This is a really cool game. Is it HTML5? I would have given you 4 stars but the character movement speed is agonizingly slow.
Reviews for "ACCESS CODE: HEAVEN"
gamesbynoe responds:
Hello! Thank you for your review. Yes, this is Unity HTML5/WebGL build.
Its pretty challenging. Also it took me awhile to figure out how to defeat the first boss. I had forgotten I had a gun. The controls were a bit difficult for me to use since I usually use the WASD keys instead of the arrow keys. I also would rather use the spacebar to jump instead of z. Maybe you should add an option to change the controls a bit. Other than that I see a pretty fun game here. Good job.
Having played "Into the Abyss", I see you've improved a lot from there. Congratulations! Growing is the most important thing, and you're on the right track. Now, about the game itself, I liked, but there're a couple of things worth mentioning:
- The graphics: Awesome. The artwork is very pleasant, and the lighting is on point. No complains here, good job.
- Challenge: The rooms are a good challenge, but most of the time you can avoid every obstacle by going under them. It's good that if you have a certain skill you can make previous hassles easier, but here is almost from the begginning.
- Map design: This issue was present in ItA too. I'm not one that thinks labels have to be strict. You wanna do metroidvania, but that doesn't mean you have to make something as close as possible to Metroid or Castlevania, as it would limit the genre itself, and prevent new ideas from coming. However, both games are linear platformers that try to fight that nature.
The whole game is a 'hallway' with a couple of moments where you go to an extra room to get perk, and then continue as you were a minute ago. That's not a bad thing at all, it doesn't affect the experience, but that's the thing: If you put those rooms one after the other, it doesn't change anything. And it's not like you have to make a choice or anything, as the map always tells you wich room is the extra, and wich is the main path.
If you wanna make an open map, try to be a bit more ambitious. You could keep those extra rooms a 'secret' (or only reachable once the player activates/gets something and has an 'a-ha!' moment), so the player feels rewarded for being observant; or make more connections between rooms, so the place feels more complex/open.
- Gameplay: Not much to say here. It works. Although I must say that the rooms feel too small and contained for the use of the wall slide. It's a bit stiff, but not much else, but when there's almost no space to maneuver, it's a problem. If you wanna make the player feel agile, give him the room to do so. This also happens in the final boss battle, which is very easy, but the controls fight you a bit.
But again, I liked it, and it shows you've improved a lot. I can't wait for your next game!
gamesbynoe responds:
Thank you for review!
Good game! very nice work
Need to add the "2d jump" while you are in the air. When you fall down of a platform you cant jump in the air :c
Cool game!
I played it all the way through and enjoyed it quite a bit.
Your pixel art is awesome and the lighting creates an ambient sci-fi feel. The animations are a little simple and I think you should challenge yourself by getting creative with enemy sprites, since the glowing red orbs were a bit bland and didn't add to the narrative. The lasers and worms both add to the narrative because the tell the story of the environment. Lasers are the defense systems of the station that are dying, and the worms are the inhabitants that have made the abandoned ship their home. So, create more enemies that tell the story.
The gameplay was fluid at some points and clunky at others. Personally, I would have preferred a little faster movement and fire rate. As a rule of thumb, I feel like the speed of upward movement on a jump and the sideways movement of running should be roughly equal. In terms of collision coding, I found myself clipping on corners that ruined my momentum or prevented me from landing on platforms. While it wasn't game breaking, it was a little frustrating. I know that collision scripting can be difficult, so I want you to know that it's better than anything I could do.
The music was cool, but it didn't exactly jive with the gameplay. I seldom heard the ambient music for most of the game, which makes the station feel abandoned, and that's cool! Personally, though, I would recommend a little bit more ambient pads playing during the quiet sections. On the other hand, the fast music in the green section seems too fast and upbeat for the slow gameplay. Because the character doesn't move or shoot very fast, the music doesn't line up with the gameplay and it feels a little disjointed.
In terms of design, the rooms are cool and feel just like a Metroid game! Most of the rooms felt distinct from one another without introducing too many new elements. However, I would recommend being careful when introducing new elements, because when I first encountered the lasers, I encountered a lot of them. The same can be said for the enemies and the spores. The bosses are a little too simple for my taste, but the rooms in which the fights occur are simple, but compliment the boss's movements. Another additional point would be to leave more space in each room. Rather than clutter the rooms with platforms and enemies, leave more open space (not too much that it becomes boring) to add to that "abandoned space station" feel.
The story seemed like it could have been awesome if the game was a little longer. There was definitely some character development going on there and even the enemies and obstacles tell the story of the environment. (like I mentioned earlier) I wasn't expecting the game to end when it did, so I would recommend some text from the command center guy warning about the upcoming boss fight and how its the central issue plaguing the station, etc.
Quick note, have someone proofread the text for you, there are quite a few typos/grammatical errors.
Overall, awesome job! Definitely don't give up! Keep on making games and make each one better than the last! I want to see what you come up with next! Let me know if you want some help with music! :)