#also. metroidvania games rule

[kuromi-hoemie]

okok i got my day planned out then 🫡 go get a chicken sandwich breakfast, watch the untamed, get crossfaded, whenever i "want" to stop watching the untamed clean and then keep playing ori. perhaps keep reading at some point, but ori is Really nice as an experience.

[bobacupcake]

bobacupcake goty 2024 list

i dont know if all of these came out in 2024 but i played+finished them this year and i really liked them. also most of them are on sale rn

1000xRESIST - probably my goty. never played a narrative game quite like this one and is going to stick for me for a looong while. might be my favorite game since i played outer wilds (for different reasons, so not "if you liked outer wilds you would like this" but just. its very very good. ) 11-15 hours

another crab's treasure - just an incredibly solid soulslike. had a lot of fun playing this, characters and enviroments ruled, and i really cannot emphasize enough how good a soulslike it is. the aggrocrab team nailed this one. 14-22 hours

HalOPE - real sweet rpg. loved the characters loved exploring loved each area. if you like rpgmaker games really cant recommend this one enough really lovely all around experience. 4-ish hours

animal well - loved this one. great as a standalone metroidvania and then lets you go even further than that if you want. and really feels like wherever you decide to stop diving into it is a perfect place to stop. 7-17 hours but maybe more if you want :)

death of a wish - sequel to LUCAH born of a dream but is also playable as a standalone game. action rpg that takes some real cool swings. challenging (in a good soulslikey way), had a lot of fun with it and the characters and world. 7-ish hours (but more if you like cause theres a challenge mode !)

in stars in time - ok technically i finished this game on december 29th 2023 but like. come on. yougotta. you gotta play it. its good. trust me. its good. 20-40 hours

soul of sovereignty - ok wait if im including isat i also have to include soulsov since i also finished it december 2023. i think actually i finished it november 2023 i think. its ok were doing award show rules now. its really good. its really good. visualnovel , just the prelude for now but watch out! 2-3 hours

[blacktabbygames]

Cant remember if you answered this already but do you guys have any personal favorite video games in 2024?

We've finished surprisingly few games this year, and I don't love weighing in on games I haven't finished, but here's some favorites we played (not all of them came out this year though!):

The demo for Perfect Tides Station to Station - I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the full first season in the sequel. The first Perfect Tides is one of my favorite interactive narratives of all time it really says something that the sequel so far blows the first game out of the water. Aspirationally good. Criminally underrated. League of its own. Thronefall - Great mix of tower defense hack and slash, and resource management.

South Scrimshaw, Part One - Phenomenal and imaginative visual novel styled as a documentary about the life cycle of a whale species on an alien planet.

1000xResist - Wildly complicated narrative that beautifully weaves together an astounding number of themes. What does it mean to yearn for a place that no longer exists? I would recommend going into it blind.

In Stars and Time - We're bad friends and didn't have the chance to finish it until this year. Really thoughtful time loop narrative. Made us cry.

Nine Sols - I'm breaking my "I haven't finished it" rule because I really like what I've played so far. It's also pretty hard so not something I want to pick up when I get tired. Brilliant metroidvania by Red Candle Games, who are one of our favorite developers. Quite a different direction than their previous titles though (Devotion and Detention.)

Thank Goodness You're Here - really funny slapstick adventure :)

Path of Exile 2 - Finally an ARPG with challenging gameplay that's deeper than spamming 4 buttons really fast.

Alan Wake II Welcome to Nightsprings DLC - SO clever and creative. Really loved the text-based adventure in the last one.

On my ever growing backlog: Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (I've heard people have needed physical notebooks for this one though so it might not be my speed), finish Indika, which is so stylish, finish Rise of the Golden Idol (loved the first game!) We've done so many things this year — Pristine Cut, move into a new place, get married, etc, so I've been too tired to engage with a lot of more difficult games.

[maxwellatoms]

What kind of video games do you like to play Mr. Atoms?

So many! Assuming there's time. These days there's generally not, so I've been bingeing Vampire Survivors in half-hour doses.

Above is a gif from Noita, my top game of the pandemic. It's an old-school "Metroidvania", but every pixel is simulated and you're a witch who can manipulate her spells (and thereby the world) in a seemingly infinite number of ways. Here, I've built magical "buzzsaws" around myself, which blinded me to the shadow amoeba. In Noita, almost every death is due to hubris, and I think I love that pendulum swing. If you're lucky and skilled, you can become a walking whirlwind of destruction, but you're always your own worst enemy. Bonus: You can turn your vomit into rats.

I'm currently on a break in the midst of my Baldur's Gate 3 run, with a party consisting of my BG2 character's daughter, Karlatch, Lazelle, and Shadowheart. Ladies' Night!

I'm also playing a bit of Shadows of Doubt. I'm not sure it'll hold up long-term, but it's got a lot of potential.

I don't really limit myself by genre or platform, but I'd say that I primarily play indie PC games. The games in my Steam library that I keep going back to again and again?

Cities: Skylines: A chill City Building Simulator. Lots of fun mods.

Darkest Dungeon: This thing is a classic strategy game IMO.

Death Road to Canada: A light, fast Project Zomboid. Dogs with guns!

Dwarf Fortress: For me, it's the ultimate fantasy sim. I love it so much. Looking forward to Adventure Mode finally appearing on Steam.

Project Zomboid: The ultimate lonely 2D zombie apocalypse survival game. Or non-survival game, I suppose.

Total War: Warhammer: For when I'm in a strategy-y mood. Like a lot of people, I'm a bit soured on the modern DLC scene, so I'm still waiting on #3 even though I'm a Chaos stan.

Not on Steam? I do play some Star Citizen from time to time. I backed it a decade ago. I used to joke that it was the game I was going to retire into, but more and more that's looking less and less like a joke. Still, it's made some good progress in the last couple of years and I'm hopeful that repair and engineering turn out to be fun.

The game I'm looking forward to most would be the next Elder Scrolls. I know it's still a ways off. Ever since my Nereverine landed in Morrowind with the intention of becoming a just and righteous cleric and instead found herself an unwitting villain and colonizer, I fell in love with the Elder Scrolls and it's deep, gray lore. It is (for me) a great way to really get into a character's head. Roleplaying... go figure.

Since Morrowind (and a backtrack into Daggerfall), I only allow myself one canon playthrough. My rule is to "let it ride", so that aside from death, if I screw up or if something unexpected happens I don't save-scum. All of my characters are related, either by quest or bloodline. I already know that my next character will be Aventus Aretino (the kid you catch summoning the Dark Brotherhood). My Skyrim character (above) had adopted him and then left him in the hands of a vampire, so I should be covered even if there's a big time jump. Now I just have to wait six more years for the game. And then maybe two for mods. God I'm so old.

I need to spend more time with Dave the Diver.

Anything current I'm missing out on?

[bitchfitch]

Tbh this is more me bitching about once again wasting money on a game I probably won't be able to finish due to cripple-itus but we're going to pretend it's a serious discussion on game design.

So to preface: my vision is fucked. Irrevocably. Like get discounts on insurance levels of fucked. But games, even very difficult ones still Often very doable and fun.

One of my favorite genres is "white dot goes on a combat platforming adventure" Ie metroidvania/soulslikes that either Are hollow knight or heavily inspired by hollow knight

And I just want to compare a Good white dot, against an extremely irritating white dot.

This is yi. He is an edgy cat boy. he is a good white dot.

No matter the amount of bullshit on screen or the background color, you can always quickly find the white dot that is Yi or his lil robe.

This Bo. They are a bad white dot. they look like they'd be a Good white dot, what with the really clear silhouette of their ears and strong red markings

This is Bo in the game.

Bo breaks the number 1 rule of being a white dot: they end up the same color as the background because neat light effects which do look Great, were more important than the ability to find you're guy while doing minute long don't touch the ground style parkour sessions.

Like Hollowknight and Nine Sols, Path of the teal lotus uses a lot of forground and back ground layers to create a very nice sense of depth. However the foreground layers frequently completely cover the lower half of Bo's body. often making them a light colored dot on a noisy light colored back ground.

The fact background and play ground elements are often the same color does not help. Nor does the fact the camera is . Bad. it just is. It zooms in and out in the middle of a screen making it extremely difficult to keep track of an already hard to follow character in a setting where. losing track of your guy means getting sent back to the beginning of a tedious boss fight or a prolonged parkour session (which to be clear, would be good if you could track your player character. not the bosses though. They are. bad. they need to attack faster, have more than 2 attacks, or at least have a fraction of the HP they do. so you're not just standing around waiting for them to decide to start up another attack to open a vulnerability window.)

And I'm just going to say it, Someone on the team knew the game had this issue. Because they gave you a fix that doesn't work. You can adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation. None of these fix the issue of Bo disappearing. The game is so blown out that no combination of settings produce a result where bo is consistently visible, and also you can tell whats background and what's something you can stand on.

Anyways Demos are an accessibility feature, and when they're not available don't be lazy like I was and just pirate it. If the devs aren't going to give you a way to check if their shit is busted or not, you'll just have to find one yourself.

Anyways anyways tldr absolutely Gorgeous game, Should've been a silent animated movie instead because it's nearly unplayable and the translators either did a Really bad job, or the writers just didn't get why the jokes they're copying were funny

[ecto-stone]

If you were in charge of a Danny Phantom game, what would it be like?

idk. but something that prob sound good on paper but horrible when executing. But it would be a 2D metroidvania game with many unique area and challenge that forced player to change ghost and human form accordant to trap and obtacle +When it come to Ghost Zone there is unique rule where Human and Ghost form are sorta flip. like Ghost form can not phase through ghost zone obstacle but Human form can. +the Battle are 2D kinda like hmmm best i can descripe are hollow knight inspired. +Halfa have a thing call Ectoplasm energy Lv meter that can saved up to 5 Pod as you upgrade your Power resert stats. It regenerate over time and it is a neccessary resort to tranform and cast ghost power ( human form regen it much faster) But Human form are also not useless either (i can already see people gonna do the Human only any% run with it) There is 3 Seperate Campage all with unique lv ,Power, allies and location.

-Default Charater is Danny: Standard balance in all stats -Second is Danielle Unlock by talking to her in main campage: High Speed low HP. ( her unique mechanic is that he can only regain ecto plasm by hitting enemies or stay in ghost zone) -Third is Dan Secret cheat code unlock by finding the Ghost album with secret letter hidden in every stage in Danny and Danielle campage ( basically Danny on steroid and a Pure ghost Run) Main villain is Pariah Dark or Dan

[ijsthee]

Hi friends, here are some lesser known/underrated games I want more people to play, including steam links! (many of these are also on other platforms, steam is just easiest to link)

tldr: heres the list on backloggd with the same comments

Outer Wilds (exploration, puzzle, mystery) - not by any means an underrated or even unknown game, but a game I simply have to recommend to anyone, any time. My favourite game ever. Genuinely imo one of the best games ever made. Anyone will tell you not to look up anything about this game (and theyre right, uncovering every part of this game IS the game) but I recommend if you really get stuck or frustrated, play with a friend or ask someone who has played it for a nudge!

Tunic (zelda-like, souls-like, adventure, puzzle) - an homage to retro gaming that I am slightly too young to fully understand.. and still one of my favourite games! A simple (but charming) zelda-like with souls-like elements on the surface, an intricate mind-breaking puzzle game at its core! Highly recommend if you like games that you have to keep physical notes for

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (puzzle, mystery) - Puzzles puzzles puzzles! One big mystery puzzle game dripping with atmosphere and intrigue, a non-linear story that will pull you in and puzzles that youll be thinking about for hours after exiting the game. its a crime that this game seems to be slept on for now

In Stars and Time (rpg, story-driven) - the story-driven time-loop RPG that tumblr needs. WILL make you cry. the characters are at the heart and core of this game and they are AMAZING. Extremely trans story also

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (visual novel, mystery, story-driven) - so listen i know Ace Attorney is not niche by any means. But it feel like either people dont really know about this game or havent given it a shot yet. Well I'm here to say if you have any interest in Ace Attorney, these games are some of the best the whole franchise has to offer. The story is intriguing and interconnected in ways the best Ace Attorney stories are, the main cast are charming as hell, the music is amazing, they are by far the best looking 3D Ace Attorney games of the franchise, etc. If youre familiar with ace attorney i dont need to sell you on the whole murder mystery bit, i just need to emphasize that this is some of the best mystery writing in the whole SERIES

Chants of Sennaar (puzzle, language) - puzzle game where you gradually learn the languages of various peoples by context and logic! Not only is the language and puzzle aspect of this game really well done, it also has a really nice theme and beautiful art style

Hypnospace Outlaw (puzzle, 1990's internet) - play as a moderator on an alternative universe's 90's internet, put your detective skills to use in order to find those pesky users breaking the rules! or spend hours digging through peoples pages to learn wtf ''frostpunk'' is and what happened at ''coolfest'', y'know, like the internet

Nine Sols (metroidvania, souls-like, action/combat) - can be described as a ''sekiro inspired souls-like metroidvania'', if buzzwords do anything for you. If not I will mention that it has a beautiful art style, incredibly satisfying (tough, but fair) parry-focused combat, and intriguing lore and story. Its good!

[lazuliquetzal]

Tell me your thoughts about gameplay and story integration in video games :3

(THANKS ILY TOO!)

Video games are a super interesting medium because it's all about leveraging player behavior and choice. A lot of game design fundamentals are about giving the player freedom, or the illusion of freedom. The game maker sets the rules, and the player organically develops behaviors and strategies within those rules. If you want the player to act a certain way, you have to encourage them to act in that way. (Watch one of the bazillion analysis videos on Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 sometime.)

In games there are ways to punish a player (death, losing progress, jumpscares, etc) and there are ways to reward a player (score go up, unlock new thing, get more power, etc). Story can be part of that, and it can go beyond "play well = good end, play poorly = bad end."

I think, if you're going to use a video game to tell your story, you should really take advantage of it, you know? Flex the medium. Leverage the inherent immersion that comes with the player Interacting With The Game. Inscryption and Undertale are So Video Game that you can't adapt it to a different medium without significant rework. They are video games because they have to be video games. That doesn't make them automatically good, but a good storyteller would choose the medium that works best with their story and that confidence just oozes out, in a good way.

You don't even have to get all 4th wall meta with your video game plot. In Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the main Gimmick is that you have a time-traveling dagger. You can use it to make combat sequences easier, you can use it to solve puzzles, but it's also integral to the entire experience. The time travel sets up the framed narrative, which pays homage to the literature that serves as the game's inspiration. The central conflict is resolved with the time travel mechanic. In gameplay, you make mistakes, experience consequences in battle, learn and do things correctly the next time around, which is the Prince's entire character arc. Even basic game mechanics are part of the story -- when you save, you get "tips and tricks!" in the form of visions that will help you solve puzzles, but some of those visions are plot-relevant. The menu itself has flavor dialogue that is part of the narrative frame and is also hilarious.

Some other examples: Papers, Please! explores bureaucracy as a tool of dehumanization under authoritarian governements, and the gameplay is all fine print and form-filling and menus. In GOW 2018, there are enemies that have elemental weaknesses, so you end up having to switch weapons. (This is a really common thing to do: new area w/ new enemies requires new weapon.) You unlock the Blades of Chaos so that you can enter Helheim. The Blades also have a backstory, and using them means something in Kratos's character arc, it's a whole Thing. In metroidvanias, you unlock new abilities so you can access new parts of the story and find things you missed the first time around -- really good for worldbuilding and creating a sense of depth to a location (the world of Blasphemous comes to mind). Majora's Mask gives you anxiety.

A buddy once asked if I thought a good plot could carry a crappy game, and my answer is no. You can't absorb the story if the primary mode of interacting with the story is unplayable. If the gameplay is detracting from the story, then you should make a movie or write a novel. Video games are experiences: gameplay should serve story, story should serve gameplay. *Tetris: Effect Voice* it's all connected!

I just enjoy it when stories are told in mediums that suit them best. It's satisfying! It's fun! Makes my brain go :D

[sunbeamstress]

I was curious, have you mentioned anything regarding what IDOL is about/how it will play? I love seeing all the animations and visuals you've posted, they're very organic and rad!

oof ask a tough one! my gameplay vision has changed a lot in the past year, but what remains the same is that it needs to be a very weird game

gameplay features mostly set in stone:

- tools-based metroidvania exploration: most passages in the world of Ninesilver are blocked behind defunct machinery - the protagonist learns to reverse engineer old tech so that she can replace emergency batteries, repair airlocks, etc, opening more of the environment to exploration. this machinery system will actually be functional, with simulated power grids and internally consistent rules, so that you can also sabotage things and set up traps

- turn-based combat with instakills and environmental destruction: combat resolves on a round-by-round basis. each round is a game of making important, meaningful positioning/distance choices (stay afar to harass with your gun? move in close to try to catch a bullet/missile?). one crucial component of this is smashing up buildings and things to funnel your opponents exactly where you want them. expect this gameplan to change a LOT

- reverse boss battles: boss battles are a narrative experience where you play the boss and fight yourself. i'm doing this for lore reasons (your character knows what's going on but she is a closed book, especially to you, the player), but also because i don't think I've ever seen this done before?

this might all end up not being very fun, but the nice thing about making a game that costs you no money and that also exists purely as an art project is that you can make silly choices based on vibes

[forlorn-plushie]

Mediabread: Ender Lilies

This game rules, the art fucks, the upgrades are all fun, almost every weapon seems to have a use case... it's just the sort of "Challenging But Fair" that's perfect. Several bosses I've had to come back to another day, 20-40 attempts, having fun the whole time.

There's multiple endings, one is a fake-out and the third says "go recheck the map" as is metroidvania tradition. The map, in service of this, marks unused exits and incomplete rooms. If you've played normally, you probably have mostly clear rooms, so it's not bad at all to go clean up. This is great even before the ending - if I ever didn't know where to go, I just checked the exits I couldn't remember being impassable.

For people who are Very Good At Games it's probably on the easier side - the dodge is extremely invincible and the parry is very generous. More games do this please and thank you.

Once I've fought a foe a couple times, if I try to parry something, I can usually get it. If I try to dodge and I'm not stuck in an animation, I can pretty much always do it. This is how it should be. The challenge is learning the timings, not executing perfectly.

The music is also stellar, with most of the game having beautiful string arrangements (I don't music. there's definitely a better term.), and then the last area makes me want to crawl out of my skin. On purpose! And it did it without making me want to stop playing. Expertly done!

Gorgeous! Touching story! 9/10, this is up there near Hollow Knight so if you're waiting for Silksong, go play Ender Lilies. There's a sequel in Early Access (Ender Magnolia) that I'm 100% gonna play when it hits full release.

[thecodeveronica]

Well I'm dying to talk about Castlevania or I'll explode so here's my tier list for the "modern" era, regular timeline (non-LoS) games (basically SotN and onward), in honor of me getting the Platinum trophy for Dominus Collection last night :)

Reasons under the cut:

S Tier

Portrait of Ruin - LOOOOOVE this one. It's been my fave since pretty much the very first time I played it back on the DS and still is after my recent replay with the collection. Jonathan and Charlotte are just such fun protagonists and stand out a lot in this series, and I think the story is actually pretty decent in this one. By CV standards lol. Soundtrack is AMAZING, please listen to "Gaze Up at the Darkness" because it RULES. PoR also has very fair boss fights and a fair level EXP gain rate, and good drops from enemies too. The paintings are super neat too, mixes up the usual "well, here's Dracula's castle" of most of the games.

Lament of Innocence - I actually think OoE is an objectively better game overall, but I have a lot of love for Lament and am one of its big defenders so I'll put it one slot above lol. Leon! My favorite Belmont! He goes through the wringer in this game, and it's a very interesting origin story for the Belmont fight against Dracula. The gameplay is fun, kind of DMC-lite but with a whip (and cool elemental versions you can get from some optional fights). The level design is a lot of long hallways, but it has good atmosphere, and the game doesn't overstay its welcome as it is pretty short. Another FANTASTIC soundtrack too btw.

Order of Ecclesia - a game I didn't like at all back on the DS but fell in love with after my Dominus replay. Once the gameplay clicks, it is so satisfying swapping glyph loadouts and hitting weaknesses on enemies. You have to play smarter in this game, and it was fun improving. Hype as hell when you finally get to the castle, too. Shanoa is a very cool protagonist and has some of the best lines in the series, and I'm unabashedly obsessed with Albus. GOD he was so asdjfk;ls sorry, but damn was he perfectly tailored to my tastes. Story was good in this one, actually made me a bit emotional ngl, which is something I don't expect from this series lol. I lose my mind over the songs "Sorrow's Distortion" and "Rituals" just so you know

A Tier

Aria of Sorrow - extremely good game where the handheld ones found their footing fully, with a very cool concept of "what if Dracula was gone, but maybe he isn't ;)" Soma is iconic for good reason, and the Soul System is fun with a lot of options, even if I'm not nuts enough to ever try for 100% soul completion lmao. The castle is a little small in this one and it feels oddly short for the Metroidvania-era games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like the almost... soft?... look of the visuals in this one. Graham is also one of the villains I kinda like the most in this series, so that's cool.

Dawn of Sorrow - Pretty much Aria of Sorrow 2 lol. But I think it loses a little without the novelty of AoS's questions about Soma as the Dark Lord and all. Also, the villains in this game are fucking goobers lol, their character designs are godawful. Other than the castle being larger this time around, I think DoS doesn't really do anything different than AoS, and since I'm a freak who values story, I prefer Aria overall. That said, Julius Mode is pretty sick and I think Dawn's soundtrack is a little stronger overall.

B Tier

Symphony of the Night - I feel like it's blasphemy putting SotN this far down, but I honestly think it is a bit overrated. Good certainly and extremely important to the franchise, but also kinda jank to go back and play. I don't like the way equipment or items work in this game, and I'm not... super fond of the castle layout compared to the higher tier games. Inverted castle is also kinda meh, the only time I like that is when PoR did it with the paintings. However, I do love the original PS1 dub of this game. Absolutely iconic. The newer one sucks because it's so safe that it loses the charm. Like, come on. I think a series that has giant Frankenstein's Monster enemies shooting bullets out of its elbows can afford to have some cheesy lines and voice acting.

Harmony of Despair - a really fun multiplayer game! But it could use more maps (that it'll never get since it's long been abandoned 😭), and character balance is a little iffy. But I have a lot of fun with this one, even just with two players! It's functionally co-op Metroidvania, what's not to like? I think this game would do quite well with a revival on modern consoles and cross-play, and I dream of a world where that exists and they add new DLC. why the hell wasn't Albus in this game btw, like wtf he literally was playable in OoE and had sprites available

Harmony of Dissonance - ...this is confusing putting the two games with "Harmony" in their name right next to each other when they're not connected at all lol. Anyway, I like HoD, but it has some definite issues, the most of the games in this tier. The visuals are... hoo boy. The color palette is a bit much. And the music is uh... it's infamous in the series for a reason. The sad thing is that I think the actual compositions are solid, just hamstrung by the shitty Gameboy sound chip or whatever, and I'm someone who usually likes retro game music. Gameplay is solid, though! The A/B castle thing is kind of annoying because this game has some atrocious warp room locations IMO, but it's fun being able to dash and slide with reckless abandon as Juste. Wind+Bible is also a godly subweapon combo

Grimoire of Souls - damn you, Apple Arcade, for having this as an exclusive. I can't speak to the gameplay on this one for that reason, but I watched a whole 3.5 hour playthrough for the story, so I'm judging on that, mostly. A fun little plot that let characters from a lot of different time periods/games interact, which is cool. Lucy and Hermina were good original characters, too. Death in this game was kinda 👀 Lol I kid I kid, I only have eyes for Albus, who was not nearly as important in this game as I'd hoped but had an extremely nice scene with Shanoa, so it was worth. Jonathan and Charlotte were also very entertaining here, as always. I'll be real: those three were the whole reason I watched this tbh

C Tier

Circle of the Moon - this game is SO HARD. Like, I eventually got good in Order of Ecclesia to overcome the difficulty, but that moment of understanding just never hit me in this game. And there are no shops!! Oh my goooooooood, why??? If you could get potions more easily, it might be a little more reasonable, but I don't think the drop rates were even that good to make up for it. The boss fights were so tough, man... If I give this another try, I might have to do the DSS glitch, which I didn't know about at the time.

Curse of Darkness - Real talk, I don't remember this one very well at this point. I mostly just remember not liking the Innocent Devil system or the map design that much and thinking it was disappointing after I loved Lament so much. Maybe I'd like it better if I tried it again now, I dunno. Not much to say here.

D Tier

Judgment - Look, I have some good memories from this game. I used to play it against my sisters. I was super excited for it at the time. But it's just a super jank game. And the story mode is BAD (aside from a few characters). Like, I can handle anime cringe. But this is the BAD kind of anime cringe, the "boob envy"-kind of anime cringe. Maria's story is *gag sounds* Also not a fan of the roster choices here. CV3 in particular gets way too much rep, the GBA-DS era not enough (only Shanoa, and even then they murdered her design???). I can't believe Soma at least didn't make it in, a character with so many moveset options? Good for Cornell being in though, nice seeing the N64 characters actually acknowledged and he had one of the better story modes too. Speaking of characters, who thought it was a good idea to do a game that was functionally a big ol' celebration of the series with character designs that so drastically changed most characters into being unrecognizable? The Death Note expy jokes are played out, but they're so true nonetheless. The worst thing is still Maria's story mode and especially her interaction with Sypha, though. I cannot stress enough how bad it is. It makes me feel embarrassed just thinking about it lmfao

[satoshi-mochida]

Metroidvania game Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune launches July 26 for PS5, PC - Gematsu

Metroidvania game Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG on July 26, developer IceSitruuna announced.

Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune first launched in Early Access for PC on December 15, 2022.

Here is an overview of the game, via IceSitruuna:

About

Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune is a genuine Metroidvania game. Compared to our last work, Tower Hunter: Erza’s Trial, Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune has fuller stories, content, monsters, more exquisite scenes, smoother actions, and a more diversified, personalized cultivation system. We’ll do our best to make the game construction more thorough and stable. Also, we’ll add more featured experience, gameplay, and content in future updates. Two years ago, Erza obtained the legendary hunter license and became a rising star in the imperial force. Under the rule of the wise and able emperor, the empire grows steadily. As one of the core forces in the expansion, Erza has won many military exploits. In this fantasy world of swords and magic, Erza will lead an exploration team and start an epic adventure. She will fight unknown monsters and solve mysteries of the world. Why would the fiend become a hair clip? You’ll find the answer in the game.

Key Features

Classic side-scrolling levels with steadier, smoother gameplay. Jump and dash can interrupt other actions’ recovery to get smoother responses.

During your exploration in the game world, you may find secret passages between the two main areas or accidentally enter unknown chambers with hidden stories.

Improved cartoon rendering makes the characters more lifelike.

Real beat ’em up combat system. Enemies have more ways to act after hit.

You’ll depend more on tactics when it comes to BOSS fights—learn their routines and act swiftly. Seize the chance to hit while keeping a distance. With the character change and support system, Erza won’t be fighting alone.

2.5D exquisite scenes will surely make an impression on you. The ultimate skills are made in 3D, which enables cool shows that 2D can’t do.

With a more diversified, personalized cultivation system, you can choose your favorite way to raise characters and find more possibilities.

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Date Trailer

[mynextgames-blog]

An attempt on creating my own gaming superhero universe!

Superhero genre was a huge part of my childhood. There was no day without watching some Batman show or reading comics. I was so absorbed in those series that I could recite any line, from any episode and at exact accurate timestamp. I think saying that I wouldn't be the same person as I am now without "Batman: Beyond" is not so far from the truth.

But even though I love DC's universe with my full heart, there was always something I wished was made differently. Some characters' traits, plots, villains, settings - all of those were just little nuances, but in general I felt like there was still so much unused potential.

That's how I started thinking about "doing it better". Doing it even more... dark. First sketches were drawn and a few crumpled sheets of paper further my main character was slowly coming to life. His name - Hank Bukowski. But he just goes by Hank. Or... Mayfly. He is a recovering alcoholic, who in a moment of weakness, suffers a relapse. In his young years Hank was an illegal street wrestler, but those times are over. One day he lost everything - money, friends, his family. He lost himself in gallons of alcohol and suddenly realised, that he came in possesion of the unique superpower - time-travelling. That's when he decided to start his life again and give it a meaning.

But a superhero wouldn't be himself without his nemesis. The most dangerous man in the world, a mastermind, someone who can go inside other man's mind and use his inner demons to destroy him from the inside. A true master of chaos. Meet... the Unraveler. He's the leader of the biggest group of criminals that some time ago ruled this city. Unfortunately, thanks to Hank's help, all of them are currently locked up in Metro City Asylum. But those days are coming to an end. The Unraveler is planning his revange and wants to examine Hank's ability, which was the only thing able to stop his perfect plans and illusion shows.

The criminals crew is still getting bigger. Right now the most interesting ones are definitely gangster Sammy the Fish, Bloody Mary and Krupp, being more bulky version of Iron Man. Each of them has its own backstory and iconic skills, which... I can't tell you about right now, because that's too much for just one post.

There is also someone (or should I say... SOMETHING?) drastically more powerful, than any of the characters can imagine. A living incarnation of pure evil and darkness. The true bad omen and destroyer of worlds. Can Hank manage to save the world from the greatest enemy ever seen, or will he lost himself on the rollecoaster of demons and fears?

There's still so much I want to talk about and I promise to keep you informed about my new ideas! All of what you just read will become a video game called "Hank: Drowning On Dry Land". This will be something between a metroidvania, an adventure game and a puzzle solving experience with comic aesthetics. Gameplay will also be enriched with many time-travelling skills and horror elements! You'll also have to avoid your past iterations, as every time jump will basically make a copy of yourself in the same timeline, putting it at risk of collapsing.

I think I can say that none of the fans of series such as Batman, Disco Elisium, Watchmen or even Sexy Brutale should be disappointed. I'm still working on this epic opening animation inspired by an intro from Batman: Beyond series with an original rock song and I definitely can see the light at the end of this long road.

If you'd like to see my job and support me on this journey, here's the link to the Steam page of the game, where you can wishlist it. If you're here just for my concepts and you think they are cool - leave a like or a comment, your opinion means a whole world to me! Let's get through this journey together and make something cool :)

store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/?utm_source=tumblr

[somerunner]

An actual idea that I've had over the last few months/a year, compared to the edutainment Pokemon idea that took a few minutes to think up, is a sort of metroidvania.

The twist is that you have to keep using your abilities to keep them. There's a timer where you lose your abilities over time, and it recharges as you use your abilities. It recharges far more if you use your abilities to actively platform, or defeat an enemy.

I had the idle thought of naming each of the abilities after calculus concepts such as "gradient" or "power rule" and you could probably expand that to be a broad coverage of all topics, such as "history knowledge" or "math shorthands" but in any case, it would be hard to link up real-world concepts to the abilities you're using.

You don't have to link up real concepts to the abilities anyway, since the main theme of the game is "use skills or get slightly worse at them" and you don't have to also tack on real skills to learn at the same time to get that message across. Instead, just add heavy-handed messages throughout that tell the player directly. Maybe some kind of narration like in "The Witness" or "Getting Over It" or something.

I don't know programming, level design, or anything to do with game-making by the way. So I'm likely to never ever make anything resembling this. If you want to though (or someone already has!), please lemme know so I can play it, I am in love with this idea

[eternalwritess]

Hey, I'm that anon that was matched with Charlie a while back (the one with the soy sauce packets). I was wondering if you could match me with one of the Helluva Boss characters?

It's the same info as before \/

I'm a bisexual aroace (If you've heard of "demiromantic"; that's how I experience romantic attraction). I use he/it/they pronouns.

I'm an INFP, though I have gotten ISTP sometimes. I usually keep to myself around strangers, and my first words to people that I'm not introduced by friends are usually just work-related with a bit of small talk (even in fandom spaces, surprisingly). Once I get comfortable around people, I tend to let my childish nature and antics shine through, and once I consider you a friend, it's hard to ever fully shake me off. My friends sometimes call me an "old grandpa", with the way I know a lot of random psychology and biology facts, and the way I fumble with new technology, slang, and texting acronyms. My love of non-fiction and my adherence to grammar rules certainly doesn't help. Simultaneously, they (lovingly) call a 12-year-old boy, with the way I don't hesitate to pull out a "your mom" or "that's what she said" to the conversation and with the way that I almost exclusively watch animated movies and shows over live action ones. I carry with me 15 packets of soy sauce in fish-shaped sachets in my (several) pockets. Why? Because I think it's funny, and the confusion I bring to those around me with my soy collection gives me a sense of joy. (I do other things of a similar calibre, but I wanted to name an example) Despite all of this, I tend to gravitate towards the "Mom Friend" archetype. I carry with me a lot of people pleasing tendencies (I get a lot of anxiety around not upsetting others), and that translates to making sure that the people around me are happy. I also tend to fill a "Therapist Friend" role because of this fact, my psychology facts, and how intuitive I can be at times. I tend to isolate myself, whether by physically or mentally leaving the room, when I feel upset, and I don't really like talking about negative experiences I have unless those experiences have been resolved.

On a brighter note, I consider myself quite the creative person. I draw a lot, though I usually only draw other characters instead of my own OCs. I have a discord server that I use to jot down either: a) my opinion of a certain media b) images/reactions I find funny/relatable c) infodumps about AUs or crossovers that I've made I don't really write, so I consider "c)" to be the next best thing. I also love music. I listen to mostly indie music, with a couple of generic queer bands thrown in there and a couple of musicals' and video games' OSTs. I play the violin and the trombone, so I may be biased in saying that I love jazz (really doesn't help the "old man" allegations, but who cares). In terms of non-creative hobbies, I love reading. Although I find myself drawn to the odd science non-fiction book, my heart lies in fantasy and mystery novels (this does include webtoons, manga, and webnovels, though I don't read those as much). On the same vein, I love video games (where else would I get those OSTs?). I tend to like story-rich games that are either turn-based (think Undertale) or no combat (think Slime Rancher), though if the mechanics aren't too overwhelming, metroidvanias are nice (think Hollow Knight). The last main hobby is food. If I didn't give you "mad scientist" vibes, let me tell you, I "Victor Frankenstein" my way through every meal, when time permits. I mostly mix and match what I'd think taste good together based on what I was craving at the time. I'd also say that, apart from Quality Time, I show affection best through giving foods that I've made. It works in reverse, too, where I get pleasantly happy when people I know well offer food to me. There was this one time I was bickering with some friends and one of them held a packet of chips to my face, and I tell you, the way I immediately shut up the second I saw it... I was almost embarrassed by how well that worked...

I'm really sensitive to a lot of textures, and the biggest ones are stickers (and anything sticky in that way) and wet things (think water fountains splashing water unexpectedly, fruit juices spraying on my face when I cut them too harshly, even stepping on wet floorboards without socks can set it off). Clothing/carpet with short hairs send literal shivers down my spine, but only when I touch them with my fingers/feet. I don't like kissing (at all.), so I normally stick with nuzzling. Hugs and spooning (both with people I'm comfortable around) are okay, however.

I don't really have any pet peeves, other than just blatant disrespect of basic boundaries as well as these boundaries in particular.

I hope you have a good and well-rested day :)

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙…

𝓜𝓸𝔁𝔁𝓲𝓮!

Honestly the first person that came to mind for you is Moxxie

The way you two met is that he probably say you trying to mediate between an argument with a few others it started getting a little... dicey so he decided to step in before you got hurt

Yeah so those guys are now dead-

He made sure that you were okay immediately afterwards

"Are you okay? Some people in Hell are just so unreasonable,"

After that he offered to walk you somewhere safe (at first he offered to your house but then started stumbling seeing how weird it sounded since you both just met)

He tried getting you talk on the way asking you small questions here and there trying to get to know you more since he found the way you handled the situation between the two guys amazing

"So what do you like to do for fun?"

Once you let your guard down he really fell in love with you

He absolutely adored your more childish nature and it would push him out of his boundaries just a little more

You and him would absolutely bond over not understanding the internet. You would both try to learn it and Blitz (idk how to do the o thing) would try to 'help' you guys (just make fun of you)

He would randomly asking you questions loving your random psychology and biology facts. He admires your will to learn and finds it as one of the most attractive things about you

"Do you know what this is?"

Whenever you pull out a 'your mom' joke he finds it slightly immature and doesn't get it all of the time but Blitz likes it and will encourage you on it

Either way though he finds your sense of humor quite nice compared to Blitz's

He doesn't know why you have the soy sauce packets... its a mystery to him

"May I ask... why?"

You and him probably read series's of books together like honestly I wouldn't doubt it. Its one of the many things you do together

Whenever you get upset and leave the room he gets concerned and will try to give you space but might end up following you and trying to comfort you. But if he sees that you just really want to be alone he'll leave you and apologize

He'll then grab some of your favorite stuff for you and surprise you with it trying to make sure that you're alright

"I know you're having a bad time so... I grabbed a few things for you"

He encourages you to be creative all of the time constantly buying you drawing supplies and praising your work. He hangs it up everywhere... and makes sure that everyone knows that you did it and that its the best artwork in the seven rings

While you and him might not have the same music tastes he loves you anyways and will end up writing songs for you

"I made a little something for you..."

Whenever he hears you play the violin or trombone he swoons and will start hugging you and nuzzling you whenever you're done

Sometimes you both play duets together and afterwards he'll always praise you saying how well you did

Whenever he sees you mix and match food he gets confused and will give you the weirdest little look ever as if he's questioning his life decisions...

But besides that he'll just give you an awkward thumbs up

:Thumps up:

He gets you food... like all of the time. He loves gift giving if you can't tell by now-

Whenever there's a texture that you don't like and it comes into contact with you he'll help you get it off always

He always follows your boundaries no matter what <3

It took him a while to open up to you about his past and he didn't share all of it... but you comforted him through it

[linuxgamenews]

Unveiling Primal Planet: A Metroidvania Game Worth Checking Out

Primal Planet is a new metroidvania game that's due to make its way onto Linux and Windows PC. The exceptional talent of solo developer Seethingswarm deserves our gratitude. Due to evolve on to Steam next year. Today, I'm diving into something different – Primal Planet. This solo-developed title is a thrilling mix of exploration and survival, and it's due to release in 2025. It's part of the Dinos vs. Robots Fest on Steam, and the first trailer just got released. Trust me, it's a metroidvania you'll want to check out. But first, let's talk about native support:

I use Godot to develop Primal Planet, but it's totally do-able.

This title is being crafted using the versatile Godot engine. With a bit of collaboration from the Linux community for testing, Seethingswarm can export the title. So, it's not just possible, it's due to happen. The game takes place in a world where dinosaurs rule, and ancient mysteries are just waiting to be uncovered. That's Primal Planet for you. It's a story-driven adventure where the visuals do all the talking – no need for words. The creator, Seethingswarm, has a real love for dinosaurs and alien enigmas, and this project is a labour of love that brings these elements together. It's about delivering a story that packs an emotional punch, inspired by epic tales like Star Wars.

Primal Planet - Official Reveal Trailer

Now, let's talk about what you'll be doing. Your role is a cave dweller, fighting tooth and nail to protect your family. Trying to also survive a T-Rex attack and unravel a story that perfectly marries the wildness of a prehistoric world with sci-fi elements. You'll need to craft tools, weapons, and healing mixtures to stay alive and upgrade your skills. All due to face the challenges of this Primal Planet. Exploration is a big part of the experience. You'll venture through different biomes, each with its unique set of challenges and secrets. And the dinosaurs? They're incredibly realistic, each adapted to its setting in amazing detail. Primal Planet combat is a mix of brains and brawn. You've got to be smart with your tactics, using crafted weapons, traps, and stealth. Due to get the upper hand against both regular and boss enemies. And there's also local co-op mode. You can team up with a friend, with the second player controlling a quick sinosauropteryx. It's all about teamwork to solve puzzles, tackle obstacles, and beat the dinos. So, are you ready to join the dinovania group and dive into the secrets of Primal Planet? This is not just a metroidvania game; it's an experience that promises adventure, challenge and a whole lot of dino-action. Due to making its way onto Linux and Windows PC. So be sure to Wishlist it on Steam.