse and tits.
The real sauce here is that wonderful movement. The air-kick wall rebounds may take some getting used to, but once you get to grips, everywhere feels accessible. Sequence breaking comes very naturally in this game, as you push to see what you can do with Siybl's movement, rather than wandering to find items.
Of course, some solutions do require powerups, and while there are only 10 major powerups, each one is a worthwhile addition to Siybl's moveset. What starts at awkward bumbling and air kicking, becomes suped-up bunny-hopping through levels. 3D platformers live or die by their feel and despite its amateur appearance, Pseudoregalia has the fluidity of an auteur.
Which is why it pains me so that Pseudoregalia remains a tad amateur and rough in places. Moment-to-moment gameplay is spotless, but menu UI is real rough looking and several cutscene moments lack audio queues or music. The game originally didn't launch with a map, and considering how much I used it, I think it's pretty important addition. The metroidvania design works for the most part, but there is certainly "dead space" with connection rooms that feel redundant. I do feel these can add to the non-linearity further, but it doesn't feel great to explore a new area to find it was just an alternate connecting path to another level. These things are so very minor that all it needs is a bit of spit and polish to be one of the most compelling titles of 2023. Which considering this was pratically a one-person-show of a game, I aquate to monstrously high praise, and I will certainly be buying their next game.
Oh and it's also got a goat-bunny-cat lady with a massive arse and tits.