Dystobel

The default controls aren't ideal. The attack button is what would normally be the jump button on an Xbox controller and there is no way to remap the controls. I narrowly recommend this game. It's very challenging in places and feels to me like it suffers from an identity crisis. It's as though the dev is flirting with different genres and ideas and keeps changing what the game is as you go through it, while never being very strong at the metroidvania aspect. Highlights for me were the late game colour-swapping platforming sections and the games difficult (though IMO harsh) boss encounters. It starts out as a basic, mediocre mini-metroidvania (2 ability upgrades that are just different weapons), then after the third boss it does a complete 180 and turns pretty much linear up until the end with the exception of a fork or two in the road. It's in this second half of the game where the dev starts experimenting with different puzzle and precision platforming ideas. There are some l...

I really like the metroidvania genre and I really like to check indie games I found this game and the demo leave a really good impression now that I played the full game a have a lot to say. Graphics: Game looks really good and the visual are consistent through the game, later areas are really imaginative and cool. Characters are cool too, especially the bosses. The comic style cut-scenes are a great addition too. Gameplay: Feel influences from castlevania games on the game-play and enemies which is a great thing, the color spells mechanic is really nice and I haven't seen applied on this kind of games before. I like that also have platform style challenges not only combat. My personal favorite part are the bosses, there are quite a lot and really cool and well designed for an indie game. Game can get a little hard later on but I think is a great challenge that makes you really learn how to use the mechanics. Music: purchased the version with the soundtrack and think that th...

Let me start by saying that this isn’t usually my type of game, but I found it really entertaining. In most games of this genre that I’ve played, you can pick a strategy and stick with it from start to finish. However, Dystobel’s game design requires you to adapt and learn the right way to play in order to progress.

Art and level design is pretty good, the power mechanics are interesting and the fast paced combat is really engaging. The only thing I can complain about is the train level, wayyy to RNG based instead of skill based.