Battle Axe (v1.1)(PC, 2022)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5 Control-7 Challenge-6.5/7.5*/8.5** Story-4
Level Design-7 Frustration-7/8.5*/9** Fun-7/6*/5** Originality-4.5
Overall Score-7
*Hard
**"new game+ Hard"
+
Great spritework (Nieborg)
Sometimes intense action (kinda similar to Legend of Valkyrie, Gauntlet, Chaos Engine, Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Robotron)
Dodge move w/ some invincibility time (also hits enemies)
Shops in-between levels (speed, melee AP, ranged AP, HP increase, chicken (1 HP) or scroll (smart bomb)
Difficulty options (casual, easy, hard - start with 3 lives+more enemies and more frequent enemy spawning+more aggressive and sometimes faster enemies and bosses+one new enemy in level 4 (and the blue skeletons' heads explode after falling off), "new game+ hard" - start with 2 lives less+hard mode changes but kicked up a notch+tower enemies throw bombs instead)
Authentic late '80s FM synth OST (OPM/YM2151+samples?)
Enthusiastic announcer voice
A few alternate paths and hidden or off the main path items
Strafing/aim lock (added in v1.1)
Melee attacks let you knock explosive barrels into enemies
Pretty good variety (some repeated enemies)
Good bosses overall (on hard mode)
+/-
Dropped coins disappear after just 2-3 seconds (there's an item magnet but its reach is very short)
Can't block shots or attacks
No special item inventory (if you're holding one and picking one up then you automatically drop the first and it disappears after a few seconds - similar to Rondo of Blood, can't stock up on several bombs or chicken)
Over the top effects when killing enemies and destroying obstacles (occasionally distracting on hard mode)
New game+=alternate level layouts rather than letting you start with your previous stats here
No combo moves and no temporary super mode like in Guacamelee for example
Some enemy respawning if you move backwards or stay in one spot
The mage can't move while shooting (to offset this his dodge cooldown is short+it works even if shooting)
Rescue mission (unlike in Zombies they can't be killed by enemies)
Enemies aren't affected by flamethrower traps but are affected by spear traps
Endless mode (generic maze layouts where you have to rescue everyone to spawn the exit portal, frequent respawning enemies that become more frequent and varied as you go, occassional shop encounters) - not bad but too repetitive and with several dead ends+the exit portal can spawn in an annoying way (in the middle of opened doors so you can't avoid it and go to the shop for example)
-
The random chest loot can sometimes screw you over in Hard and above
Can't gain more 1-ups from points (so why do you get gems from saved NPCs?)
No continues even on Casual mode (start with only 2 lives on hard)
New game+ seems to automatically pick hard mode no matter what you do
No control config and no twin stick option (shot is mapped to circle and dodge to square on a PS controller, also can't toggle between aim lock and no aim lock so you're always strafing while shooting)
Items can bounce out of chests/when dropped from enemies/when switched out in a way so that you can't reach them (chest chicken in level 2 for example)
A bit too short at 4 levels (you won't get to upgrade all your stats even once unless you grind)
The cooldown timer on the dodge move doesn't even start unless you stop shooting/throwing - on hard this makes the game much harder since there are many more enemies and they can spawn almost right on top of you
Some control/interface issues (loose vertical scrolling - moreso when moving downwards, can't move while melee attacking - since coins disappear so quickly and you need to be moving to avoid damage it feels kinda bad (otherwise it would've been a good alternative in-between dodges), menus don't wrap around, sometimes the hit detection is a bit sloppy, some delay before you can attack after getting out of the cave in level 3)
Can hit enemies off screen and they can also shoot or do fast attacks from slightly off screen
Kinda lame ending
Rooney's dodge cooldown timer is also halted by shooting+he's slower so he just seems like a worse choice than Fae
Level 2 is harder than level 3 on Hard
Bugs:
-Due to a bug or sprite limiter if you kill about 2-3 monsters then another one while debris is on the ground, the coins dropped by the first two disappear
Notes:
-Original ver. is from 2021
Level Design-7 Frustration-7/8.5*/9** Fun-7/6*/5** Originality-4.5
Overall Score-7
*Hard
**"new game+ Hard"
+
Great spritework (Nieborg)
Sometimes intense action (kinda similar to Legend of Valkyrie, Gauntlet, Chaos Engine, Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Robotron)
Dodge move w/ some invincibility time (also hits enemies)
Shops in-between levels (speed, melee AP, ranged AP, HP increase, chicken (1 HP) or scroll (smart bomb)
Difficulty options (casual, easy, hard - start with 3 lives+more enemies and more frequent enemy spawning+more aggressive and sometimes faster enemies and bosses+one new enemy in level 4 (and the blue skeletons' heads explode after falling off), "new game+ hard" - start with 2 lives less+hard mode changes but kicked up a notch+tower enemies throw bombs instead)
Authentic late '80s FM synth OST (OPM/YM2151+samples?)
Enthusiastic announcer voice
A few alternate paths and hidden or off the main path items
Strafing/aim lock (added in v1.1)
Melee attacks let you knock explosive barrels into enemies
Pretty good variety (some repeated enemies)
Good bosses overall (on hard mode)
+/-
Dropped coins disappear after just 2-3 seconds (there's an item magnet but its reach is very short)
Can't block shots or attacks
No special item inventory (if you're holding one and picking one up then you automatically drop the first and it disappears after a few seconds - similar to Rondo of Blood, can't stock up on several bombs or chicken)
Over the top effects when killing enemies and destroying obstacles (occasionally distracting on hard mode)
New game+=alternate level layouts rather than letting you start with your previous stats here
No combo moves and no temporary super mode like in Guacamelee for example
Some enemy respawning if you move backwards or stay in one spot
The mage can't move while shooting (to offset this his dodge cooldown is short+it works even if shooting)
Rescue mission (unlike in Zombies they can't be killed by enemies)
Enemies aren't affected by flamethrower traps but are affected by spear traps
Endless mode (generic maze layouts where you have to rescue everyone to spawn the exit portal, frequent respawning enemies that become more frequent and varied as you go, occassional shop encounters) - not bad but too repetitive and with several dead ends+the exit portal can spawn in an annoying way (in the middle of opened doors so you can't avoid it and go to the shop for example)
-
The random chest loot can sometimes screw you over in Hard and above
Can't gain more 1-ups from points (so why do you get gems from saved NPCs?)
No continues even on Casual mode (start with only 2 lives on hard)
New game+ seems to automatically pick hard mode no matter what you do
No control config and no twin stick option (shot is mapped to circle and dodge to square on a PS controller, also can't toggle between aim lock and no aim lock so you're always strafing while shooting)
Items can bounce out of chests/when dropped from enemies/when switched out in a way so that you can't reach them (chest chicken in level 2 for example)
A bit too short at 4 levels (you won't get to upgrade all your stats even once unless you grind)
The cooldown timer on the dodge move doesn't even start unless you stop shooting/throwing - on hard this makes the game much harder since there are many more enemies and they can spawn almost right on top of you
Some control/interface issues (loose vertical scrolling - moreso when moving downwards, can't move while melee attacking - since coins disappear so quickly and you need to be moving to avoid damage it feels kinda bad (otherwise it would've been a good alternative in-between dodges), menus don't wrap around, sometimes the hit detection is a bit sloppy, some delay before you can attack after getting out of the cave in level 3)
Can hit enemies off screen and they can also shoot or do fast attacks from slightly off screen
Kinda lame ending
Rooney's dodge cooldown timer is also halted by shooting+he's slower so he just seems like a worse choice than Fae
Level 2 is harder than level 3 on Hard
Bugs:
-Due to a bug or sprite limiter if you kill about 2-3 monsters then another one while debris is on the ground, the coins dropped by the first two disappear
Notes:
-Original ver. is from 2021