FIRST OF ALL my "BUMPSLASH ACTION" game angeline era is getting a demo (not full release) on may 9th...go wishlist it!! I know you like weird action games!! you're on backloggd reading a Dragon View review!! we made a good one!! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/Angeline_Era/

anyways,

proto-quest 64 map navigation (the game gives you these hand-drawn-esque maps that you use to navigate a pseudo 3d overworld), baroque music bangers, snappy sidescrollng dungeoning/gameplay, some lovely sprite and artwork... Certified Good Time. i did use fast forward for the overworlds though too big lol. also there's funny old dudes hiding all over the various maps. strange stuff like a guy trading armor upgrades for 50 apples (what is he doing)

Pretty easy to progress without a guide too, i got hard stuck only once

the game doesn't give maps, but i really loved the dungeons and how they use multi-floor grid-based layouts, but it plays out as a sidescroller. the action and how it has you weave forward and back to dodge stuff is fun. maybe i should play beatemups..but i just love the sword to much.

i like how freaky and hostile it felt walking into a way too hard part of the overworld.... platforming through the mountain areas. side-on platforming with some Z-depth movement is pretty fun.

the damage /exp curves in ths feel pretty Ys-y. It's not really my personal favorite choice but it more or less works

Playing Through My Evercade Collection Part 9: Piko Interactive Collection 1

As a spiritual sequel to Drakkhen this certainly clears the low bar of quality that game had, the controls are cleaner, the overall experience is much more tailored to consoles and as a whole its a better game thanks to moving away from clunky digital mouse cursors and onto a more action-rpg take.

As a whole this isnt... bad... but it does also feel like some of the aspects that made Drakken actually memorable were also lost in the process. Enemy designs are much more generic, levels look bland and the inherent weirdness that permutated through Drakken's design is just gone.

In its place is a rather competent but rather uninteresting hack and slash with map segments that just feel now out of place now all the weirdness has been removed.