They should have invested in an extra 1-bit or 5.
Astronite (Reviewed)
Publisher: Jandusoft
Released: 30 Nov, 2022
Price: $13 USD
Astronite is a shallow attempt as a 1-bit Metroidvania that tries its "best" to combine action, exploration, puzzles and platforms. The combat is difficult and can be unforgiving in the early stages of the game progressively becoming harder as you find and acquire your missing gear to fend off the invaders.
The story is quite difficult to follow in the opening cut-scene due to text speed being too fast to read allowed. But the essential plot is the planet you lived on has been taken over by strange creatures and you're here to take it back.
Is there anything that sets this game apart from others of this genre?
No, not really.
At first glance it comes off as a really simplistic and "cute" game, when a lot of its competition tries to go for a more flashy effect or realism with challenging content and amazing music to keep you engaged and interested in the game.
Take ASTLIBRA for example, while not being a traditional Metroidvania game, it takes inspiration into its own hands and really offers you a solid experience, the music, the combat, the boss battles, the visuals, the story and even the builds.
Astronite on the other hand in its current state feels more like a workshop type concept that has been put together by someone trying to pass one of their game development classes while asking you "this enough?" before shipping it.
How does the game look & feel, any concerning issues?
The game feels challenging and simple
It's a platformer that has you jumping, dashing and blasting around to avoid the incoming damage from your enemies. It doesn't feel perfect, but it feels okay, with tapping your jump button lightly for a short jump or pressing and holding it down for more air time when you need to reach those higher areas.
If the game looks too visual you can adjust the settings to allow for a more retro feel by switching on the CRT effects while also disabling the flashing lights or shaking effects as it may cause some viewers a bit of an eye sore.
The game plays like Hollow Knight, in regards to exploring the planet. You'll easily lose your way and have to quickly look at your map to figure out where you need to go next, but in the early game you don't have the map available.
You must buy the map. This in itself is bad, especially since it can push a new player away immediately if they don't understand that they need to kill some monsters if you want to unlock the module at the nearby shop. The map also does not offer a lot of information, just where you are and the save spot locations / teleporters so you better not forget the areas that you have already visited.
The sounds are terrible
Straightforward and to the point, there is little to no music to keep you engaged in the world. I'm not expecting much but at the very least I expect something old-school, chiptunes to make it feel more retro to compliment the style and feel. But no, it's devoid of it and gets boring rather quickly.
I actually made a joke to myself.
"Maybe I just have to wait and find the Music Module to hear music."
Due to the amount of modules you lose when you arrive on the planet, making the first section really annoying since you have no weapons to protect yourself.
The sounds that are there get really annoying.
While not everything is terrible, the sound effects when you jump sound like it was recorded by someone who was down a long hallway, recording the sound of a water drop "Bwoop" but not in a good way. The downward decent jump is a simple "Whoosh" which honestly works 10x better in contrast to the vertical.
How far were you able to get?
I managed to get about 2 hours in
The two boss fights that I managed to get to were very retro and reminded me about the good old classic boss designs that are simple but a little challenging.
Though the majority of this time was spent dying, because I was so focused on the actual games sounds and lack of sounds. I didn't feel entranced or eager to get to the next area because I knew it was going to be the same, dull void.
That coupled with the fact that dying is like Dark Souls where you lose all of your souls currency used to upgrade your gear is a very firm punch in the gut, especially in those really tight locations without a save spot for many locations.
I actually turned off the audio and layered over some of my own favorite retro style music, in this case Metroid (NES) which did in fact improve my overall experience. I was eager to continue and started to have a little bit of fun.
A good game should have an equal balance of good gameplay, good music and a good overall story that can pull the gamer in without feeling like a bore / chore.
Would you recommend this game?
In the current state? No.
The game doesn't even offer $13 worth of gameplay. Myself and a few others commented that while the trailer for the game has great music it is not even in the actual game. This alone drops the game's price to $3.99 for me.
I would if they implemented better sound & music.
That's all it would take to turn my review from a 2/5 to a 4/5.
At the end of the day it's up to you what you as a consumer enjoy.
This concludes my review of this game, while my opinions may be met with criticism, that's what makes gamers unique, you don't have to like the same things that others do, nor do you have to agree with them.
If you would like to catch me during one of my streams or find me on social media, you can find me at these following locations listed below:
- Pawkt
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