Info about Mark of the Deep:

Official game description:
Introducing The Cursed Trials DLC
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A NEW CHALLENGE AWAITS IN MARK OF THE DEEP.
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The Cursed Trials introduces a brutal boss rush mode where every run pushes Rookie to the limit. Take on handcrafted boss sequences, adapt your build between encounters, and face escalating difficulty as you progress.
Mix in powerful Curses to reshape each run, chase faster clears, and test your mastery across different challenge lengths.
Unlock new weapon and Rookie cosmetics, track your performance, and see how far you can go.
Step into the arena and prove you can survive The Cursed Trials.
About the Game
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Mark of the Deep is an epic pirate adventure with a strong narrative and a thrilling mix of elements from acclaimed Metroidvania and Souls-Like games. Embark on this journey as the pirate Rookie, explore the mysteries of a cursed island and find your missing pirate crew!
EMBARK ON THIS EPIC PIRATE ADVENTURE!
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A pirate ship wrecked on a mystic island, till then known only by myths n’ tales. Play as Marcus “Rookie” Ramsey and explore the eerie areas of this island surrounded by a mysterious curse in search of your missing crew: the Angry Mermaids!
DEFEAT CURSED CREATURES TO SURVIVE!
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In this diversely hostile environment, you need to face a wide variety of dangers to find your lost crewmates, including abyssal monsters, undead creatures and menacing cultists. Fight against over 80 enemies and 16 bosses in challenging battles inspired by souls-like games!
UNLEASH THE POWER OF YOUR MARKS!
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As a newfound Mark Keeper, Rookie can unlock new abilities that change how you fight enemies and explore the environments! Discover new skills, weapons and trinkets to upgrade your combat abilities and make your way through new areas of the island.
GATHER YOUR CREWMATES!
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Meet a fully-voiced cast of pirates, abyssal creatures and many other characters trapped in the cursed island with you! Rescue old friends and make new allies as you unravel the mysteries of the native inhabitants of the island: the Old Folks.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH!
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The abyssal corruption affects everyone around you, including your cherished allies. You have the choice to help those in need by completing their quests and dealing with hard choices along the way. Discover multiple endings in your goal to escape the island!
JOIN OUR CREW!
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From the developers of Dandy Ace and No Heroes Here, join the **Mad Mimic** Discord Server to meet the Mark of the Deep community and share your experience with the game!

Release date: Jan 24, 2025

Categories: Metroidvania, Soulslike Combat, Exploration, Character Progression, Pirate Theme, Boss Rush, Isometric Perspective, Action RPG

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: User feedback for this game on Linux/Proton is scant but mostly positive. One user wishes for better Linux support without detailing problems, but another explicitly states it runs perfectly on Steam Deck. No reports of crashes, glitches, or required tweaks were found. The game appears to work well with minimal friction.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game exhibits mixed Steam Deck compatibility. Some users experience flawless performance, while others encounter frequent frame drops, controller configuration issues, and less-than-ideal Linux support. Overall, it requires tinkering to achieve a stable experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.99 - $9.99
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews across languages advise waiting for a sale or express disappointment with the game's value at full price, comparing it unfavorably to Death's Door. The community sentiment indicates that the current price is too high, and a discounted price in the typical indie sale range would be fair. Since no explicit price is given, a conservative estimate based on common sale prices for similar games is used.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 32.0h
  - Story completion: 19.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly supports gameCompletion as near-full completion at 32 hours. The second quote provides a concrete report of 19 hours to beat the game, interpreted as main story completion. The third quote shows 18 hours at 88% completion, reinforcing that substantial content requires similar hours. The fourth quote offers a lower-bound estimate of 6-8 hours for minimal story completion, but the more reliable player-reported evidence is the 19-hour playthrough. No evidence exists for session length or endgame activity, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game initially engages players with its art style and hook combat but becomes tedious due to repetitive fights, high enemy health, backtracking, and control issues, causing many to lose interest after a few hours.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: no map in a metroidvania world; tedious backtracking for items; basic enemies require too many hits; unresponsive controls with action queuing; hook aiming issues cause accidental deaths; slow early progression and upgrades
  - Unlock drivers: ability progression and upgrades; learning combat timing and dodging; acquiring trinkets for playstyle control; getting the gun/chain after tutorial area; weapon damage upgrades
  - Conditions: player patience for slow start; tolerance for repetitive combat; appreciation for metroidvania backtracking; focus on exploration over combat; upgrading hook and weapons; completing the tutorial area
- Player Archetypes:
  - Exploration Completionist (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploration and achieving full completion
    - Playstyle: Meticulous explorer who takes notes and screenshots to track progress and find all secrets.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: completionist
    - Reference games: Death's Door; Hades
  - Soulslike Combat Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering fluid and fair combat challenges
    - Playstyle: Methodical baiting and punishing, but dissatisfied with the lack of responsiveness.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Disappointed Genre Fan (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a high-quality experience comparable to top-tier indie games
    - Playstyle: Not applicable; they did not engage deeply with the game's mechanics due to disappointment.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Hades; Death's Door


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:
- Excellent art and atmosphere (weight 0.25): The game features beautiful, bright, and distinctive art direction that fits the pirate theme. The atmosphere is pleasant and immersive.
- Fun and engaging gameplay (weight 0.24): Players consistently report that the game is fun, addictive, and never boring. It is described as solid, great, and enjoyable overall.
- Rewarding exploration with secrets (weight 0.17): Exploration is frequently highlighted as rewarding, with many secrets to discover and useful upgrades that encourage thorough searching of the world.
- Challenging and fun bosses (weight 0.12): Boss fights are described as challenging but well-balanced, with fun mechanics to learn. They are enjoyable and engaging.
- Quality voice acting (weight 0.11): Voice acting is praised as good, clear, and entertaining. The Portuguese (PT-BR) dubbing is specifically highlighted as excellent.
- Well-designed and varied enemies (weight 0.1): Enemies are varied and the variety is appreciated. Level design is also well constructed, contributing to engaging encounters.
- Great combat system (weight 0.09): Combat is described as good, great, refined, responsive, and intense with strategic elements. Movement and fighting feel smooth.
- Moderate game length (weight 0.08): Opinions on length vary: some praise it as not too long (under 50 hours), while others appreciate long playtime with lots of content.
- Smooth performance and stability (weight 0.07): The game runs smoothly with no glitches or crashes, providing a polished technical experience for players.
- Good story and narrative (weight 0.05): The story is considered good and interesting, adding value to the overall experience.
- Well-paced difficulty (weight 0.05): Difficulty is balanced and well-paced, providing a challenging but fair experience that progresses naturally.
- Fun and simple puzzles (weight 0.05): Puzzles are easy to understand and fun to solve, adding a satisfying layer to the gameplay without being overly complex.
- Good value proposition (weight 0.05): Players recommend the game as worth checking out, especially when on sale, indicating good value for the content offered.

Common complaints:
- Missing or useless map (weight 0.59): The game lacks a functional map, which makes navigation extremely difficult and frustrating. Players consistently report getting lost due to the absence of a proper map, minimap, or orientation tools.
- Too many strong enemies (weight 0.22): Enemy placements are often dense and cheap, with excessive health and damage. Normal enemies become harder than bosses in some areas, and large groups make encounters frustrating.
- No objective markers or guidance (weight 0.16): There is no objective marker, compass, or quest indicator, making it hard to know where to go. This confusion is compounded by a lack of direction and similar-looking level designs.
- Bosses are damage sponges (weight 0.16): Bosses have excessively high health pools, requiring many hits to defeat. This makes combat feel tedious and frustrating, especially when combined with repetitive patterns or broken hitboxes.
- Missable achievements and content (weight 0.12): Achievements and quests can be permanently missed due to misleading dialogue choices or a lack of guidance. Collectibles are also hidden without any way to track them.
- Slow and unfair progression (weight 0.11): Progression is too slow, with core abilities and equipment unlocking late. The player character feels weak for a long time, while enemies scale too quickly, creating an imbalance.
- Poor level and scene design (weight 0.08): Levels are described as samey, maze-like, and too dark. The scene recognition is low, and brightness cannot be adjusted, adding to navigation confusion.
- Lack of boss health bar (weight 0.07): Bosses have no visible health bar, so players cannot gauge their progress during fights. This design choice adds unnecessary frustration and reduces clarity in combat.
- Uninspired imitation of other games (weight 0.07): The game feels like a flawed imitation of Death's Door, lacking its charm and polish. Combat and overall experience are compared unfavorably to that reference title.
- Repetitive golem bosses (weight 0.05): The three main golem bosses are considered repetitive and lazy in design. Their identical patterns and massive health pools make them a chore to fight.
- Lack of difficulty settings (weight 0.05): There is no easier difficulty option, punishing players who struggle with the game's high challenge. This lack of accessibility limits the audience.
- Weak and ineffective trinkets (weight 0.04): Most trinkets feel useless or ineffective, providing little benefit to gameplay. This reduces build variety and makes customization unsatisfying.
- No controller rebinding (weight 0.04): Controller buttons cannot be remapped, which is a problem for players with different preferences or accessibility needs. This oversight frustrates console and controller users.
- Too linear for Metroidvania (weight 0.04): Despite Metroidvania leanings, the game is too linear with points of no return. This contradicts exploration expectations and limits replayability.
- Hook bug causes teleportation (weight 0.04): A hook ability bug causes the player to teleport off the map. This is a critical issue that can break progress during boss fights.

Gameplay feedback:
- Metroidvania and soulslike fusion (weight 0.33): The game is frequently described as a metroidvania with soulslike combat elements, featuring ability-gated progression and isometric exploration. This combination is the most consistently mentioned genre descriptor.
- Dodge and timing combat (weight 0.16): Combat revolves around learning enemy patterns, dodging, and committing to attacks with timing. Players must use dodge rolls and pattern recognition to succeed.
- Exploration and interconnected world (weight 0.14): The world is designed with interconnected regions, shortcuts, looping level design, and rewards for exploration. Hidden paths and secrets are abundant.
- Ranged and melee combat mix (weight 0.12): Players use a combination of melee attacks (light, heavy, charge) and ranged weapons like pistols, bombs, and a hand cannon. Ammo regenerates on melee hits.
- Isometric top-down perspective (weight 0.12): The game uses an isometric or top-down view, often described as a 45-degree top-down view, contributing to its Zelda-like feel.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.11): Players frequently compare the game to Death's Door, Hollow Knight, Zelda, Tunic, and Bastion, indicating it draws heavily from these popular titles for its gameplay and style.
- Boss fights require strategy (weight 0.11): Boss fights are described as strategic, requiring pattern learning and a soulslike mentality. Some players note bosses have learnable patterns within a few attempts.
- Upgrades via items not levels (weight 0.1): There is no traditional experience point or leveling system; instead, the player upgrades health, spirit, trinkets, guns, relics, and potions through exploration and item collection.
- Map system and navigation (weight 0.1): The map shows area pictures, icons, red flags for crew member locations, and is described as old-school without detailed quest markers, requiring navigation skills.
- Trinket and relic bonuses (weight 0.1): Trinkets and relics provide passive bonuses like increased attack speed or damage, with some having restrictions such as being useful only at full health.
- Difficulty curve and scaling (weight 0.09): The game has a noticeable difficulty curve with slow resource and progression scaling, though some note the final boss is easy and boss patterns can become monotonous.
- Backtracking and ability gates (weight 0.09): The game requires significant backtracking to collect items or reach areas after unlocking new abilities. This is a core metroidvania loop mentioned across many clusters.
- Combat with hook mechanics (weight 0.09): The grappling hook is used in combat for mobility and attacks, often combined with melee combos and ranged options like pistols.
- Bonfire save system (weight 0.07): Save points function like bonfires, respawning enemies upon rest while replenishing resources such as potions. Fast travel between points is unlocked later.
- Simple enemy attack patterns (weight 0.07): Enemies have fixed, simple attack patterns that are telegraphed, making them predictable but requiring timing to avoid.
- Hollow Knight trinket system (weight 0.05): The game features an accessory or trinket system similar to Hollow Knight's charms, providing passive bonuses that alter gameplay.
- Dialog choices affect quests (weight 0.05): Dialog options can affect quests, and some quests are missable based on player choices, adding replay value.
- No death penalty or minimal loss (weight 0.05): The game features no money loss on death and no death penalty, with players respawning at the last visited bonfire-like point.
- Pirate and Cthulhu theme (weight 0.05): The game has a pirate theme with elements like pirates, navy, and a Leviathan God, and is described as a Cthulhu pirate themed souls-like.
- Platforming puzzles and skill (weight 0.05): The game includes platforming puzzles that require skill and reaction time, with some sequences requiring precise jumps.

Performance notes:
- Smooth performance on capable hardware (weight 0.07): Several users mentioned smooth gameplay with no bugs, glitches, or crashes on various PC setups. The game runs well for many players.
- Good performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.06): Multiple players reported the game runs perfectly on Steam Deck. This indicates strong handheld optimization.
- Boss stuck in freeze loop (weight 0.03): A boss encounter gets stuck in a freeze loop, preventing progression. This is a game-breaking bug that halts advancement.
- Smooth 120 fps on GTX 1070 (weight 0.03): One user reported running the game consistently at 120 fps on a GTX 1070 without any bugs or crashes. This shows the game can perform well on mid-range hardware.
- Performance spikes on high-end systems (weight 0.03): One player noted performance spikes on a system that can run Spiderman 2 on ultra settings. This suggests optimization issues for some high-end hardware.
- Frequent frame drops on low settings (weight 0.03): A player encountered frequent frame drops even when running the game on low graphics settings. This indicates performance problems persist regardless of graphical quality.
- Game freezes to black screen (weight 0.03): The game freezes and goes to a black screen multiple times, affecting gameplay stability. This is a specific crash issue.
- Stuttering combat system (weight 0.03): The combat system experiences stuttering during gameplay. This impacts the core gameplay experience negatively.
- Game feels poorly optimized (weight 0.03): A user expressed the game seems not well optimized, which aligns with other performance complaints. This is a general sentiment.

Recommendations:
- Strong overall recommendation (weight 0.21): Several players strongly recommend the game without specific caveats, calling it great and worth playing. This is a common positive sentiment.
- Recommended for metroidvania fans (weight 0.19): Many players recommend this game to fans of Hades, Hollow Knight, Furi, Death's Door, and Tunic. They highlight similarities in combat and exploration.
- Not recommended currently (weight 0.14): A subset of players state they cannot recommend the game in its current state, citing various issues. Some advise waiting for updates.
- Worth on sale only (weight 0.14): A consistent opinion is that the game is worth checking out or buying only when on sale, especially with a significant discount.
- Map and navigation issues (weight 0.13): Frequent complaints include the lack of a map, which causes players to get lost. Some mention that if you can get past this, the game is enjoyable.
- Exploration and world building (weight 0.12): Positive comments highlight the game's exploration, good world building, and puzzle solving. These aspects appeal to adventure fans.
- Not for difficult games (weight 0.09): The game is not recommended for players who dislike difficult games or become frustrated by slow progress. It is described as masochistic.
- Genre recommendation broad (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for fans of isometric Zelda-likes, metroidvania, and soulslike experiences, but with caveats.
- Wait for quality of life (weight 0.07): Suggestions to wait for updates that improve quality of life features before purchasing or playing.
- Completionist challenges (weight 0.06): The game is suitable for completionists but can be stressful when aiming for 100% due to hidden HP bars and backtracking.
- Negative review bombing (weight 0.05): One extremely negative review and a suggestion to forget making such games indicate strong disapproval.
- Not worth over other titles (weight 0.03): A few players say the game is just not good or not worth playing over other better games in the genre.
- Positive despite issues (weight 0.03): Several reviewers offer a positive recommendation despite acknowledging serious issues, like quality of life problems.
- Developer potential noted (weight 0.03): Some players recommend the game because they see potential in the developers, even if the current product has flaws.
- Controller issues reported (weight 0.03): One player advises against using a controller, recommending mouse and keyboard instead. This suggests control scheme problems.
- Story helps navigation (weight 0.03): One player notes that reading the story is important to avoid getting lost in the map, implying narrative context aids exploration.
- Price point suggestion (weight 0.03): One player specifies that the game is worth buying only if the base game is under a specific price, indicating value concerns.
- Accessibility tip for grenade (weight 0.02): A specific tip mentions that handicapped players can use a grenade from the top-left area to deal with enemies.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.34): A lack of a proper map in a large, homogeneous world leads to constant disorientation and tedious backtracking. This is compounded by clunky combat mechanics, including unreliable dodging, magnetic enemy attacks, and bosses with excessive health pools.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): The game's promising art style and pirate theme are undermined by poor execution, such as a non-functional map and uninspired combat. Many reviews express that a potentially great game was ruined by questionable design choices and a lack of polish.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players who enjoyed the game praise its tight controls, fluid movement, and rewarding exploration. The challenging but fair combat, along with a compelling pirate lore and atmosphere, provided a satisfying experience for many.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Positive player experiences highlight fun gameplay loops, a great soundtrack, and engaging exploration. The mix of combat, puzzles, and progressive unlocks kept the experience enjoyable and rewarding throughout.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Players felt excitement from the game's challenging boss fights, incredible art, and solid gameplay progression. The variety in areas and enemy types, combined with responsive controls, created a dynamic and engaging experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): Minor but persistent issues like controller bugs, dark scenes with no brightness adjustment, and a repetitive music loop caused annoyance. The lack of a minimap and poor enemy placement in small areas also contributed to a frustrating exploration experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Combat became tedious and monotonous over time due to repetitive level design and simple boss patterns. Reviewers noted that enemies require little skill to defeat, leading to a lack of excitement and a feeling of grinding.
- Anger (weight 0.02): A sense of wasted time from multiple design flaws and the inability to refund the game sparked anger. Missable trophies due to obscure choices and bosses with broken hitboxes were particularly infuriating issues.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): The top-down camera was deemed too far away to distinguish enemies, and a lack of clear direction markers left players unsure where to go. The protagonist's unexplained motivations made certain in-game actions feel disconnected and strange.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): The game's beautiful art and interconnected level design elicited admiration from players. The stunning art direction and unique atmosphere, combined with the pirate theme, created many memorable visual moments.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): The design of normal enemy encounters and mechanics like death explosions and poison pools were considered disgusting for a melee-focused game. The complete absence of a map feature was a critical point of disgust, hampering the experience.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Players felt pride in seeing a high-quality game developed by Brazilian talent. The inclusion of a Paulo Gustavo Law intro screen was a specific source of pride, showcasing national achievement in game development.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): The cohesive world built through atmosphere and audio design was highly appreciated. Players also valued the challenging combat that rewarded skill and perseverance.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Some players regretted their purchase after enjoying the demo, finding the full game lacking. Others felt they had to force themselves to finish the game despite its good dubbing and representation of Brazilian talent.
- Fatigue (weight 0.01): The game became tiring and suffocating after a few hours of play. The repetitive nature of the gameplay and environments led to a feeling of exhaustion rather than engagement.
- Resentment (weight 0.01): An unfair difficulty curve that breaks progression caused resentment among players. The presence of missable achievements due to misleading dialogue further fueled negative sentiment towards the game's design.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players who do not normally play this genre were surprised to find it fun. Additionally, the ease of the final boss was an unexpected and surprising element of the game's difficulty curve.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): An incredible setting and an immersive soundtrack successfully drew players into the game's world. The deep ambientation combined with well-paced gameplay created a strong sense of immersion.
- Fulfillment (weight 0): A sense of fulfillment was achieved when the character became a powerful monster after unlocking upgrades. This transformation validated the player's effort and progression through the game.
- Intrigue (weight 0): The narrative, which unfolds through environmental storytelling and scattered clues, kept players intrigued. This method of world-building encouraged exploration and rewarded attentive players with deeper lore.}