Info about Perennial Order:

Official game description:
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**We'd be happy to welcome you into our community, link in the sidebar!**
About the Game
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Perennial Order is a _**2D plant horror boss rush**_, set in an atmospheric Dark Age world plagued by nature-infested horrors.  
Explore a mysterious world alone or with a friend, uncover a story through unusual NPCs, and cut down terrifying eldritch bosses, all in a painterly 2D style.  
**David vs. Goliath Combat**
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*   Uncover a **unique boss around every corner** that will test you in different ways.  
*   **Intense combat** that utilizes **twin stick melee controls**.  
*   **One-Hit-Death**. Respawn directly at the beginning of an encounter to learn quickly from your actions; _spend your time fighting rather than walking_.
**Captivating 2D Style**
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*   A **painterly 2D art style** with a dark fantasy inspiration.  
*   Themes and visuals akin to the world designs of titles like _Dark Souls_ and _Princess Mononoke_.  
*   **Painstakingly crafted by 1 artist and 1 animator**. We are developing the visual identity of Perennial Order through realistic, painterly techniques combined with 2D Spine animation.
**Plagued by Nature**
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*   **Immerse yourself** in a dreary land where unspeakable horrors roam.  
*   **Discover Unusual NPCs** and unravel more about this mysteriously beautiful world.  
*   Explore a rich atmosphere through sounds and score, with **musical themes distinct to each boss**.
**Bonded Journey**
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*   Experience the entirety of Perennial Order from start to finish **with a friend**.
*   **Local and Online Co-Op**.
**Key Features**
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*   **Unique Bosses** | Different mechanics to adapt to. Lovecraftian and terrifying battles.  
*   **One-Hit-Death** | Every combat choice matters.  
*   **Minimal UI** | Nothing to clog up the screen to add to the atmosphere.  
*   **Intriguing NPCs and World** | A world worth exploring.  
*   **Online and Local Co-Op** | Bonded Journey mode. 2 player adventure.
We like to describe Perennial Order as _Hollow Knight meets Titan Souls_ - a beautiful dark atmosphere to explore, with boss-rush focused gameplay.  
**Developed by Gardenfiend Games**  
**James Markiewicz** | Programming  
**Vincent Van Hoof** | Art  
**Miguel Félix** | Animation  
**Julian Crowhurst** | Music / Audio

Release date: 5 Sep, 2024

Categories: Boss Rush, Cooperative Multiplayer, Twin-stick Shooter, Action Horror, Soulslike Combat, Exploration, Single-player Story, Character Customization


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unique, engaging boss designs (weight 0.95): The game features unique and well-designed boss encounters that are mechanically varied, visually distinct, and require different strategies. Boss fights are a core strength, offering a balanced challenge and rewarding experience.
- Excellent, well-balanced co-op mode (weight 0.95): Co-op mode is a standout feature, seamlessly integrated and enhancing the overall experience. It allows for strategic collaboration and shared enjoyment, without making the game dependent on it.
- Intense, fair one-hit death (weight 0.93): The game's one-hit death mechanic creates intense, high-stakes combat encounters that demand precision and strategic play. Quick respawns and the absence of tedious runbacks mitigate potential frustration, respecting the player's time.
- Unique, immersive art style (weight 0.61): The game boasts a unique and captivating art style, often described as a dark, gothic, or plant-based aesthetic. This, combined with detailed world-building and lore, creates an immersive and memorable experience.
- Fluid, deep combat system (weight 0.12): The combat system is fluid, responsive, and offers depth through various abilities and build options. The 'instincts' system adds an extra layer of customization and strategic decision-making.
- Amazing, atmospheric soundtrack (weight 0.09): The game features an exceptional soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and intensifies combat encounters. The music dynamically adapts to the gameplay, creating a more immersive experience.
- Soulslike elements, unique identity (weight 0.08): The game incorporates elements of the Soulslike genre, such as challenging combat and a dark atmosphere, while still maintaining its own unique identity. The comparison is primarily in art style and world-building.
- Intriguing story and lore (weight 0.08): The game features an intriguing story and lore that is revealed gradually through characters, journal entries, and the environment. This adds depth and engagement to the overall experience.
- Unique co-op death mechanic (weight 0.04): The game features a unique co-op death mechanic where a dead player can still assist their living teammate. This enhances the co-op experience by allowing the deceased player to remain engaged and contribute to the fight.
- Satisfying critical hits/feedback (weight 0.03): The game provides satisfying feedback through well-timed critical hits and impactful sound design. This enhances the overall sense of accomplishment and engagement.

Common complaints:
- Final boss: uninspired, frustrating, RNG (weight 0.32): The final boss is a major point of criticism, described as uninspired, frustrating, and relying too heavily on reused mechanics and RNG. Many reviewers felt the fight was a disappointing culmination of the game's challenges, with some considering it a low point in the overall experience.
- Tedious backtracking, no fast travel (weight 0.18): The lack of fast travel and a mini-map makes backtracking and exploration tedious. Players spend a significant amount of time walking through areas, which can become frustrating, especially when revisiting locations for secrets or missed items.
- Visual clarity, depth perception issues (weight 0.13): The game's art style and perspective can cause depth perception issues, leading to wonky hitboxes and difficulty reading enemy attacks. The dark visual presentation and cluttered environments also contribute to visual clarity problems.
- Unclear, fragmented story presentation (weight 0.11): The story is presented in a fragmented and unclear manner, similar to Dark Souls, which some reviewers disliked. The narrative relies heavily on lore text that is often vague and uninteresting, failing to create a compelling experience.
- High difficulty, potentially frustrating (weight 0.09): The game's difficulty is a recurring theme, with some reviewers finding it too challenging and frustrating. Some felt the game lacked leeway for leveling up or brute-forcing through challenges, making it unsuitable for players who dislike difficult games.
- Unconventional, unremappable controls (weight 0.08): The game features unconventional controls that take time to learn and cannot be remapped. Some core mechanics, like sprinting, are tied to skills instead of being baseline abilities, which feels awkward and limits player freedom.
- Lacks content, QoL features (weight 0.04): Some reviewers felt the game lacked sufficient content or quality of life features. There were also mentions of bugs and disappointment with the game's sales performance.
- Limited skill experimentation, memory slots (weight 0.04): Players feel restricted in their ability to experiment with different skills due to limited memory slots and the high cost of equipping skills. This forces players to stick with basic setups and rely on attrition rather than strategic skill combinations.
- Excessive walking between bosses (weight 0.03): Some reviewers felt that the amount of time spent walking between boss fights was excessive and lacked engaging content. This downtime contributed to a loss of interest and made the game feel like a boss rush with built-in downtime.

Gameplay feedback:
- Soulslike combat with twists (weight 0.24): The game incorporates Soulslike elements, such as challenging combat, limited player capabilities, and a parry/counter mechanic. However, it also introduces unique elements, such as a one-hit death mechanic, requiring players to master timed dodges and counterattacks.
- Core gameplay: boss rush (weight 0.22): The game is primarily a boss rush, focusing on encounters with unique bosses and minimal regular enemies. Exploration is present, but it mainly serves to enhance the atmosphere, provide side quests, and offer character upgrades, creating a world with lore to discover.
- Unique, directional combat controls (weight 0.09): The game features a unique combat system that utilizes the right stick for omni-directional attacks, requiring precise timing and directional input. This control scheme differs from traditional button-press attacks and may require some getting used to.
- Customizable skills enable varied playstyles (weight 0.05): Players can customize their play style through various skills, equipment, and 'instincts,' allowing for diverse builds focused on dodging, attacking, or parrying. This customization encourages experimentation and adaptation to different combat situations.
- One-hit-death core mechanic (weight 0.04): A core mechanic of the game is the one-hit-death system, where any single hit results in instant death for the player. This mechanic emphasizes precise play, memorization, and a low margin for error, creating a challenging experience.
- Bosses with unique gimmicks (weight 0.02): Bosses in the game have unique gimmicks and mechanics that players must learn to overcome. Some bosses may offer a practice run to help players understand their attack patterns, but the randomness of these patterns can sometimes feel unfair.
- Shared resource for dodging/attacks (weight 0.01): The game uses a shared resource, Wisps, for both dodging and special attacks. This creates a risk-reward dynamic where players must carefully manage their energy pool between offensive and defensive maneuvers.
- Linear map with lore collectibles (weight 0.01): The game features a linear map design with collectibles that expand on the game's world and lore. While exploration is present, the linear structure guides players through the environment, focusing on atmosphere and world-building.

Performance notes:
- Stable online, solid controls (weight 0.03): The game generally offers a stable online experience with solid controls and hitboxes. Players have reported smooth co-op gameplay across different regions and internet speeds, indicating good server performance and netcode.
- Well-optimized, runs smoothly (weight 0.02): The game is well-optimized for different control schemes and hardware. It runs smoothly on Steam Deck without requiring graphical adjustments, and the controls are appropriately mapped for Xbox controllers. The Steam Deck remains silent during gameplay, indicating efficient hardware usage.
- Occasional bugs and disconnects (weight 0.02): Some players have reported encountering bugs, such as breaking out of the map or swarm queue issues during the final boss fight. Disconnections during long fights have also been mentioned, but some bugs can be solved with a restart.
- Few bugs encountered (weight 0.01): Many reviewers have experienced very few bugs during their playthroughs, suggesting a stable and polished game. This indicates that the game is in a good state regarding technical issues.
- Bosses obscure view sometimes (weight 0.01): Boss fights can sometimes be visually obstructed due to the terrain, which can hinder the player's view and make it difficult to track enemy movements and attacks. This can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.
- Camera sometimes lags (weight 0.01): The camera can sometimes lag behind the player's movements, resulting in poorly executed transitions. This can disrupt the flow of gameplay and make certain actions feel less responsive.
- Fast respawn loading (weight 0.01): The game features very short loading times when respawning after death. This helps to maintain a fast-paced and engaging gameplay experience by minimizing interruptions.
- Smooth animations (weight 0.01): The game's animations are noted to be smooth, contributing to a visually appealing and fluid gameplay experience. This enhances the overall presentation and immersion.
- Minimalist UI (weight 0.01): The game lacks a traditional UI, with health and dodge counts displayed directly next to the character. This minimalist approach may appeal to some players but could also make it harder to track vital information at a glance.

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended; buy this game! (weight 0.5): The game is overwhelmingly recommended as a must-buy, especially for fans of the genre, with many reviewers considering it a hidden gem and urging others to support the developers. Reviewers highlight the game's high quality, unique aspects, and overall enjoyment, often stating it's worth the price and deserving of more attention.
- Great for genre fans (weight 0.42): The game is highly recommended for fans of Soulslike, boss rush, and Metroidvania games, often drawing comparisons to titles like Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, and Titan Souls. Reviewers suggest that those familiar with these genres will find the game particularly enjoyable and rewarding.
- Difficulty and controls are frustrating (weight 0.07): Some reviewers express concerns about the game's difficulty, controls, or specific boss encounters, leading to frustration and a lack of recommendation in its current state. One reviewer uninstalled the game due to frustration with the final boss.
- Support the indie developers (weight 0.03): Reviewers emphasize the importance of supporting the indie developers behind the game, praising their passion and dedication. They encourage players to purchase the game to help the developers create more unique and artistic titles in the future.
- Hoping for sequel/DLC content (weight 0.02): Several reviewers express a desire for more content, such as a sequel or DLC, indicating their enjoyment of the game and a wish to see the world and gameplay expanded upon. Some reviewers worry about the game not selling enough copies.
- Suggestions for improvement (weight 0.01): Reviewers suggest specific improvements to the game, such as adding an option to modify the background during the final boss fight or implementing a quick respawn feature commonly found in other Souls-like games.
- Consider buying on sale (weight 0.01): Some reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game, especially if the player is unsure or has budget constraints. Trying the demo is also recommended to assess personal enjoyment before committing to a purchase.
- Good for casual play (weight 0.01): The game is recommended as a casual experience suitable for playing during spare moments, suggesting it's easy to pick up and play in short bursts.

Other player notes:
- Co-op and replayability features (weight 0.07): The game offers several features that enhance replayability and co-operative play. These include a New Game+ mode with harder bosses, a boss rush mode, and support for both local and online multiplayer (up to 2 players). The game's design encourages co-op partners to banter and strategize.
- Brilliant implementation of information indicators (weight 0.07): The game has undeniable indirect connections to Furi, Shadow Of The Colossus, Dark Souls and Hollow Knight. The implementation of non-traditional information indicators, using sound, visuals, and ambient effects to inform you of attacks or boss stages, is brilliant and immersive.
- Support for developers, sequel hopes (weight 0.05): Reviewers express support for the indie developers and their unique vision, with some hoping for a sequel. One reviewer noted a quick and helpful response from the development team regarding a bug. The game is compared to the developer's previous title, Raindancer.
- Themed maps add variety (weight 0.01): The game has different themed maps. This adds variety to the gameplay experience.
- Can pet the cat and dog (weight 0.01): The game allows players to pet the cat and dog. While this is a minor detail, it can contribute to the overall positive experience for some players.
- Plant good (weight 0): The point 'Plant good' is a low-effort comment that does not provide any constructive feedback. It is an emotional response without specific details.

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