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Ranked #428

5

355 Points

Games
Child Arms
2383
0

A game inspired from the popular Punch-Out to the very obscure Crossed Swords, Child Arms is a 2D arcade style sword-fighting game. This game is currently in beta and features the following: Two characters to choose from Three difficulty modes Hand drawn sprites Controller and keyboard input Around 20 minutes of gameplay We are looking for players to test out the game currently and see what needs to change. This game is going to be restructured in the following year and your suggestions will aid in making this a better game.One of the biggest issues of contention is the horizontal split-screen. There are now plans to convert this to a vertical split-screen. It would be helpful to know if a vertical orientation would be a much better look for the game.  


Roasts
Mechanics Level Design


I like the idea of this game but it needs more work.

One of the biggest flaws in the design is that you don't need to destroy all the enemies. You can simply destroy all but one blue enemy and just not attack until all the passengers and cargo are loaded. This enemy attacks a random spot with a single shot every 10 seconds or so and no other enemy will appear until you destroy it. Therefore, for an easy win, just leave one of these enemies alone as it will never deal enough damage to destroy you or the passenger ship before you have rescued everyone. This game would be so much better if there was an actual threat.

Another aspect that is more obvious that needs work are the graphics. I don't mind the MS Paint style quality, but you need to stick to a style. The game has like 3 different art styles and they don't look good next to each other.

It was a fun game for the few moments I played but the flaws do not make it exciting for the long run.

5 years ago


Okay, I just saw the advisory that this is an alpha from the screenshots. I did not realize this and wrote my review like an actual product. I apologize for this.

5 years ago
Controls UI Graphics


Pretty good concept you got. I would've preferred to play with a controller because it's uncomfortable to play with mouse and keyboard.

Some issues:
- One of my gripes with this game is the enemies are sometimes too strong, mainly the orange enemies. I think the 4th one made me rage quit because he was just so strong, he could kill you in 2-3 hits.
- I did not realize that cross was my health bar. I would prefer a traditional horizontal bar.
- Magic didn't work for me. Tutorial said I should hold down RMB to fill a bar. I never saw a bar nor did I ever see an effect of whatever magic I was suppose to have.

Some compliments:
- Despite no controller support, the controls were nice to use. I like that you have the option to change the view distance and sensitivity of the mouse.
- Attacking was pretty straight forward and not too complicated.
- I like the enemy designs where you have to destroy armor and then the flashing orbs before you can kill them. I like how different enemies have their own strategies of attack.
- Tutorial was simple and to the point, though at first I was confused about pointing my marker at the orbs. Thought I had to shoot it.

Overall: Pretty nice game concept.

5 years ago
Game Graphics Controls


Not a bad concept. I assume it's a concept since you mentioned it's in its early stages. Here are my thoughts so far:

Some grips:
- I would prefer not to use the mouse. It feels very uncomfortable for me to use the mouse. I would like an option for keyboard or gamepad.
- Collision is kind of wonky. I tried grabbing the ores but I could not, but I managed to do it by mistake, unless that was something else.
- My laser keeps turning off by itself randomly. I have to constantly click the LMB to constantly mine.
- I had to quit the game after my thruster stopped working, as in W did not propel me anymore. In fact, every now and again, the thruster would not work.
- If I'm going to use the mouse, all buttons should be on the opposite side of the keyboard. This is a small gripe since you really only need to use the right sided keys when docking and buying, hence no mouse needed, but I got confused at first.
- Was I suppose to know how much supply and money I had? Because I couldn't tell when I went into the shop.

Some compliments:
- Music is pretty nice and atmospheric.
- Graphics are also very well made. A bit too pixely but they are consistent with the exception of the ores, which are just too pixelated and are out of place.
- I like the concept of the game, the idea of being a space miner and having to fight enemies (though not in this proto apparently). A campaign and story for this game would be exciting.

Overall: I like where this game is going and it clearly shows TLC. I look forward to seeing its progress.

5 years ago


Interesting input you have. Do you mean something like NetherRealm Studios does with their fighting games? That is something I never considered, but I will now. Thanks for your suggestion.

5 years ago
UI Graphics Tutorial/Learning Curve


Well, the idea is interesting, but the gameplay is very difficult in that I don't know what to do. Immediately as you get to the login screen, I got stuck. I had to look around everywhere until I realized that I could get the login info from the trailer. But even entering doesn't get you far as apparently, based on the trailer, you have to find a prompt console and I could not find it for the life of me. The only clue doesn't seem to help: I have no idea what F10 + Static is. I have a feeling this is one of those games where you have to look up info from outside of it, like some kind of alternative reality game. Sounds good in practice, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps if there is a community then this game would be much more playable, but as a solo game, impossible. My suggestions is to provide some kind of storyline to get solo players going. Instead of this Andy Anyman (a.k.a. the player), have an actual character going through the game and maybe use his monologues as some kind of tutorial of sorts.

5 years ago


No problem. Like I said, I like this idea of tampering with a computer, but there needs to be an entry point for newbs like me. You need a hook and in this type of game, the only hook I can think of is a storyline that gets you hooked into it to keep the player digging deeper into whatever dark secret they have uncovered. That's why I suggested to have an actual character invested in this that guides the player into what to do, at least in the beginning stages.

5 years ago
Game Graphics Tutorial/Learning Curve


This is a pretty good game that I can see a lot of casual players enjoying it, but it still has some issues holding it back from appealing to that demographic.

Some gripes:
- Perhaps it was an aesthetic choice but maybe you should remove the tilting of the screen. There's no in game reason for this tilting.
- Keep the flashes to a minimum or give an option to remove them. I do not suffer from epilepsy but this is very bothersome to look at every time I pick up an item that it started to hurt my eyes.
- I see no reason why I should use the mouse when I can just use other buttons on the right side of the keyboard, especially if I have to use Enter (which is on the right side of the keyboard) to skip dialog. If you do insist, at least give the option to use other keys.
- Spell check. I saw some grammatical errors.
- Some puzzles are very hard to figure out due to lack of information. I took me a while to figure out that P1's slam ability had to be at a specific height, and even now, I don't even know how high that height is. I also got stuck on the puzzle that introduces the trampolines. I have no idea how to pass it due to lack of information.
- I don't read stories at first. Usually save them for when I watch the game on YouTube. I would appreciate the option to skip the storyline.

Some compliments:
- Very catchy music. Though I only heard the one in the tutorial, I hope there is more music of that quality.
- Aside from using the mouse, the controls are nice and responsive. The inertia of the characters are just right. Collision boxes are also optimized for the puzzles.
- Graphics and aesthetics are appealing, sans the flashes.
- Despite me skipping the story, I like the fact that this game has one and will be interesting in a second play through or when I watch the game on YouTube.
- The puzzles are unique and have variety.

Some suggestions:
- Give options to the player to change things such as removing the swinging screen effect and turn off flashes.
- Let the player choose their own controls.

Overall: The game is looking great, it's fun to play, but some of the not-so-useful effects should be at the discretion of the player.

5 years ago
Level Design Controls

A pretty nice and solid platformer with a nice atmospheric feel to it. However, not without some issues.

My gripes:
- There really needs to be a control configuration option. I would prefer to have jump as Up since that is not used in the game. It feels cumbersome to have to jump and attack at the same time with the current layout.
- The collision boxes for the hazards, especially the spikes, are either too big or your hit box is too big. I had to be extra careful around these hazards because barely touching it would hurt This is problematic when you have a situation that requires precise jumping between two hazards or when enemies are too much to handle and you need to escape.
- The third level is too big this early in the game. One would not be ready to tackle such a large task so early on. Contracting it like it's previous level would be preferred.
- Enemies appear from the sides too spontaneously, causing them to get a surprise attack you may not be able to avoid. Perhaps they shouldn't attack until they see you so you can have a chance.
- Your bullets have a range but the enemy's don't. This is unfair as one enemy I failed to shoot because he managed to get to the side of the screen where my bullets failed to get him but they can shoot off-screen with no problem.
- The first enemy you encounter does not die in one hit, as I was informed.
- Please make clear which platforms I can stand on and which I cannot, particularly the ones with collectibles hovering around it. I thought I could stand on them, but I can't.
- Checkpoints, please have them. That third level was a chore to get through because it's so big, and dying sends you back to the beginning of the game. Making it worse is that you don't recover health after beating a level, thus the third level was such a chore to get through that I had only one life left for the next level only to die and had to start all over again.

My compliments:
- The atmosphere is really nice. I like to solidarity of the game's environment.
- Despite the clunky controls, the character runs very smoothly and reacts very well to the controls.
- I like the little touch of physics such as sliding down slopes and round platforms.
- Levels are well designed. It encourages exploration which I like.

My suggestions:
- Add controller support. I would've preferred to use one.
- A map would've been nice as some stages can get huge.
- More collectibles would be nice. Though I sometimes go out of my way to get the stars and weapons, I would like to discover other kinds of goodies.
- I found no use for the shield other than the first time I used it when I was in a pinch. It's better to give it it's own hit points and take some hits while you try to recover your health.
- Remove the heart beat when your health is at 1. I think the reddening of the sides is more than enough to remind you that you have one more hit.
- A background would be nice. The fog is an okay touch but it makes the game so bland.

Overall: This is a very nice game that can be improved.

5 years ago
Story/Writing/Dialogue


Nonsense. Clearly some kind of malware. Don't fall for it people.

5 years ago
Liked

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