Katana Zero but cooler
I don't hate the game, but I can't say I love it either because there is very little gameplay. Usually there are 10-15 minutes of gameplay, and then you read a ton of boring text that tells literally nothing about the game. I like the gameplay and the platforming parts, but just when I start having fun, another cutscene comes. Just because it's still in early access, I'll give it another chance and hope that it gets better after the full release.
Scratches my KZ itch, with some tears :'
Sanabi caught my interest because the trailer gave me the similar feeling feeling to Katana Zero, so I set my expectation a bit lower because I was like "this is not gonna be as good as KZ".
And oh boy, I'm so glad I was wrong. This is on par with Katana Zero, while managed to do their own thing, miraculously.
Length: 11.5hrs
Visual - 9
Audio - 8
Gameplay - 8.5
Story - 10
Fun - 9
Overall - 9/10
Sanabi caught my interest because the trailer gave me the similar feeling feeling to Katana Zero, so I set my expectation a bit lower because I was like "this is not gonna be as good as KZ".
And oh boy, I'm so glad I was wrong. This is on par with Katana Zero, while managed to do their own thing, miraculously.
Length: 11.5hrs
Visual - 9
Audio - 8
Gameplay - 8.5
Story - 10
Fun - 9
Overall - 9/10
GOTFY CRYING IS HEALTHY
This was a really damn good one man.
Gameplay was really fun with satisfying swing momentum based platforming, the pixelart was great, and the story tying it together, while dark, does have some fantastic sweat moments that really pull it all together
Gameplay was really fun with satisfying swing momentum based platforming, the pixelart was great, and the story tying it together, while dark, does have some fantastic sweat moments that really pull it all together
What a strange game. The story has some obvious twists and some wilder ones. I didn't even expect much of any story.
Sadly, the writing clearly needs some editing. There's a lot of reptitive / throwaway dialogue. Also, the English localization is pretty stiff / unnatural sounding, and there's quite a few grammar mistakes.
I did tear up a bit at the ending though, so there's some merit to the story.
I wish the gameplay was a bit more engaging though. Grapple swinging is really fun, but the game feels really drawn out. Too many levels and they all go on a little too long. Boss fights are quite un-fun to me.
Personally I'd say put the game on easy so you don't have to respawn when taking too much damage. There's enough "reset to checkpoint" instant things anyway that this just makes the game a bit smoother. I turned it on for the final boss and left it on for the bit of game after that just to speed things up.
The game has some weird pacing with lots and lots of dialogue and flashbacks, as well as the padded feeling levels. I legitimately thought I was almost done with this game probably 2 or 3 times. I spent close to 15 hours when I thought this was gonna be more of a 6 hour game. And frankly I think the game would be better that way.
[EDIT] oh i forgot to mention, there's some parts that are very visually difficult to look at. many instances of flashing lights and screen fading to white. definitely eye-watering at times.
Sadly, the writing clearly needs some editing. There's a lot of reptitive / throwaway dialogue. Also, the English localization is pretty stiff / unnatural sounding, and there's quite a few grammar mistakes.
I did tear up a bit at the ending though, so there's some merit to the story.
I wish the gameplay was a bit more engaging though. Grapple swinging is really fun, but the game feels really drawn out. Too many levels and they all go on a little too long. Boss fights are quite un-fun to me.
Personally I'd say put the game on easy so you don't have to respawn when taking too much damage. There's enough "reset to checkpoint" instant things anyway that this just makes the game a bit smoother. I turned it on for the final boss and left it on for the bit of game after that just to speed things up.
The game has some weird pacing with lots and lots of dialogue and flashbacks, as well as the padded feeling levels. I legitimately thought I was almost done with this game probably 2 or 3 times. I spent close to 15 hours when I thought this was gonna be more of a 6 hour game. And frankly I think the game would be better that way.
[EDIT] oh i forgot to mention, there's some parts that are very visually difficult to look at. many instances of flashing lights and screen fading to white. definitely eye-watering at times.
Katana Zero with a grappling arm is fun, but it drags on a bit too long and has mostly repetitive platforming, which is a shame b/c platforming is the MAIN focus rather than combat
The opening was sick tho
The opening was sick tho
Extremely tight and hard-hitting story, its even paired with some really fun fast-paced gameplay.
Beware of skill issues and tears.
Beware of skill issues and tears.
Incredibly fun game held back by a lackluster story I found the main character straight up irritating at certain points and the story never got me asking any questions
the gameplay however while somewhat basic and not giving you an upgrade I consider essental for qol its incredibly fun cant really go wrong with good grapple hook mechanics
the gameplay however while somewhat basic and not giving you an upgrade I consider essental for qol its incredibly fun cant really go wrong with good grapple hook mechanics
Un bon jeu d'action / plateforme qui peut être aussi beau et frénétique, que frustrant.
Pour commencer par des qualités, le jeu est magnifique, vraiment un régale de pixel art ultra peaufiné et bien animé. Certaines scènes et panoramas ont vraiment une qualité cinématographique indéniable. L'ost est elle aussi très bonnes dans l'ensemble, elle réussit bien à retranscrire les moments d'émotions et ajoute une bonne dose de dynamisme aux phases de gameplay. Le scénario est plus que solide, avec beaucoup de thèmes tournant autour de La Cybernétique, puisant dans sa philosophie pour en ressortir des questionnements sur notre condition d'humain. La narration qui accompagne ce récit est un peu classique sur les bords, mais elle fonctionne et possède son lot de moments brillants. L'écriture des personnages est top, avec des personnalités bien définis et de l'humour qui sait virer au glauque quand il faut.
Maintenant, le gameplay. Ce n'est en rien une tare du jeu, de laquelle il devrait se débarrasser. Cependant (F Dumbledore), c'est un aspect de sa conception qui ne m'a pas convaincus. Il y a de très bons moments : nerveux, avec beaucoup de flow et une emphase sur le mouvement, rapide et fluide. Puis il y a 60 à 70% du jeu, notamment entre le début et la fin. Ces moments où, à moins d'avoir une connaissance parfaite du niveau, il va falloir ralentir et prendre le temps d'analyser le niveau pour en sortir... C'est personnel certes, mais ce n'est clairement pas ce que j'attendais du jeu après une première heure et demi aussi dynamique. C'est un playstyle qui conviendra à beaucoup, j'en suis sûr, mais je l'ai vécu comme un gros remplissage permettant au jeu de faire sa narration entre quelques morceaux de gameplay. Je rajouterais qu'ici la qualité principale de l'OST, à savoir son energie devient un défaut : c'est comme entendre quelqu'un te motiver à courir, sur un terrain de mine. On a l'envie d'aller vite et de volé de niveau en niveau en moins d'une minute, mais le jeu ne nous laisse pas le faire. L'avantage, c'est que ça laisse de la place aux tryhardeurs, car les niveaux ne sont pas mauvais en soit.
C'est un jeu qui aurait pu être exceptionnel, et son gameplay aurait peut-être pu être mieux utilisé par un level design plus fluide, mais ça reste un petit bijou que je recommande vivement, ne serait-ce que pour ses thèmes et son écriture.
Pour commencer par des qualités, le jeu est magnifique, vraiment un régale de pixel art ultra peaufiné et bien animé. Certaines scènes et panoramas ont vraiment une qualité cinématographique indéniable. L'ost est elle aussi très bonnes dans l'ensemble, elle réussit bien à retranscrire les moments d'émotions et ajoute une bonne dose de dynamisme aux phases de gameplay. Le scénario est plus que solide, avec beaucoup de thèmes tournant autour de La Cybernétique, puisant dans sa philosophie pour en ressortir des questionnements sur notre condition d'humain. La narration qui accompagne ce récit est un peu classique sur les bords, mais elle fonctionne et possède son lot de moments brillants. L'écriture des personnages est top, avec des personnalités bien définis et de l'humour qui sait virer au glauque quand il faut.
Maintenant, le gameplay. Ce n'est en rien une tare du jeu, de laquelle il devrait se débarrasser. Cependant (F Dumbledore), c'est un aspect de sa conception qui ne m'a pas convaincus. Il y a de très bons moments : nerveux, avec beaucoup de flow et une emphase sur le mouvement, rapide et fluide. Puis il y a 60 à 70% du jeu, notamment entre le début et la fin. Ces moments où, à moins d'avoir une connaissance parfaite du niveau, il va falloir ralentir et prendre le temps d'analyser le niveau pour en sortir... C'est personnel certes, mais ce n'est clairement pas ce que j'attendais du jeu après une première heure et demi aussi dynamique. C'est un playstyle qui conviendra à beaucoup, j'en suis sûr, mais je l'ai vécu comme un gros remplissage permettant au jeu de faire sa narration entre quelques morceaux de gameplay. Je rajouterais qu'ici la qualité principale de l'OST, à savoir son energie devient un défaut : c'est comme entendre quelqu'un te motiver à courir, sur un terrain de mine. On a l'envie d'aller vite et de volé de niveau en niveau en moins d'une minute, mais le jeu ne nous laisse pas le faire. L'avantage, c'est que ça laisse de la place aux tryhardeurs, car les niveaux ne sont pas mauvais en soit.
C'est un jeu qui aurait pu être exceptionnel, et son gameplay aurait peut-être pu être mieux utilisé par un level design plus fluide, mais ça reste un petit bijou que je recommande vivement, ne serait-ce que pour ses thèmes et son écriture.
We are Owls that never cry..
SANABI is a 2D action title developed by Wonder Potion under the NEOWIZ umbrella. You play as a retired general whose peaceful life changes forever on one fateful day. Armed with nothing but his expert skills in combat and his mechanical arm he seeks out the entity known as SANABI that hurt the one closest to him as he entangles himself in a grander and broader mystery that is looming over the horizon.
SANABI's introduction is brilliant, the game is funny when it wants to, cute when it calls for it and gritty when necessary. It gives the player ample amount of questions that pile on one another, and as the story concludes it answers all of them in a heartbreakingly satisfying way. It's not the most unpredictable story ever created, but damn is it good and well written. And the gameplay accompanying it is as good as the story. On your journey to seek SANABI you'll meet Mari who'll tag along you throughout the entire game. Mari's bubbly and seemingly carefree persona contrasts beautifully with our jaded general. She's a great character, she's bubbly and funny but not to a degree where it takes away from SANABI's darker subject matters. She, like others written for the story are layered and believable and I got heavily invested in all of their personalities during my 10 or so hours of playtime. I cried profusely when everything unfolded as the devs pulled on my heartstrings.
And what accompanies that story and characters is an equally banging and satisfying gameplay loop. SANABI is 2D action game that prioritizes movement. Your base kit is simple but hard to master; you have an ability to climb most walls, jump and your main attraction: the Grapling Arm. The arm works like most grapling hooks with an incredible weight and snappiness behind it. You graple to certain surfaces and swing, how hard could that be? Well.. decently difficult actually since Wonder Potion have done a beautiful job with SANABI's level design. Granted, some of them do get a little.. same-y but considering the game that game doesn't overstay its welcome too badly it doesn't really take away from the overall experience.
Combat is also revolving around your hookshot, and the combat encounters here are mostly just minor roadblocks that are fast to deal. They're not bad, some of them, especially the bosses are a highlight but I was wishing for something just a little bit "meatier" if that makes any sense. That being said they're mostly designed for speedrunners in mind, since the game also comes with an in-built Speedrun mode for those who seek to optimize their routes to perfection.
Music, spritework and overall presentation in SANABI are a joy as well; the game is (seemingly) based in a dystopian fictional version of Korea where a big corporation has taken over the normal, day-to-day citizen's lives. Backgrounds consist (but are not limited to) beautiful mountaintops with lushious greenery to neonlit corporate cityscapes. It's all there and it's accompanied by a great soundtrack that suits every environment beautifully. Characters are lively with so little pixels, so the devs put some extra effort into animating text boxes to bring out that extra bit of personality which goes a long way in making SANABI's world feel truly alive.
I've praised to the Moon and back.. and given it a full, five star score. But SANABI isn't perfect, no game is. So what gives? For one, the level structure can be a bit unclear where it wants you to go at times, and some of the sections feel a bit more trial and error than others (like the Overseer chase sequence). Some text boxes had weird spacing issues between sentences and some of the translations were off by just a bit. Assisted aim needs more, in-depth way to customize it and what bugged me the most was that the main characters is just.. a bit of dick at times. Look, I understand why and I understand the weight of the story but it was overbearing, just by a little bit at points.
Otherwise, SANABI is a true gem. A testement to game development and 2D indie games as a whole. It's getting a physical release soon and I cannot wait to pick it up. Please play this game because it deserves all the love that it's getting and then some. It's also priced incredibly well in my opinion.
SANABI is a 2D action title developed by Wonder Potion under the NEOWIZ umbrella. You play as a retired general whose peaceful life changes forever on one fateful day. Armed with nothing but his expert skills in combat and his mechanical arm he seeks out the entity known as SANABI that hurt the one closest to him as he entangles himself in a grander and broader mystery that is looming over the horizon.
SANABI's introduction is brilliant, the game is funny when it wants to, cute when it calls for it and gritty when necessary. It gives the player ample amount of questions that pile on one another, and as the story concludes it answers all of them in a heartbreakingly satisfying way. It's not the most unpredictable story ever created, but damn is it good and well written. And the gameplay accompanying it is as good as the story. On your journey to seek SANABI you'll meet Mari who'll tag along you throughout the entire game. Mari's bubbly and seemingly carefree persona contrasts beautifully with our jaded general. She's a great character, she's bubbly and funny but not to a degree where it takes away from SANABI's darker subject matters. She, like others written for the story are layered and believable and I got heavily invested in all of their personalities during my 10 or so hours of playtime. I cried profusely when everything unfolded as the devs pulled on my heartstrings.
And what accompanies that story and characters is an equally banging and satisfying gameplay loop. SANABI is 2D action game that prioritizes movement. Your base kit is simple but hard to master; you have an ability to climb most walls, jump and your main attraction: the Grapling Arm. The arm works like most grapling hooks with an incredible weight and snappiness behind it. You graple to certain surfaces and swing, how hard could that be? Well.. decently difficult actually since Wonder Potion have done a beautiful job with SANABI's level design. Granted, some of them do get a little.. same-y but considering the game that game doesn't overstay its welcome too badly it doesn't really take away from the overall experience.
Combat is also revolving around your hookshot, and the combat encounters here are mostly just minor roadblocks that are fast to deal. They're not bad, some of them, especially the bosses are a highlight but I was wishing for something just a little bit "meatier" if that makes any sense. That being said they're mostly designed for speedrunners in mind, since the game also comes with an in-built Speedrun mode for those who seek to optimize their routes to perfection.
Music, spritework and overall presentation in SANABI are a joy as well; the game is (seemingly) based in a dystopian fictional version of Korea where a big corporation has taken over the normal, day-to-day citizen's lives. Backgrounds consist (but are not limited to) beautiful mountaintops with lushious greenery to neonlit corporate cityscapes. It's all there and it's accompanied by a great soundtrack that suits every environment beautifully. Characters are lively with so little pixels, so the devs put some extra effort into animating text boxes to bring out that extra bit of personality which goes a long way in making SANABI's world feel truly alive.
I've praised to the Moon and back.. and given it a full, five star score. But SANABI isn't perfect, no game is. So what gives? For one, the level structure can be a bit unclear where it wants you to go at times, and some of the sections feel a bit more trial and error than others (like the Overseer chase sequence). Some text boxes had weird spacing issues between sentences and some of the translations were off by just a bit. Assisted aim needs more, in-depth way to customize it and what bugged me the most was that the main characters is just.. a bit of dick at times. Look, I understand why and I understand the weight of the story but it was overbearing, just by a little bit at points.
Otherwise, SANABI is a true gem. A testement to game development and 2D indie games as a whole. It's getting a physical release soon and I cannot wait to pick it up. Please play this game because it deserves all the love that it's getting and then some. It's also priced incredibly well in my opinion.
While its simple gameplay mechanics left me hungry for something more challenging, Sanabi features an outstanding narrative that truly surprised and shocked me to my core. While it looks like so many other 2D sprite-based platformers on the market today, Sanabi is absolutely worth your attention if you love cyberpunk storytelling and clever metanarrative discussion in games.
https://neoncloudff.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/now-playing-january-2024-edition/
https://neoncloudff.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/now-playing-january-2024-edition/
wasn't sure what to give this because the good ending left me a little cold, as this extremely anti-corporate game turned out to be weirdly pro-military and suspiciously neutral on the state, plus the writing in the emotional conclusion didn't really hit the way i wanted it to from such amazing buildup. But seriously, before that this was top 5 material. I love everything about this; the smooth, flowing platforming, the amazing controls, the beautiful pixel art and animation, the banger soundtrack and to cap it off a story that genuinely subverted my expectations multiple times and had me hooked all the way through. I really hope this game gets the love and fanbase it deserves, and that this studio gets to do whatever the fuck it wants in future I would play anything from this team.
Опять же Проходил на стим деке на работе. В принципе не могу чего-то такого классного рассказать про эту игру.
Сюжет. Если без спойлеров, то сюжет про отца который ищет дочь. Конечно же это совершенно не так, но в целом пусть будет идея такая. Игру я дропнул, потому что прошло много времени с тех пор как я в неё заходил. Подается сюжет через двух персонажей которые ну просто общаются как два спрайта. И все… ну… ладно. Честно особо интересно не было, катана в сюжете была прикольнее, хотя здесь пытаются запутать, и даже навалить драмы. Но… чет как-то мех 5/10
Гамеплей. В Игре ты должен Летать и притягиваться хуком. Выполненно это достаточно удобно чего-то такого Необычного не могу выделить. Играется просто приятно, здесь можно просто Отключить мозг и наслаждаться. 6/10
Графика. В игре прикольная задники достаточные интересные цветные здания в виде киберпанка. Интересные противники, выглядят они стильно на этом наверное всё. 5/10
Звук. Каких-то интересных саундтреков я выделить точно не могу заглавная тема звучит неплохо, и еще пара синтвейвов.
Итог. 5. 5/10 игру это нужно проходить запоем. У меня же был перерыв примерно в два месяца. Игра после этого стала достаточно неинтересной, хотя я скилл свой не растерял и прыгал хорошо. Опять же там интерес к сюжету и так был минимальный, а после перерыва его вообще не стало. Поэтому побегав еще минут 20 я без зазрения совести ее удалил, и точно вряд ли включу.
Сюжет. Если без спойлеров, то сюжет про отца который ищет дочь. Конечно же это совершенно не так, но в целом пусть будет идея такая. Игру я дропнул, потому что прошло много времени с тех пор как я в неё заходил. Подается сюжет через двух персонажей которые ну просто общаются как два спрайта. И все… ну… ладно. Честно особо интересно не было, катана в сюжете была прикольнее, хотя здесь пытаются запутать, и даже навалить драмы. Но… чет как-то мех 5/10
Гамеплей. В Игре ты должен Летать и притягиваться хуком. Выполненно это достаточно удобно чего-то такого Необычного не могу выделить. Играется просто приятно, здесь можно просто Отключить мозг и наслаждаться. 6/10
Графика. В игре прикольная задники достаточные интересные цветные здания в виде киберпанка. Интересные противники, выглядят они стильно на этом наверное всё. 5/10
Звук. Каких-то интересных саундтреков я выделить точно не могу заглавная тема звучит неплохо, и еще пара синтвейвов.
Итог. 5. 5/10 игру это нужно проходить запоем. У меня же был перерыв примерно в два месяца. Игра после этого стала достаточно неинтересной, хотя я скилл свой не растерял и прыгал хорошо. Опять же там интерес к сюжету и так был минимальный, а после перерыва его вообще не стало. Поэтому побегав еще минут 20 я без зазрения совести ее удалил, и точно вряд ли включу.
(v1.3.31, veteran difficulty) Good game, very nice animations and pixel graphics. Long time since a game had me so frustrated that I almost threw my computer out the window.. somehow I managed to finish the game.
This review contains spoilers
a better and a cooler ver of katana zero
also extra cool point for the trails reference
the only down side its an only early access game it didnt even finished yet
also extra cool point for the trails reference
the only down side its an only early access game it didnt even finished yet
Lots of good thing, still i'm kinda mixed about the story, i think it was pretty good globally but oh my god those emotional parts were soooo boring and cringe. Nonetheless, the OST and graphisms were dope but the maniabilty can be frustrating at times
This review contains spoilers
Sanabi is a fast-paced 2D action platformer with clear and explicit inspiration from Katana Zero with the addition of a grappling hook being the core mechanic behind movement and combat. Seeing this description compelled me to try the game, but the experience was not exactly what I was expecting.
From the beginning, it takes a long time to actually get into any real gameplay, and this trend continues as the majority of levels get broken up constantly by 5-10 minutes of cutscenes before allowing the player to resume again. At some point, I started just skipping cutscenes because I wasn't going to make it through the game otherwise, and I did want to get through the game. Maybe I missed out on some character development or some interesting moments, but using my judgement to resume watching cutscenes, I don't think I ended up missing anything important. I know there was a big story to tell, but I think the way it was delivered was antithetical to what the game feels like it should be - focusing on intentional level and enemy design to fully support the fast and fluid systems in place. I wish I could give those high praise, but unfortunately I had some minor issues with the gameplay side of things as well.
I wasn't a fan of how the game slowly drops upgrades on you as the game progressed. Whenever I unlocked something and tried it out, my reaction was never, "Wow, this is a cool upgrade" but instead "Wow, this should have been available at the start of the game". The only power-up that might not fall under that category is the dashing attack and even there I was telling myself that I wish I didn't have to go through the start-up charge, which they eventually got rid of in another small boost. It seems to me like the developers really wanted to focus on slowly stacking one mechanic at a time, which is admirable, but the degree at which it is done almost feels like they don't trust the player to intuit what to do at times (they were still flashing back to the training grounds near the end of the game). I can figure out things like how a lock can open something on another screen or that platforms can block laser beams without a cutscene or a dedicated section to just teaching that interaction. While I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, too much of it ended up making the first ~80% of the game feel like a demo or tutorial and also slowed down and prohibited what could have been some more interesting level design. The only complaint I have for the movement itself is that I think you should be able to drop faster after pulling yourself to the ceiling. I did encounter a few bugs, but they were pretty minor and I never felt like dying was a huge punishment anyways.
Speaking of design, there were a few bosses that didn't feel great either. For context, I played on veteran difficulty. I didn't enjoy the Justice fight as much as I wanted to. Sometimes it felt like you were being punished for not being able to dodge the circular move because you weren't in range of a car to grapple onto (not sure if the pattern for the cars were random or not, but they may as well have been). The Major Song encounter was the only fight that ended up giving me trouble. Sometimes the grapple would snap to her instead of the platform and I would get countered, and some of her attacks required a pretty fast reaction time to avoid normally. Additionally, having to wait for the charge to dash into her felt gross as she would often teleport away or simply hit you before you could dash. There was even a mind game of her being able to counter the dash, which was admittedly cool, but the only way to play around it was to sit in your charge a little longer to see if that's what she was going to do, which made it easier for her to get away or hit you. What ended up working for me for both bosses was just spinning in circles like a maniac, which is fine, but kind of strays away from the precise movement that I expected and know that the game is capable of.
The last section of the game involves traversing through the area of each chapter again with some increased difficulty and more thought into how each chapter's unique mechanic works and is only broken up by a cutscene at the end of each level. Here, you can really experience how fast you can go and how skilled you can feel and I wish that more of the game was like this.
Back to the story, my biggest gripe here is that I wish they were more subtle about giving details throughout the game. It was easy to suspect that Mari and the main character were connected, but once the personality data plot and worker hint were given, it became way too easy to figure out most of the details, so the grand and climactic reveal of what actually happened didn't feel very climactic since I had a sense of what was happening for a majority of the game. I also wish they weren't so blatant about the Katana Zero inspiration because every shot of the main character and Mari watching the city with a pronounced parallax effect felt too much like they were trying to capture that one Katana Zero moment, when it didn't really earn it yet. This is definitely the point where I'm reaching the most, and to be fair, I think the engine is just built around that parallax effect, but I could never stop thinking about it whenever I encountered a cutscene like that. I'm also not quite sure why they don't show the main character's sacrifice at the end. They do drive home the point that "getting to the end isn't important, it's how you get there", but by then you've already made the decision to not pursue the false "end" and I think it would've been much more important to show the culmination of your journey and just how much love and responsibility the hero has. It was also almost comical the way he walked off screen and it cut straight to his gravestone after just a few seconds.
I ended up saying a lot about this game, which feels fitting after the amount of dialogue that I went through or skipped. Although there was a lot, I actually didn't dislike it. I wanted to love it, but ended up just liking it instead. I didn't mention it yet, but the music and art style were great! For me, there was a lot of potential here. All of my issues were pretty minor, and I mostly had a good time playing and I was able to identify what I do and don't like about games and game design, which felt rewarding in its own way.
From the beginning, it takes a long time to actually get into any real gameplay, and this trend continues as the majority of levels get broken up constantly by 5-10 minutes of cutscenes before allowing the player to resume again. At some point, I started just skipping cutscenes because I wasn't going to make it through the game otherwise, and I did want to get through the game. Maybe I missed out on some character development or some interesting moments, but using my judgement to resume watching cutscenes, I don't think I ended up missing anything important. I know there was a big story to tell, but I think the way it was delivered was antithetical to what the game feels like it should be - focusing on intentional level and enemy design to fully support the fast and fluid systems in place. I wish I could give those high praise, but unfortunately I had some minor issues with the gameplay side of things as well.
I wasn't a fan of how the game slowly drops upgrades on you as the game progressed. Whenever I unlocked something and tried it out, my reaction was never, "Wow, this is a cool upgrade" but instead "Wow, this should have been available at the start of the game". The only power-up that might not fall under that category is the dashing attack and even there I was telling myself that I wish I didn't have to go through the start-up charge, which they eventually got rid of in another small boost. It seems to me like the developers really wanted to focus on slowly stacking one mechanic at a time, which is admirable, but the degree at which it is done almost feels like they don't trust the player to intuit what to do at times (they were still flashing back to the training grounds near the end of the game). I can figure out things like how a lock can open something on another screen or that platforms can block laser beams without a cutscene or a dedicated section to just teaching that interaction. While I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, too much of it ended up making the first ~80% of the game feel like a demo or tutorial and also slowed down and prohibited what could have been some more interesting level design. The only complaint I have for the movement itself is that I think you should be able to drop faster after pulling yourself to the ceiling. I did encounter a few bugs, but they were pretty minor and I never felt like dying was a huge punishment anyways.
Speaking of design, there were a few bosses that didn't feel great either. For context, I played on veteran difficulty. I didn't enjoy the Justice fight as much as I wanted to. Sometimes it felt like you were being punished for not being able to dodge the circular move because you weren't in range of a car to grapple onto (not sure if the pattern for the cars were random or not, but they may as well have been). The Major Song encounter was the only fight that ended up giving me trouble. Sometimes the grapple would snap to her instead of the platform and I would get countered, and some of her attacks required a pretty fast reaction time to avoid normally. Additionally, having to wait for the charge to dash into her felt gross as she would often teleport away or simply hit you before you could dash. There was even a mind game of her being able to counter the dash, which was admittedly cool, but the only way to play around it was to sit in your charge a little longer to see if that's what she was going to do, which made it easier for her to get away or hit you. What ended up working for me for both bosses was just spinning in circles like a maniac, which is fine, but kind of strays away from the precise movement that I expected and know that the game is capable of.
The last section of the game involves traversing through the area of each chapter again with some increased difficulty and more thought into how each chapter's unique mechanic works and is only broken up by a cutscene at the end of each level. Here, you can really experience how fast you can go and how skilled you can feel and I wish that more of the game was like this.
Back to the story, my biggest gripe here is that I wish they were more subtle about giving details throughout the game. It was easy to suspect that Mari and the main character were connected, but once the personality data plot and worker hint were given, it became way too easy to figure out most of the details, so the grand and climactic reveal of what actually happened didn't feel very climactic since I had a sense of what was happening for a majority of the game. I also wish they weren't so blatant about the Katana Zero inspiration because every shot of the main character and Mari watching the city with a pronounced parallax effect felt too much like they were trying to capture that one Katana Zero moment, when it didn't really earn it yet. This is definitely the point where I'm reaching the most, and to be fair, I think the engine is just built around that parallax effect, but I could never stop thinking about it whenever I encountered a cutscene like that. I'm also not quite sure why they don't show the main character's sacrifice at the end. They do drive home the point that "getting to the end isn't important, it's how you get there", but by then you've already made the decision to not pursue the false "end" and I think it would've been much more important to show the culmination of your journey and just how much love and responsibility the hero has. It was also almost comical the way he walked off screen and it cut straight to his gravestone after just a few seconds.
I ended up saying a lot about this game, which feels fitting after the amount of dialogue that I went through or skipped. Although there was a lot, I actually didn't dislike it. I wanted to love it, but ended up just liking it instead. I didn't mention it yet, but the music and art style were great! For me, there was a lot of potential here. All of my issues were pretty minor, and I mostly had a good time playing and I was able to identify what I do and don't like about games and game design, which felt rewarding in its own way.
Sanabi is like a platform-based version of Katana Zero and it's a very promising game. It is in early access for now, but it is a very enjoyable game in terms of gameplay, the dialogue and the story are also given great importance in the game, which is a factor that increases the immersion of the game. Even though it's still in early access, I'm sure it will already be a great 2D action/platform game. If you like Katana Zero, I'm sure you will enjoy this game as well.
i adore the movement in this game, the story is def alright but it gets a 4 just for speedrun potential alone
A beautiful game with a surprisingly amazing story. Gameplay is fun, but could use some variety especially paired with the repetitive level design and, in some cases, awful gimmicks.
Katana Zero if the story was actually finished
I thoroughly fucked with this game. Everything about it is in-sync with my tastes and I gotta put that up-front.
This game is drop-dead gorgeous. Some of the cleanest and best sprite-work I personally seen in my godamn life. Mari is the cutest little button and I wanna slam her against the walls like a toy. Mago-City is a generic dystopian future city but it's rendered with such a nice palette and scale and the conspiracy surrounding it had me intrigued through-out. It's actually a shame that some of the designs and animations get used like once or twice because I find the aesthetics so appealing. Shout-outs to Major Song.
Gameplay is just how I like it with a solid satisfying core that is built upon by surrounding enemies, encounters, and levels; grapple hooks are just fun to play with even if it's only for movement and combat and little else. I think the game could have benefited from spacing out cutscenes a little bit more since you always feel like you just got a good groove going before stopping to bombard you with some expository moments that go on a bit too long but never bothered me enough to dent my experience.
The story could have used alot less "ooooooooo what could be happening" moments throughout but either than that the dynamic between the main characters and the dialogue coming from Mari are just well done enough to excuse the fact that this is just a well-executed but cliche story. It's got a very strong sequence near the end that really sold me on the whole package of the story.
Game's got alot of heart put into it but I can definitely see people who are wrong and stupid and not as smart or whimsical as me not enjoying it but fuck 'em
I thoroughly fucked with this game. Everything about it is in-sync with my tastes and I gotta put that up-front.
This game is drop-dead gorgeous. Some of the cleanest and best sprite-work I personally seen in my godamn life. Mari is the cutest little button and I wanna slam her against the walls like a toy. Mago-City is a generic dystopian future city but it's rendered with such a nice palette and scale and the conspiracy surrounding it had me intrigued through-out. It's actually a shame that some of the designs and animations get used like once or twice because I find the aesthetics so appealing. Shout-outs to Major Song.
Gameplay is just how I like it with a solid satisfying core that is built upon by surrounding enemies, encounters, and levels; grapple hooks are just fun to play with even if it's only for movement and combat and little else. I think the game could have benefited from spacing out cutscenes a little bit more since you always feel like you just got a good groove going before stopping to bombard you with some expository moments that go on a bit too long but never bothered me enough to dent my experience.
The story could have used alot less "ooooooooo what could be happening" moments throughout but either than that the dynamic between the main characters and the dialogue coming from Mari are just well done enough to excuse the fact that this is just a well-executed but cliche story. It's got a very strong sequence near the end that really sold me on the whole package of the story.
Game's got alot of heart put into it but I can definitely see people who are wrong and stupid and not as smart or whimsical as me not enjoying it but fuck 'em
Genuinely a fantastic game. Everything about it is good from the gameplay, music, story, etc. I was crying at the end and you will as well.
This review contains spoilers
Amazing game. Great moment to moment gameplay, makes full use of the mechanics. Artwork is beautiful, and the story is heartbreaking.
Only gripe I have is that the levels could have been better paced. The last level, which is just a run through of the whole game with cutscenes intercut, felt too easy and did not end with a challenging/climactic boss fight. The Song bossfight is basically the final boss of the game, after which the game just makes you run around while it drops the story on you.
Only gripe I have is that the levels could have been better paced. The last level, which is just a run through of the whole game with cutscenes intercut, felt too easy and did not end with a challenging/climactic boss fight. The Song bossfight is basically the final boss of the game, after which the game just makes you run around while it drops the story on you.
Dá pra resumir em duas palavras: decepcionante e ruim.
A pixel art é bela... Mas o jogo é extremamente rápido e não dá para apreciar.
A ideia é interessante... Mas os controles SÃO TERRÍVEIS, extremamente IMPRECISOS, porcamente pensados. Além do seu boneco ficar se prendendo em TODAS superfícies do jogo, fazendo sua gameplay ficar "engasgada" e mais lenta e imprecisa. Inclusive a gameplay tem pouca variabilidade. O combate além de ser repetitivo ele é muito prejudicado devido aos controles péssimos.
A história inicialmente é instigante com uns diálogos bonitinhos... Mas depois a história fica repetitiva, chata e desinteressante, com diálogos ruins, chatos e desinteressantes. Junto de cutscentes desnecessariamente longas que fazem você se sentir preso no próprio jogo.
OBS: Colocar diálogos no meio da luta é uma decisão no mínimo burra
OBS2: Na reta final, a história fica ruime até moralmente duvidoso
O level design é legalzinho (embora seja frustrativo devido a jogabilidade)... Mas em algumas ocasiões é porco, preguiçoso, repetitivo e mal feito.
As fases especiais de extrema velocidade e chefões - que deveriam ser as mais bem trabalhadas e chamativas - são terríveis e conseguem ser pior que as fases normais do jogo.
Portanto, é um fato que esse foi um grande disperdício, tem aspectos bons mas que são estragados logo depois. Espero o melhor para os criadores e que eles melhorem no futuro.
A pixel art é bela... Mas o jogo é extremamente rápido e não dá para apreciar.
A ideia é interessante... Mas os controles SÃO TERRÍVEIS, extremamente IMPRECISOS, porcamente pensados. Além do seu boneco ficar se prendendo em TODAS superfícies do jogo, fazendo sua gameplay ficar "engasgada" e mais lenta e imprecisa. Inclusive a gameplay tem pouca variabilidade. O combate além de ser repetitivo ele é muito prejudicado devido aos controles péssimos.
A história inicialmente é instigante com uns diálogos bonitinhos... Mas depois a história fica repetitiva, chata e desinteressante, com diálogos ruins, chatos e desinteressantes. Junto de cutscentes desnecessariamente longas que fazem você se sentir preso no próprio jogo.
OBS: Colocar diálogos no meio da luta é uma decisão no mínimo burra
OBS2: Na reta final, a história fica ruime até moralmente duvidoso
O level design é legalzinho (embora seja frustrativo devido a jogabilidade)... Mas em algumas ocasiões é porco, preguiçoso, repetitivo e mal feito.
As fases especiais de extrema velocidade e chefões - que deveriam ser as mais bem trabalhadas e chamativas - são terríveis e conseguem ser pior que as fases normais do jogo.
Portanto, é um fato que esse foi um grande disperdício, tem aspectos bons mas que são estragados logo depois. Espero o melhor para os criadores e que eles melhorem no futuro.
Sanabi é um bom jogo. É desafiador na medida certa e tem uma trama bem interessante.
A minha nota se justifica por algumas escolhas bem questionáveis na narrativa da história, colocando cutscenes gigantescas no meio da ação. Acaba quebrando o ritmo e sendo bem cansativo.
A minha nota se justifica por algumas escolhas bem questionáveis na narrativa da história, colocando cutscenes gigantescas no meio da ação. Acaba quebrando o ritmo e sendo bem cansativo.
After beating the game after it finally came out of early access I can finally say this game is worth your time
the story starts off fairly weak and the gameplay while being fun isnt particularly hard however this game snowballs hard.
You can quite literally feel the developers improvement making the game more interesting more difficult and the story almost made me cry an amazing game held back by a weaker front half
the story starts off fairly weak and the gameplay while being fun isnt particularly hard however this game snowballs hard.
You can quite literally feel the developers improvement making the game more interesting more difficult and the story almost made me cry an amazing game held back by a weaker front half
An incredible game, the story however might be the best part. This game is best experienced blind.
Fantastic, smooth and fast platforming gameplay paired with one hell of a cyberpunk themed soundtrack and solids story.
I'm now at the hospital getting my arm replaced with a huge grapple hook because this game inspired me... too bad I don't get a cool neo-noir story included with it. Go play this game and please do it as blindly as possible