Mariana

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It's very good for a free game 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 🌊 Mariana is an underwater exploration game with beautiful graphics and matching soundtrack ‧˚🎧⊹♡ ( っ'-')╮ =͟͟🥽🐋 Also finding all kinds of loot, boss battles ‧₊˚🔍✩

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"Mariana" is a decidedly unpopular 2D side scrolling "aquavania", like Ecco or whatever, where you've got 2D levels and you swim around them to solve problems etc. You've dived into the Mariana Trench, which is apparently pixelcrap, kill everything there and loot the place. Really, it's a yawnfest ripping off games from an already obsolete genre, only with worse graphics and worse everything else, too. This features really godawful pixelcrap "art" instead of real graphics. It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to do the job of creating 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter. What matters is that this looks much worse than most other games because of that decision, and that's a major deterrent to gamers. Games like Terraria and Stardew Valley succeeded [i]despite[/i] the bad graphics, not because of them. This was made with the godawful "GameMaker Studio" construction kit/toolset, which is popular amongst amateur developers because it handholds you through making really crap 2D games that you can publish for $100 on Steam Direct. This lets you pat yourself on the back for pretending to be a real ga…

Respawns and movement speed slow it down so much that i cbf playing any further. Hitboxes arent very good.

Mariana is a really atmospheric underwater adventure that I enjoyed more than I expected. I am dropped into an unknown trench filled with strange creatures, mysterious artifacts and dangerous areas, and the whole thing has a nice mixture of exploration, action and light horror. I liked how the underwater setting gives the game a distinctive identity instead of feeling like another ordinary fantasy adventure. The exploration is probably my favorite part. I move deeper into the trench while discovering new areas, creatures and secrets, and there is a nice sense of curiosity behind every new section. I enjoyed not knowing what I was going to find next, especially because the world can switch between beautiful, strange and unsettling depending on where I am exploring. Combat is built around fighting hostile creatures and much larger bosses, and I found the battles surprisingly enjoyable for such a small game. The enemies encourage me to pay attention to movement and timing rather than simply attacking constantly. The boss encounters are especially fun because they give the exploration a stronger sense of progression and make reaching a new area feel meaningful. I also liked the char…

One of the best free games I've ever played. Short, simple, yet captivating.