this game's running an open playtest (which i believe is almost over) and it shows a ton of promise. it's clearly pretty early in development, though, and so this 'review' is nothing more than a handful of comments on its current state.

first of all, i really like the look of it, though i would appreciate a unification of its retro resolution — increase the resolution of the player character and lower the resolution of the rest of the world and hud elements to match. this is just a personal taste kind of thing, i suppose. i also hope to see more variety in the environment, and a bit more distinction from moment to moment, though i understand that's a ton of work for the two people making the game.

the character designs are simple, but cool and unique: creepy, empty black eyes of the soulless define an otherwise cutesy design.

combat! it feels good, but you're at a serious disadvantage even with a follower npc. it fast becomes an overwhelming challenge to manage your already extremely limited stamina when the enemy fighting your partner turns around to throw a fireball up your ass before you can even react (because you're busy fighting the other guy). considering this is a game with directional control over attack/block/parry, you're going to be paying close attention to your immediate opponent's movements — multiple enemies are just too unpredictable and aggressive to feel like i have adequate control and awareness.

anyway, these are just a handful of impressions taken from a bit under an hour with the game. i'll be keeping an eye on this one.