The Skylia Prophecy

A really rough game. No control scheme listed. No tutorial. Says it works with gamepads, but doesn't. Weird hit boxes. No direction at the start of the game. Poor resolution. MUCH better Metroidvania games out there to try out. I'd skip this one.

This game is competent for a first outing, and I would be delighted to see it on itch.io. I got it for free with a bundle of metroidvania games. However, for *fifteen US dollars*, it's asking a lot. Pros: + Good atmosphere and aesthetics, I like what they're going for. Decent silhouetting and readable in motion. + There are multiple tools in your kit, like attack, offensive shielding, spells, and consumables. Cons: - Lacking modern level design, like maps, fast travel, or even just good shortcuts and routes between rooms. - Lacking modern QoL features, like remappable controls. You can work around some things with the right Steam settings, but the game isn't going out of its way to accommodate you. - Pacing is very rough, for more QoL reasons. There's no quick retry, with a lot of wasted time every time you lose. - Animation is just okay. It's not *ugly*, but there are very few frames, and it needs a little more art direction or stylization at the low resolution. - Interactable elements indicated solely by background elements and hard to see. Even something as simple as a door is easy to miss. - The combat is a bit thin, and there are few mobility techniques. It got pretty repeti…

The game is not so bad, but it lacks some features in game design, and some aspects need fixing. I've also found minor bugs during a short gameplay. So let's start from the basic staf: movement is ok, very responsive, hitting enemy has clear feedback, but - atacking smaller enemies with shiled instead of crouching slash is not very intuitive, and can be iritating at times. Graphics is really nice, I love the style, levels are nicely drown, full of details, but not overdone. Terrain destruction has oldschool arcade vibe in it, and I love it too. But - there are no "volume settings" in options, permanent death - so becouse I've died twice before first checkpoint, I have to made tutorial twice. Some puzzles are a little overcomplicated - I mean, ok - I had to discover that I shoot through the wall, and that behind the wall above is explosive barrel. But I needed two shots to do it, and I've got mana only for One shot. So I had to go back to save point, and in my opinion it's a little pointless - better game design would be, if the barrel would be at the same level as player after quiting the dungeon. Another pointless mechanic is restoring only a part of health at save point. I me…

I am in the process of reviewing this game now and I have just 1 question. Why is it SO intent on giving you a terrible first impression when it is SO critical to get people in the door playing your game before you hit them over the head with annoying mechanics, a controller layout that is impossible to figure out (with no manual) and an erratic presentation style? I will be producing a full review of this game, and I sincerely hope it gets MUCH better from here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://youtu.be/EVhcQn8wfM0 No matter what anyone says, first impressions have, do, and will always leave, a LASTING impression. Especially the bad ones. Sure you can always change them with enough effort and time, but its hard to get players to like your game when the first few minutes feel so numb, distorted and difficult to get to grips with. Presented for your approval, The Skylia Prophecy from developer ERMedia available on steam now for £11.39. A game that on the face of it is a tempting proposition. Cool pixel graphics. A decent soundtrack. Multiple enemy types and powers to use. Boss b…

CAVEAT EMPTOR: This game is effectively incomplete. The quests in the last Swamp area do not work and last boss often falls through the floor and dies in the wrong way, soft-locking the game. It seems that the last boss was supposed be plausible with the aid of the third, restorative magic spell, though because that one was left unfinished and inaccessible, the last boss is practically impossible. I try to be favorable to this game, though it is Mission: Impossible due to INTENTIONAL DESIGN CHOICES TO F WITH THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE. Though I fully recommend it on the grounds of being a tool of controlled, humane suffering. :) I lost so much progress due to not doing one thing right and now I am deprived of certain things. Specifically, first time around I did not buy a Basic Key because the game just gave me a "Skull Key" (read: a skeleton key is defined as something that opens every lock). Later even further down into the game I foolishly went to the Illusion place thinking it is a side attraction for the boots though actually it was the main place and I lost the "side town" full of stuff to get. Keep in mind you NEED that extra stuff. This game is Souls-like brutal except the co…

Unfortunately what looked to be a promising game is let down by several bugs. There is the bug where the final boss falls through the floor that several players have mentioned. I also had a bug in the skull ruins where I went through a door into a room, then back through the same door & then my character had disappeared of the screen. The other was when I left a town into another screen & then the images of the two locations flashed alternately for the next 10 or so frames. I was also softlocked in my first go near the end, but completed the game on my 2nd go. Some of the swamp items & missions are missing making the game incomplete. This would have been a good game if those issues were fixed, but I still got some enjoyment out of it. Would recommend also taking a invincibility potion into the final boss battle, to make the fight easier. If you are into 2d action/adventure games & are curious it may be ok to spend several hours on, but I would recommend waiting for a big sale.