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Mediocre, Unpolished "Adventure"

  • Craze
  • 01/02/2012 06:37 PM
  • 5499 views
Air-RPG barely has RPG elements, its air is frustrating and nothing but an obvious hindrance, and does not qualify as "polished" like the maker says.

The game is broken up into three basic areas, each more clashing (protip: red and blue together are great way to hurt your eyes) than the previous one. In each area, there are a few small levels poking out around an upgrade chamber. Every one is the same - collect the gun to shoot things, collect the wings to fly up the air tunnels, and collect the bomb to be able to dig down to the boss chamber... every time.

In an actual "Metroidvania" game, there are interesting uses of your tools, ways to take them back to previous areas and find new secrets, hidden nooks and crannies... not so in Air-RPG, which just gives you new guns/wings/bombs that do nothing beyond letting you get to the next area. You need the HEAT item to get past RED areas - and that's it. You shoot, you flap, you blow up terrain. It's dull, and even worse, the "better" guns have a much shorter range. How is that rewarding, again?

This could have been a lot smoother and more tolerable if these upgrades were indeed upgrades, not equipment. As-is, while the AX-2 gun will destroy both red and grey blocks, the COLD gun has shorter range and will not destroy anything but blue blocks. You're barely informed of this, and the in-game reference menu is ugly (and uses the mouse to navigate, when the rest of the game is keyboard-based - what? Be consistent). There are some attempts to differentiate the wings with different forms of regeneration, but it's so hard to die and there are so many gun refill stations that their HP and ammo regen abilities don't make it worthwhile to swap. The bombs do absolutely nothing but force you to equip the newest bomb, which is easy but seems wholly unnecessary.

Difficulty is quite low, which makes upgrading in the clunky, unattractive upgrade chambers less exciting. You can pick up tedious amounts of coins "hidden" (in plain sight, with no cunning required to access them) in order to raise your MaxHP/MaxAmmo/damage/defense, and you'll probably need to, but you won't realize that it's even possible to die until the third world. This is also linked to the non-Metroidvania-ness of the game; there's no truly optional passages/levels/worlds, no hard but shorter tunnels, or anything. Thus, there's no jump in difficulty, unless you get thrown off by the sudden short range of your new lackluster guns. I killed the second boss in about two seconds, for reference - and there are only three bosses. Also, I have no idea what experience levels did for me and I found them utterly pointless. You have levels, or upgrading - just throwing in unexplained XP in order to name your game Air-RPG is pointless.

There were a few decent things about the game. I liked the player character's "flapping" animation, which was cute. On top of that, the mostly-aerial combat was more interesting than running and gunning, but only barely. Things died so quickly that it was never really "combat," and more "did I hit everything to open the chamber door?"

Air-RPG is not worth your time and does not do anything new or particularly interesting. It is, however, a complete project, so congrats on that? The music is terrific, but was since it was not made by the creator, there's no need to award points for it. Music was used! (It's chiptunes, like every other pixel-based platformer put out by amateur/indie devs. Hooray?)

Posts

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It was a experiment. Not a full game.

The guns were the only complaint I had about it. They lacked, difference.

But I had a lot of fun with it for the 15 minutes it took to beat it. But being a test run and not a full game, it makes sense it was quick.

A lot of the menus, at first, were confusing and weird looking. But after a minute of so it became simple to understand.

I never once looked at the reference menu, no need to. Everything was very easy to figure out. Nothing that make me scratch my head.

I do agree that the enemies were too easy. Instead of things having 1 or 2 hits, make them take 5 or 6. I like it when things take a few more hits to kill that wouldve been nice.

While yes, the concept of this game was very basic, the enjoyment and simplicity of it made me happy. There was the basic things I needed out of each area and you had to find them, beat the stuff, open the door, and go to the boss. Very simple, but enjoyable to do. If the game was longer, then maybe it wouldve gotten boring and tedious, but being an experiment I can understand using the same thing. there can be many different aspects to game like this and with a little effort they would shine.

But mainly, the only part of any game that is important is if it was fun. And personally, I had a blast. Regardless of the repetition of not, still fun. People on this website are always being too critical of peoples games.

Wow, you and I obviously had polar opposite opinions.

I guess the only reason I can see for that is possibly you expectations were much higher? I don't know. But I really didn't go in thinking of too many possibilities. Or maybe because it was an "experiment," the author was just trying out new things. Maybe the overall gameplay, items, and upgrades would be more fleshed out in a non-experimental version of this.

I found the overall short playtime mixed with the simple design of practically everything a perfect combination.
Max McGee
with sorrow down past the fence
9159
Nasty, Unhelpful "Review"

edit: snark and general meanness aside, I think my main issue is with the title; the rest of the review is reasonably helpful but damn. using bitchy ironic quotes in a title is really not a good way to start off.
Versalia
must be all that rtp in your diet
1405
author=clydearrowny
It was a experiment. Not a full game.
It doesn't matter if this is just an "experiment" or not, it's a featured game, apparently. And you should still be able to take criticism based on your experiments - isn't that why we experiment? To take risks, do things we normally wouldn't do, and learn from those risks?

People on this website are always being too critical of peoples games.

Because we're here to get feedback. Games don't make it to the front page just so the maker can fellate themselves. This is someone who did not enjoy the game and wrote up a very, very informative, detailed explanation of why. You couldn't possibly ask for something better out of a gaming community (except for someone who DID enjoy the game to do the same thing, because nobody ever wants to hear anything negative ever shhhh). Whether or not you agree with it is your opinion - and disagreeing doesn't make this overly-critical just because you disagree.
/shrug
I thought it was really fun.
Solitayre
Circumstance penalty for being the bard.
18257
I don't have a problem with this review itself, but it does bother me when games become the subject of negative attention because they were featured.
Versalia
must be all that rtp in your diet
1405
author=Solitayre
I don't have a problem with this review itself, but it does bother me when games become the subject of negative attention because they were featured.


I don't think there's anything here indicating that this is getting negative attention based on the fact that it was featured. Personally, I was pointing out that anything featured is going to get both more negative and more positive attention than an unfeatured game - it's logical to assume you're going to see at least one bad review/comment/whatever, especially if a game is up on the front page.
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
This review is so short and concise. Kudos on that front. My review will be flabby, though perhaps fairer :P
everything has been said but yeah, people should be allowed to review something in order to disagree with others.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
Deckiller
This review is so short and concise. Kudos on that front. My review will be flabby, though perhaps fairer :P

Reviews are not novels or, traditionally, entertainment (ActionButton tends to be for entertainment, however, this is an indie game design forum). Short and concise should be the norm. =x

...and fairer? I thought I was being generous with 2/5. This game is worthless.
author=Craze
Short and concise should be the norm. =x

This I actually agree with. I'd say go look at my review as an example, but you'd probably assume I was some sort of uneducated dimwit considering I gave it 5 stars...
the in-game reference menu is ugly (and uses the mouse to navigate, when the rest of the game is keyboard-based - what? Be consistent).


Lies. I didn't have to use the mouse at all. Your just making shit up to complain about.

This game is worthless.


Only to someone as evil as you.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
Link_2112
Only to someone as evil as you.

Dude, I'm a supervillain.

***

Compare Air-RPG to this, another free indie platformer with basic music and visuals: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/536088

Robot Wants Puppy isn't even the best in the Robot Wants series (although it has the best weapon), and yet it manages to be more original, more eye-appealing, more intuitive, more fun, more engaging and more worthwhile than Air-RPG.

I have no idea why people like this game.
author=Craze
Dude, I'm a supervillain.

I know.. I was going to get all huffy and puffy but then I just remembered that simple phrase.

Robot Wants Puppy isn't even the best in the Robot Wants series (although it has the best weapon), and yet it manages to be more original, more eye-appealing, more intuitive, more fun, more engaging and more worthwhile than Air-RPG.

There is no denying that game is better. Much better.

But a game doesn't have to be all those things to be enjoyed. Deckiller summed it up much better. While it is lacking in a few areas it was still fun to run around and shoot stuff for a few minutes. The biggest draw for me was the NES sounds and graphics. It captured the feeling of those old games quite perfectly. I wish there was more variety, yeah, but saying it's worthless is retarded.

I have no idea why people like this game.
I have no idea why you care if people like this game. We're both at a loss.
Yellow Magic
Could I BE any more Chandler Bing from Friends (TM)?
3154
I give this review 2.5/5

What do you mean that's not average
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