Momodora is a great example of how simple games can be great at the same time. This game is a must play for anyone who enjoy metroidvanias.
Starting off, I want to comment about how great the sprite work is here. The 4:3 aspect ratio actually works pretty well here and the animations are very fluid. The environments look incredible and the backgrounds are very nice to take in. Sometimes, it adds to the dark vibe that some areas give off. Speaking of vibes though, the music is also really good, but the game also knows when to pull back and just let you sink in. The 2nd area of the game doesn't have much happening in music and its to set the tone of the setting. You aren't in a happy place, you're in a desolate, empty kingdom with few left who are struggling along. Enemies you fight are actual ghosts, skeletons, the people from the kingdom who have died. It has a cutesy exterior but the inside is rather saddening.
Gameplay is pretty nice too, Its pretty smooth, its precise to control, and I never had any issues with movement. Its pretty much your standard metroidvania stuff but without the whole 2 castle thing that castlevania does often or having to do new game plus for the true ending, or find a bunch of random books around the castle stuff. Its also a metroidvania without too much backtracking which I like. What I mean specifically is that the games events are pretty laid out, you have branching paths but you aren't going to be lead astray to random areas you can't do much in. In my run, it was clear where I needed to go and most the times, there was no need to run back through areas. You COULD run through previous areas if you wanted to find some extra looties but its not integral to finishing the game. I even got the true ending without having to put in much effort. Most metroidvania games require you to do some extremely confusing or tedious things to get the true ending.
A couple gripes though, is that contact damage on enemies is inconsistent. Some have it and some don't. Personally, I don't think any of them should have it, in a game where your melee weapon has a short range and requires you to get real close and your melee attacks make you walk forward too. It's not that big of a deal but it's probably my biggest issue. Most of the bosses are good but the flame one, and you'll know it when you get there, isnt that good. It's not terrible but it enforces a passive playstyle.
Play this game though, it's not that expensive, it has tons of love poured in it, and it's one of my personal favorites of the genre. BUY IT NOW!
Starting off, I want to comment about how great the sprite work is here. The 4:3 aspect ratio actually works pretty well here and the animations are very fluid. The environments look incredible and the backgrounds are very nice to take in. Sometimes, it adds to the dark vibe that some areas give off. Speaking of vibes though, the music is also really good, but the game also knows when to pull back and just let you sink in. The 2nd area of the game doesn't have much happening in music and its to set the tone of the setting. You aren't in a happy place, you're in a desolate, empty kingdom with few left who are struggling along. Enemies you fight are actual ghosts, skeletons, the people from the kingdom who have died. It has a cutesy exterior but the inside is rather saddening.
Gameplay is pretty nice too, Its pretty smooth, its precise to control, and I never had any issues with movement. Its pretty much your standard metroidvania stuff but without the whole 2 castle thing that castlevania does often or having to do new game plus for the true ending, or find a bunch of random books around the castle stuff. Its also a metroidvania without too much backtracking which I like. What I mean specifically is that the games events are pretty laid out, you have branching paths but you aren't going to be lead astray to random areas you can't do much in. In my run, it was clear where I needed to go and most the times, there was no need to run back through areas. You COULD run through previous areas if you wanted to find some extra looties but its not integral to finishing the game. I even got the true ending without having to put in much effort. Most metroidvania games require you to do some extremely confusing or tedious things to get the true ending.
A couple gripes though, is that contact damage on enemies is inconsistent. Some have it and some don't. Personally, I don't think any of them should have it, in a game where your melee weapon has a short range and requires you to get real close and your melee attacks make you walk forward too. It's not that big of a deal but it's probably my biggest issue. Most of the bosses are good but the flame one, and you'll know it when you get there, isnt that good. It's not terrible but it enforces a passive playstyle.
Play this game though, it's not that expensive, it has tons of love poured in it, and it's one of my personal favorites of the genre. BUY IT NOW!