Game Devs Put A Map In Your Game For Christ's Sake
(UPDATE 2024: THEY PUT A MAP IN.)

a game I really, really loved even when it was driving me nuts. I am just crazy for this artstyle, Sybil is a great character who is animated beautifully, and playing as her feels skillful and elegant. I often find myself bouncing off of modern platformers like A Hat In Time because everything feels so automated and that it's too easy to do anything, but Psuedoregalia has some truly challenging platforming sections that require great timing and skill to pull off. The aesthetic and feel of this game is done so well, it's a must-buy for that alone. Unlocking new moves for Sybil and getting to play with them, building a flow of movement, it all works in such a professional way that it's hard to believe this was made by a solo dev.

But the combat is fucking atrocious. ATROCIOUS. For how great rittzler's instincts for the platforming is, their instincts for the combat is almost entirely putrid. Hitboxes are completely jank, attacks don't feel satisfying and enemy attacks feel random, the mechanic of Sybil losing her staff is one of those "why would anyone think this is an interesting idea" elements that is such an inane that I wish one of rittzler's friends had spoken up in their hour of need. The presence of this fucking rancid combat in an otherwise brilliant game is an unfortunate reality for platformers that have this insecurity that their game flow can't carry the day on its own.

So other than one element of the game being so bad that it nearly brings it down an entire star, I think Pseudoregalia is so wonderful and passionately made that I have to recommend it. For $6 it is an absolute bargain for how good it is.

There is really no reason for there to not be an in-game map though. Why are games now opposed to this? I get we're obsessed with landmarks and all that but sometimes I just want to open up my fucking map and check goddammit.

Also this game is REALLY dark. Like, not tonally, but visually. Put a slider in, you asshole!

Reviewed on Oct 02, 2023


5 Comments


7 months ago

love a map. im amazed by how many games either don't include one or (more often) include one so bunk you'd be better off without one. power must be restored to the cartographers of the world

7 months ago

@curse as with everything i hate in modern indie games i am forced to blame dark souls for this

7 months ago

you're not wrong

7 months ago

personally i love making my games ultimately worse so that it resembles an incomplete ps3 game more.

7 months ago

@moschidae honestly the terrible combat interrupting the fun bits is very true to the generation its inspired by