Info about Icons: Legacy Edition:

Official game description:
****Icons: Legacy Edition** is a Tribute Release to the Wavedash Team and the fans of the free-to-play game, Icons: Combat Arena**  
Note: This game is considered final and should not be intended to have additional updates besides critical bug fixes.  
**About Icons: Combat Arena:**  
Icons: Combat Arena was a free-to-play platform fighting game designed by hardcore fans to be a love letter to the genre. The goal was to take the most beloved characters and competitive elements of franchise platform fighting games and distribute them for free on PC so anyone, anywhere could enjoy them online.  
Fans of platform fighting games will feel right at home with elements of Icons: Combat Arena's roster with a space animal, sword fighter, rushdown brawler and grappler. Mixing in a bit of their own flavor, Icons: Combat Arena adds new, unexplored character designs:  
*   A gunslinger with the ability to ricochet bullets off platforms and stages  
*   A gruesome guan dao-slinging warrior with the ability to withstand any attack  
*   A pair of statues that can switch places with one another to surprise opponents, and  
*   A girl witch who seals demons into her weapons and can freely fly around the stage on her broom
Legacy Edition - Key Improvements:
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Once it was apparent that the studio would not be able to sustain operations, the Wavedash team spent their final weeks doing their best to resolve as many of the fan-requested changes as possible. The goal for Legacy Edition was to resolve clear issues with Icon's original monetization, input delay and region-locking as well as provide fun tweaks to character movesets and balance that they thought the community would enjoy. Now, more than a year after their shutdown, Icons: Legacy Edition will finally see the light of day.  
*   **An Entire Free-to-Play Game's Worth of Content:** Legacy Edition includes all eight characters, dozens of costumes for each character, customizable voice and taunts as well as a slew of holograms for emoting mid-match!  
*   **Global, Peer-to-Peer, Online Connectivity:** The netcode was refactored to peer-to-peer connections. As a result, the Legacy Edition can be played globally.  
*   **Offline Mode & Local Mode Without Extra Input Delay:** Online play was refactored to be significantly more responsive.
Why should you play Icons: Legacy Edition:
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Icons: Legacy Edition is first and foremost a tribute to the Wavedash Team and the supporters of Icons: Combat Arena. However, you may want to consider trying the game out for yourself for the following reasons:  
*   **Community** - The friendly, passionate and welcoming Icons Community is now global. Our Discord would love for you to join them:  
*   **Fun** - Experiment with a lighthearted twist on a familiar game design with a roster of fan-favorite archtypes and a handful of characters  
*   **Support a new platform fighting game** - Icons: Legacy Edition was made possible after a former teammember purchased the company out of its going-out-of-business sale. They plan to effectively continue development on Icons but under a new name and vision. You can read more about them below.
About Vortex & Their Target First Impression for the New Game
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Vortex, led by a former Wavedash co-founder, is effectively continuing development on Icons: Combat Area, but under a new name, Vortex Rising.  
We want Vortex Rising to look and feel like it offers something new to players:  
*   **Collaborative and Competitive Core.** Our online play will feature cooperative team-based gameplay. What does a 2v2 or 3v3 fighting game look like? Is it pure chaos or can it be tamed into something much more competitive? We hope to answer these questions with Vortex Rising.  
*   **Unique Gameplay.** Our default gameplay includes beloved elements from other fighting games for the first time into a platform fighting game. We are experimenting with several risky but original ideas to push these concepts even further.  
*   **A Perception of Being Easier to Learn.** Tutorials, controls and core gameplay will vary in new and unique game modes to help beginners and button mashers graduate to advanced levels of competitive play. You should feel comfortable inviting a friend to play this game with you and they should feel good about being able to play alongside you.  
*   **Gives You Something Fun to Work Towards.** Playing should push you to want to go further, dig deeper. Watching a match should inspire you to rise to a challenge.
Consider signing up for private Alpha testing of Vortex Rising here:  
Thank you for your love and support.

Release date: Jul 12, 2018

Categories: Platform Fighter, Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, Character Customization, Fast-paced Gameplay, Combo-based Combat, Competitive Multiplayer

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Predatory; summary: The game is heavily criticized for its monetization strategies, particularly the paywall for characters and the use of lootboxes. Many users feel that the game is designed to push players towards spending real money, with high costs for unlocking characters and difficulty in earning in-game currency. The art style is also criticized, contributing to the overall negative perception of the game as a cash grab.
- Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Good with Minor Issues; summary: The game has several positive aspects, including smooth performance on Linux using Proton, good controller support, and stable multiplayer experiences. However, there are some issues with unresponsive controls and generic characters that affect the gameplay experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users consider the game to be worth a full price if certain conditions are met, such as the removal of loot boxes and better access to characters. Multiple reviews mention a $25 price point, indicating that this is a common reference for the perceived value of the game. Additionally, one review suggests that the game is worth checking out due to its low price point, implying that the fair price is on the lower end of the spectrum.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 150.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes direct mentions of playtime metrics. The first two quotes indicate that unlocking all characters requires approximately 150 hours of online play, which can be interpreted as a metric for game completion. The third and fourth quotes provide specific playtime hours from individual players, which can help estimate typical session lengths and overall playtime.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun after players overcome the initial learning curve and start enjoying the slick movement and rewarding combos.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Understanding the controls and game mechanics
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Built-in delay on controls; Learning curve for newcomers; Lack of a proper tutorial mode
  - Unlock drivers: Progressing through the game; Unlocking collectibles
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Local and online multiplayer modes; Using different characters to suit playstyles
- Player Archetypes:
  - Critical Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a fair and enjoyable competitive experience without excessive monetization.
    - Playstyle: Critical and analytical, focusing on the game's flaws and comparing it to other similar titles.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: veteran; competitive player
    - Reference games: Super Smash Bros. Melee; Project M; Slap City; Rivals of Aether
  - Casual Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Looking for an enjoyable and accessible fighting game experience.
    - Playstyle: Casual and exploratory, focusing on the fun aspects of the game and its similarity to other popular titles.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual player; newcomer
    - Reference games: Super Smash Bros.
  - Hopeful Optimist (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Belief in the game's potential and the developers' commitment to improvement.
    - Playstyle: Supportive and patient, focusing on the game's future developments and community engagement.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: supporter; community member
    - Reference games: Super Smash Bros.; Project M


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:
- Engaging and fun gameplay (weight 0.49): Players find the gameplay mechanics enjoyable and competitive, contributing to a smooth and fun experience.
- Well-designed and balanced characters (weight 0.35): Characters are well-designed, original, and balanced, contributing to the game's appeal and variety.
- Strong netcode implementation (weight 0.27): The game features a well-received netcode that provides mostly stable connections and includes rollback, leading to a smooth online experience.
- Responsive and active developers (weight 0.24): The development team is noted for being responsive to player feedback and actively working on improvements based on community input.
- Unique character identities (weight 0.17): Each character feels unique, offering a variety of playstyles and personalities that cater to different player preferences.
- High-quality visuals (weight 0.17): The game boasts beautiful and fantastic 4K graphics, enhancing the visual experience for players.
- Good value for money (weight 0.17): Players feel that the game is worth the payment and offers significant fun value.
- Unlocked content from start (weight 0.16): All characters, skins, and customization options are available from the beginning, providing immediate access to all content.
- Resembles classic games (weight 0.16): The game feels similar to classic titles like Super Smash Bros. Melee, appealing to fans of those games.
- Solid game fundamentals (weight 0.13): The game is noted for its solid fundamentals and mechanically sound design.
- Variety of game modes (weight 0.09): The game offers a variety of missions and game modes, providing diverse gameplay options.
- Free-to-play model (weight 0.09): The game follows a free-to-play model that is well-received by the community.
- Simple and easy controls (weight 0.09): The game features simple and easy-to-use controls, making it accessible to a wide range of players.
- Good online matchmaking (weight 0.09): The game's online matchmaking system is noted for providing good and enjoyable matches.
- Great game concept (weight 0.09): The game is praised for its great concept, which sets a strong foundation for the gameplay experience.
- Potential for future growth (weight 0.09): The game shows incredible potential for growth and further development, indicating a promising future.

Common complaints:
- Lacks originality and creativity (weight 0.94): The game is criticized for its lack of originality in various aspects, including music, characters, and overall presentation. Players find the game generic and uninspired, with bland and unoriginal designs.
- Character unlock system criticized (weight 0.37): The character unlock system is a major point of contention. Players dislike the paywall and the excessive grind required to unlock characters, making the process feel unfair and time-consuming.
- Criticism of F2P model (weight 0.31): The free-to-play model is widely criticized as abusive and poorly implemented. Players are dissatisfied with the monetization strategies, including lootboxes.
- Limited starting characters (weight 0.16): Players are unhappy with the limited number of characters available at the start, with only three unique characters unlocked initially.
- Developer layoffs (weight 0.14): There are reports of massive layoffs within the development team, which has raised concerns about the game's future and support.
- Low player base (weight 0.13): There are complaints about the lack of players, making it difficult to find matches and enjoy the game.
- Disappointing platform fighter (weight 0.13): Players express disappointment with the game as a platform fighter, stating it offers nothing new and is one of the least enjoyable in the genre.
- Lack of single-player content (weight 0.12): The game is criticized for its lack of single-player content and uninteresting lore, leaving players wanting more depth in the game's story.

Gameplay feedback:
- Fast-paced gameplay (weight 0.48): The game features fast-paced gameplay with a smooth flow of combos and follow-ups. Players appreciate the quick and responsive controls.
- Inspired by Smash Bros. (weight 0.41): The game is heavily inspired by and reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., particularly Super Smash Bros. Melee and Project M. Many players note the similarities in mechanics and character design.
- Characters feel like copies (weight 0.34): Characters are often criticized for feeling like cheap or stripped-down copies of Melee characters. Some players find them dull and lacking originality.
- Art and sound design (weight 0.16): The game features notable art and sound design, including character designs, music, and sound effects. These elements contribute to the overall aesthetic and feel of the game.
- Character progression system (weight 0.16): The game features a character progression and unlock system, allowing players to unlock new characters using tokens and other mechanics.
- Platform fighter mechanics (weight 0.16): The game is a traditional platform fighter, featuring mechanics typical of the platform fighting game genre.
- Extensive combo system (weight 0.14): The game is combo-oriented, featuring extensive combos and chain grabs. This mechanic is appreciated by players who enjoy complex and skill-based gameplay.
- Multiple stages available (weight 0.13): The game offers multiple stages, although some players note that the stages can feel similar with slight differences. Stage design is a notable aspect of the game.
- Local multiplayer support (weight 0.1): The game supports local multiplayer, including up to 4-player local co-op, which is a significant feature for players who enjoy playing with friends.
- Advanced techniques included (weight 0.1): The game includes advanced techniques such as wavedashing and wavelanding, which are mechanics appreciated by fans of the fighting game genre.
- Rollback netcode implemented (weight 0.1): The game includes rollback netcode, which is well-received by players for providing a smooth online gaming experience.
- Free-to-play model (weight 0.09): The game follows a free-to-play model, making it accessible to a wide audience without an initial purchase cost.
- Character balance issues (weight 0.09): Some players have noted character balance issues, which can affect the overall fairness and competitiveness of the game.
- Shield mechanics included (weight 0.09): The game features shield mechanics such as Shield Gusting, adding depth to the combat system.

Performance notes:
- Netcode and server issues (weight 0.43): The netcode is inconsistent and causes various problems such as server spikes, high ping, and frequent disconnections. While some players report stable connections, others experience significant issues with netplay and match connections.
- Performance and crashes (weight 0.35): The game suffers from poor performance, including frequent crashes and lag. Some players report crashes during startup, while others experience general instability.
- Positive performance on Linux (weight 0.05): Some players report that the game runs smoothly on Linux using Proton, indicating that performance can vary significantly depending on the platform.

Recommendations:
- Try other games instead (weight 0.29): Many reviewers suggest playing other games like Slap City, Rivals of Aether, or waiting for Smash Ultimate instead of this game.
- Worth trying despite flaws (weight 0.22): Some reviewers recommend giving the game a chance due to its low price point, even though it has some flaws.
- Cheap alternative to Smash Bros (weight 0.21): The game is recommended as a budget-friendly option for those looking for a platform fighter similar to Smash Bros, especially for those who do not own Nintendo consoles.
- Wait for future improvements (weight 0.16): Several reviews suggest checking back later to see if the game improves or waiting for a couple of months before making a purchase.
- Use guides and focus on unlockables (weight 0.11): Reviewers suggest using guides to navigate the game and focusing on unlocking all characters and cosmetics.
- Not recommended for purchase (weight 0.09): Some reviewers advise giving the game a pass or not buying anything yet.
- Suggestions for game monetization (weight 0.07): There are suggestions to assign a cost to the game instead of keeping it free-to-play and considering the purchase of the character pass.
- Good for multiplayer (weight 0.05): The game is noted to be good for playing with friends, making it a suitable choice for multiplayer sessions.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.38): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of originality, poor gameplay mechanics, and unfair monetization. The game is often compared unfavorably to others like Smash Bros., with criticisms directed at its uninspired character designs, stages, and overall presentation.
- Hope (weight 0.14): Players express hope due to the game's active development, responsive developers, and strong community. The potential for future improvements and the upcoming successor game, Vortex Rising, also contribute to this optimism.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Frustration stems from issues like input lag, game crashes, and problematic monetization systems. Players are also annoyed by the character unlock mechanics and overall gameplay design, which can hinder enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players are excited about the game's advanced mechanics, captivating plot, and beautiful graphics. The potential for future growth, including more characters and stages, also adds to the excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction comes from the game's smooth and fun gameplay, intuitive character generation system, and solid foundation. The developers' communication and the game's free-to-play model are also appreciated.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Anger is primarily caused by the game's excessive microtransactions, lack of originality, and poor optimization leading to crashes. Players feel the game is a ripoff due to these issues.
- Disappointed (weight 0.04): Players are disappointed due to the game's shutdown, poor marketing, and lack of originality. The inability to try the game and its poor execution also contribute to this sentiment.
- Angry (weight 0.03): Anger is driven by the game's poor quality, dev team layoffs, and the game being locked off. Players are also upset with the developers' inaction and the game's decline.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Enjoyment is derived from the overall gameplay experience, which players find fun and engaging.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players feel grateful because the game is getting a second chance at life, indicating appreciation for its revival.
- Hopeful (weight 0.01): Players are hopeful about the future of the game, specifically looking forward to seeing the development and direction of Vortex.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from seeing the game come back from a state of decline or shutdown, giving it a new lease on life.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Frustration is caused by servers being down, which prevents players from accessing and enjoying the game.
- Trust (weight 0.01): Trust is built through the developer's responsiveness and actions, showing that they are attentive to player feedback and concerns.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is driven by the gameplay being very fun, making players want to keep coming back for more.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern arises from the potential loss of the player base to competing games like Smash Ultimate, which could impact the game's community and longevity.}