This game is cool, but feels a little rushed and antiquated in certain ways.
Most of the positives come with some caveats, so I'll start with the visuals. Pseudoregalia's PS1 aesthetic is easy on the eyes, being the thing that initially got me interested in this title. Each area has its own look to it, with an ethereal atmosphere complimented by the impeccable soundtrack. An issue, though, is that there are very few unique assets that set rooms apart, which becomes an issue because the game lacks a map. I'm always down for a game that doesn't need a map, but this game definitely does. Unlike Dark Souls, each area blends together somewhat, with certain rooms giving me major deja vu as I explored for the final MacGuffins needed to finish off the game. The liminality of the world is a highlight for sure, but when there are objects you have to find in order to progress, it can be infuriating to constantly be wondering where the hell I am.
I have a few slightly more minor nitpicks related to the graphics too. For starters, some areas are just way too dark. I genuinely could not see a thing during certain sections, which could be used well for short stints, but the darkness was prevalent through long portions of gameplay that featured branching paths and many collectibles. As for the really minor stuff, some of the text was barely legible (anything using the font you see on the game's cover, for example) and to really rub this in, there's an accessibility that lets you give the protagonist pants, but nothing to make things easier to read. Speaking of, her design is much better with said pants, personally speaking.
The movement of this game is fab. It's another example of a moveset that flows effortlessly together, which is a little rarer in 3D spaces. The platforming all works, though I never found anything that truly tested my understanding of the kit. I cheesed a few portions here and there, but I can't say I was largely impressed by the level design. The combat, too, needs work. It functions as is, but serves as more of an afterthought than a well-integrated core component of the experience. The only fight I enjoyed was the final one, though the camera hampered that one and I think the Touhou-esque music was still the standout of the battle.
Pseudoregalia is neat enough. There's not much to do, yet it feels stretched out nonetheless. Besides the movement, everything feels undercooked and a tad rushed, with tons of little glitches biting at my ankles throughout. The worst, which I'll admit has coloured my overall perception of the game a little too much, was that there was an update which moved the game's saves. This required manually moving the old saves to a new folder, but as I was playing on Steam Deck, the developer hadn't said where. I spent ages looking and gave up eventually. I checked the Steam forums a couple days later and someone had posted the solution, so I was able to finish the game, but this combined with my already dwindling interest in the endgame prop hunt, I was feeling a little down about the whole thing. I like it though, I'd love to see what the developer does next, especially with more time and a bigger budget (supplemented by this game's success). So, overall, I'm happy with the money I spent on it, which is more than I can say for a lot of games!
Most of the positives come with some caveats, so I'll start with the visuals. Pseudoregalia's PS1 aesthetic is easy on the eyes, being the thing that initially got me interested in this title. Each area has its own look to it, with an ethereal atmosphere complimented by the impeccable soundtrack. An issue, though, is that there are very few unique assets that set rooms apart, which becomes an issue because the game lacks a map. I'm always down for a game that doesn't need a map, but this game definitely does. Unlike Dark Souls, each area blends together somewhat, with certain rooms giving me major deja vu as I explored for the final MacGuffins needed to finish off the game. The liminality of the world is a highlight for sure, but when there are objects you have to find in order to progress, it can be infuriating to constantly be wondering where the hell I am.
I have a few slightly more minor nitpicks related to the graphics too. For starters, some areas are just way too dark. I genuinely could not see a thing during certain sections, which could be used well for short stints, but the darkness was prevalent through long portions of gameplay that featured branching paths and many collectibles. As for the really minor stuff, some of the text was barely legible (anything using the font you see on the game's cover, for example) and to really rub this in, there's an accessibility that lets you give the protagonist pants, but nothing to make things easier to read. Speaking of, her design is much better with said pants, personally speaking.
The movement of this game is fab. It's another example of a moveset that flows effortlessly together, which is a little rarer in 3D spaces. The platforming all works, though I never found anything that truly tested my understanding of the kit. I cheesed a few portions here and there, but I can't say I was largely impressed by the level design. The combat, too, needs work. It functions as is, but serves as more of an afterthought than a well-integrated core component of the experience. The only fight I enjoyed was the final one, though the camera hampered that one and I think the Touhou-esque music was still the standout of the battle.
Pseudoregalia is neat enough. There's not much to do, yet it feels stretched out nonetheless. Besides the movement, everything feels undercooked and a tad rushed, with tons of little glitches biting at my ankles throughout. The worst, which I'll admit has coloured my overall perception of the game a little too much, was that there was an update which moved the game's saves. This required manually moving the old saves to a new folder, but as I was playing on Steam Deck, the developer hadn't said where. I spent ages looking and gave up eventually. I checked the Steam forums a couple days later and someone had posted the solution, so I was able to finish the game, but this combined with my already dwindling interest in the endgame prop hunt, I was feeling a little down about the whole thing. I like it though, I'd love to see what the developer does next, especially with more time and a bigger budget (supplemented by this game's success). So, overall, I'm happy with the money I spent on it, which is more than I can say for a lot of games!