Selfloss

I have mixed feelings about this game. The story (and storytelling), puzzles, exploration, lore, environment, music, art & style of the game are all awesome and what kept me playing until the end, it really is a beautiful game. The dev really has done a great job creating something novel and you can tell they've poured their heart and soul into it. However, I almost quit playing the game several times because the controls are infuriating and ruin what would have otherwise been an absolutely fantastic game; interactions can also be glitchy at times. Game says controller recommended too but only shows default keymapping for keyboard in the settings menu, that only added to my frustration with controls. I did try K & M but controller was definitely better and that's coming from someone who usually prefers K & M. Definitely recommend if you have an affinity for the ocean and it's creatures and enjoy Slavic-inspired stories, but be aware you might need to walk away, take a break and come back to it again later if you want to get through (and enjoy) the full experience.

Haunting, beautiful narrative adventure that unfortunately includes much uneven puzzling, some bad platforming, and a lot of bad combat. Too many genres in this very short game, most ruined by lack of polish and bad design. Wonky collision detection, sloppy controls, unplayable fixed camera angles, and nearly gamebreaking bugs. Do you like your character getting stuck on random patches of ground? Walking through the air while trying to drop off a ledge? Dying from falling the same height as a drop that did no damage on the previous screen? Suddenly running in one direction while navigating slowly and carefully in another? Solving puzzles, winning combat, or both while the camera stays stuck behind a wall that hides everything from view? Repeating previously solved puzzles to regain access to previously unlocked areas, because the puzzle reset when you explored somewhere else for a bit? Issues like these made the game frequently miserable. I nearly quit and uninstalled multiple times. The combat in particular was a perpetual slog, like if Ico had health bars and an ammo meter. But early on there is a segment where you just steer a sailboat down a stream through an eerie coa…

I WAS THE [spoiler] BAD GUY [/spoiler] ALWAYS WAS Anyway, beautiful and melancholy game. The lore was rich and it was fun to learn about. Some of the controls are a bit flighty. I did have a glitch or two in some areas. The boss fights were easy to learn but also unforgiving. Other than that, I would say if you like lore heavy games and sort of doing good deeds, then play this game. I wish Mareena had a bigger role, but a lot of this lines up with some of the things I looked up. Slavic and lore heavy games are awesome.

really good story

Some games you play for fun, some games you play for the experience they provide. This one, for me, falls into the second group. Visually, it's astounding. You can take a screenshot at any point, and the frame will look beautiful (one of the most beautiful water recreations I've seen in a game). The sound and music set the atmosphere perfectly. It's a sad story, in a cold world. The camera work makes the whole game feel like a movie, in a good way. It's true that sometimes the positioning can be odd, but overall, it's a pretty unique resource that enhances the immersion, and helps you get into the mood of the game. The world and the lore feel like they've been there forever, and you just get to see some glimpses of them as you advance in the story. It's hard to recommend something that is best enjoyed without any previous expectations, so I'll just say kudos to the creators for putting so much effort and heart into the game, it shows.

https://youtu.be/VjuUc0OFnxU Controlling the analog light staff is a little wonky, especially for height, but everything else is a charming delight.