Players expressed disappointment primarily due to the game being released as a 'full' or 'final' product while still feeling unfinished, buggy, and lacking content. This was compounded by the perception that development had been abandoned, leading to unfulfilled potential and a sense of a 'half-baked prototype'.
Frustration stemmed from various technical issues such as poor performance, bugs, and the inability to customize controls. Gameplay mechanics like unfair stamina recovery, excessive enemy stun-locking, and high, inconsistent boss difficulty also contributed significantly to player frustration.
Satisfaction was derived from the game's core Souls-like and roguelike gameplay, which many found enjoyable and replayable, especially considering its price point. Players appreciated the challenging combat, build variety, and the overall value offered by the game's mechanics and design.
Regret was felt due to the game's unfulfilled potential and its premature abandonment by the developers, often linked to personal circumstances. Players lamented the incomplete state of the game and the lost hope for its continued development.
Hope was expressed as a strong desire for the game to be completed, improved, and receive future updates, especially given its early access status. Players anticipated new content, bug fixes, and overall enhancements to the game's quality and features.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 41% · Negative 59%. Score: 59 / 100
Positives:
Players generally find the game to be a fun, engaging, and polished experience, especially considering its price point and Early Access status. It's seen as having a solid foundation and significant potential for future development.
The game offers high replayability due to its roguelike elements, including randomly generated levels, varied enemy encounters, and diverse item/build combinations. Each run feels unique, encouraging players to keep coming back.
Players appreciate the visual design of the characters, particularly the female characters, and the availability of various unlockable costumes. This adds to the aesthetic appeal and provides motivation for continued play.
The progression system, especially the totem customization, is well-received. It provides a sense of continuous growth and allows players to personalize their experience, motivating them to grind for resources.
The game's graphics, animations, and overall art style are considered pleasing and well-executed, contributing positively to the player's experience.
Negatives:
Players widely report that the game is incomplete, unpolished, and lacks sufficient content for a full release. Many feel it was abandoned by developers, leading to a perception of it being a 'scam' or not worth its price.
Combat encounters are frequently criticized for being imbalanced, with enemies having unfair advantages like infinite combos, high damage, and problematic hitboxes. Bosses are particularly noted for their extreme difficulty and frustrating mechanics, such as the Dark Valkyrie's relentless displacement.
The roguelike elements, particularly item and rune systems, are poorly implemented. Players report issues with useless items, reliance on luck for progression, low drop rates for essential items like health potions, and a lack of meaningful progression or retention between runs.
The game suffers from significant technical issues, including poor optimization, low frame rates, and clunky, stiff animations. Sound effects are also described as plain and uninspired, contributing to a lack of overall polish and immersion.
The totem mechanic is largely ineffective and buggy. Players report crashes, inability to equip totems, and minimal stat bonuses that make the system feel useless. Issues with random attributes and difficulty in filling slots further detract from its value.
Gameplay:
The game features a robust progression system. Players unlock new characters, weapons, and accessories through achievements. Permanent progression is also tied to a 'Totem' system, where collected 'gems' or 'cubes' are used to permanently enhance character stats and unlock outfits, with character levels persisting across runs.
The game blends Souls-like combat mechanics with roguelike progression and randomly generated levels. This combination offers challenging combat and high replayability due to varied runs.
Combat features a parry system with a tight timing window, a dodge mechanic, and a unique 'Life Debt' system for enhanced moves. There are three distinct weapon types (sword/shield, katana, greatsword), each offering different playstyles, parry timings, and special abilities.
The game currently has limited content, with only two fully implemented worlds and a third unfinished area. This results in a small number of unique bosses, making runs feel repetitive quickly.
The game is heavily themed around Norse mythology, featuring Valkyries as playable characters and central to the narrative. The story revolves around the Tree of Yggdrasill and the aftermath of Ragnarok.
Performance:
Many players report inconsistent performance, including choppiness, lag, and frame drops, even on capable hardware. While some note improvements since early access, optimization remains a significant concern for many, impacting the overall gameplay experience. Some users also reported stutters.
A few players specifically mentioned that the game runs well on the Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility and performance on that platform. This suggests that the game is well-optimized for handheld play.
One review mentioned that the difficulty level of the game is currently unknown. This indicates a lack of clarity or experience regarding the game's challenge.
Recommendations:
Many players feel the game is not worth its full price due to its unfinished state and lack of content. However, a significant portion of the community recommends purchasing it only when it's heavily discounted, suggesting it offers reasonable value at a lower price point.
The game is recommended for players who enjoy the 'Souls-like' genre, particularly those looking for a quick experience with a few boss fights. Its roguelike elements also appeal to fans of that genre.
Some players are willing to purchase the game primarily to support the development team, even if the game is incomplete. They express hope for future development and would repurchase if work resumes.
Players are advised to try the available demo or utilize Steam's refund policy by playing for less than two hours. This allows potential buyers to assess the game's current state and decide if it's for them before committing.
The game is specifically recommended for fans of anime, suggesting it has aesthetic or thematic elements that would appeal to this demographic.
Miscellaneous:
The game's development has ceased due to severe personal and financial issues faced by the developer, including a family illness and lack of funds. This has left the game in an unfinished state, despite being moved out of Early Access, leading to player disappointment.
Players appreciate the game's core design, charming graphics, beautiful music, and well-designed characters. Despite its unfinished state, the initial concept and artistic direction are seen as strong points, with specific mentions of anime-style characters and a Norse setting.
Players express a strong desire for continued development, including new content like stages, characters (archer, spellcaster), and improved game mechanics. There's also a notable interest in future mod support and specific suggestions for environmental details and safe area interactions.
Players recommend specific strategies for character progression, such as prioritizing base stat upgrades and increasing health to avoid being one-shot by bosses. This indicates a need for better balancing or clearer guidance on skill progression.
Reviewers offer advice to potential buyers, suggesting they research roguelike games to ensure it fits their preference and reminding them that refunds are an option if they don't enjoy the game.