Ghrian

As of now, I do not recommend this game. The controls are just too clunky. It doesn't register controls instantly, sometimes it doesn't register hops at all, the fire ability thing you have does not always get thrown when you try to throw it, and you can only throw the fire in 3 directions, directly up, direclty down, or in a set position. I'm going to keep on playing this game , and if I feel it deserves a positive review, I will change this one. Definitely not worth $9.99

This game looked promising however quickly it becomes apparent of a regretful purchase. At the games current state, the controls are very clunky, missed keys while jumping and throwing. the main keys are A D to move back and forth, WS to shoot up or down, SPACE jump and R for fire throwing move. All keys become somewhat unresponsive, making you stuck on clipping paths. The camera sometimes makes it really difficult to see what lies ahead but it doesn't matter because you can charge through enemies and take no damage, the only way I've died over and over is because of sticky controls and falling off a place where I should jump but cannot see due to set camera angles. If graphic mode is on beautiful or fast, it doesn’t change the character’s lack of facial definition and blurred outlines (the background becomes more defined though). This game would be good at its state if it were in Beta or Alpha but not as a full release just yet, I feel as though the $9.99 pricing is unjustifiable for the games current state, however if it were to improve with time I would like to make this review a positive one, as the concept of gameplay is enjoyable and it has potential.

I picked this game up on the strength of the same dev's newer game, Burggeist. I'm marking the game as recommended in spite of my reservations about it because it IS very well done in some aspects even though it has some serious issues. [h1]The Game[/h1] The game itself is a platform puzzler on rails; although it is 3D you are unable to control the camera and can only move forward and backward along a predefined line. There is no side-to-side motion. The primary puzzle mechanism is the use of a thrown light emitting stone, which is the only action available other than jumping, combined with platforming in order to pass obstacles and enemies in order to progress. There are a lot of things about it that make it clear it's a first effort at real game development, but it is also clearly a first game from a developer with a well developed aesthetic and unique ideas. [h1]The Bad[/h1] Top of the list has to be the controls. They are unreliable at best. Sometimes you will bump the stick to change directions and you do, sometimes you will bump the stick the same amount to change directions and will take a full step in that direction instead. Sometimes when you jump against a ledge…

1/3 of your time spent on this game will be spent on one screen. The music on the title screen is decent, but for literally the rest of the game there is no music. Not to mention the mindnumbing, brain tumor causing difficulty spike because of the jumping mechanic. Would not kill myslef to again.

I enjoyed Ghrian overall, but it's a short and very rough game which definitely is not going to appeal to everyone. The biggest issue by far is the platforming controls. They're stiff and clunky and the wall jump/ledge grab in particular often does not work properly. Most of the deaths were either directly or indirectly caused by the character failing to properly pull himself up onto a ledge and it can get frustrating, especially in the later areas. Thankfully, the game rarely demands more than extremely basic platforming, but Ghrian is definitely not a game I can recommend for its gameplay. What I do recommend this game for is its atmosphere. While I wouldn't go as far as to call Ghrian a walking simulator, it does have long stretches of walking through environments without any danger and the world is great to look at. This is a cinematic platformer and most encounters serve as setpieces with some simple puzzles and a minor amount of platforming. The bad controls do get in the way of things at times and will likely be a dealbreaker for many, but it has enough interesting moments that I was able to enjoy it based on its merits as an atmospheric short story. If you're looking fo…