index
i first encountered rittz's stuff on his itch page (i can't remember how i found it)
at the time there was only blazing dynamo and death roll frenzy on there (i'll make reviews of the rest of the itch games later)
you have to try it out I'M BEGGING YOU
the amount of options you have at your disposal to get around the levels is incredible. you can really see that this is where rittz experimented and cooked his 3D platforming sauce. the animations, effects and sound design of everything bucket can do just screams polish and refinement. and there's a lot bucket can do.
and then there's everything else
but the coolest thing by far is the overheat system which powers it all. moving around will give you heat which can be used up to boost moves e.g you can double jump and dive twice as far. the hover also uses heat.
since building up heat takes time and using the boosted moves fully drains heat, this balances the powerful movement options better a time-based system (*cough* yooka laylee *cough*).
it encourages using the entire moveset rather than waiting around to just use the overpowered stuff which is really smart
there was a discord linked on the itch page so i joined since i wanted to keep up with the cool stuff rittz was making
i was immediately welcomed by rittz and everyone else!
there's really something special about seeing projects evolve over time
mini devlogs were posted quite regularly on the server which was really cool to see what was being worked on.
rittz tends to hop from project to project -
at this time there was already prototype versions of goodnight sunlight, electrokinetic and radical avalanche!
we could chat with each other and with rittz about games, development and other stuff.
we could all get hyped together whenever rittz released something new, like stratospear and radical avalanche.
and of course, when pseudoregalia began development...
pseudoregalia won the metroidvania month game jam by a landslide.
i think that says a lot. rittz and matt did a great job with the movement and world and.
the world already has a quality of dreaminess and mystique to it
even in this version the movement is tight and fluid - the full release did not add much to it.
of course there is the tried and tested ledge grab and plunge (ground pound) but everything else is very special...
the slide jump is the evolution of blazing dynamo's. not only does it now have a free-er arc but also requires less inputs. also the silhouette effects are gorgeous
bright soul is much in the vain of blue fire where striking enemies keeps you in the air and refreshes abilities which was in turn inspired by hollow knight's iconic pogo.
cling gem is also very much like blue fire where you stick to a wall and slowly glide down along the wall. i like the weight you have and the stickiness on curved surfaces
but the wallkick...oughhhh
i genuinely consider the wallkick one of the most innovative movement abilities ever made. it is a refinement of radical avalanche's wallkick which was developed from blazing dynamo's wallspin. wall movement has essentially always been about getting onto the wall and sliding down or climbing up - the wallkick completely subverts this.
you're deflected from the wall depending on your angle of approach to the wall alongside a constant vertical boost. once you understand how it works, you have an incredible amount of control: you can extend your jumps with shallow angles along the wall and climb up 90 degree corners by kicking perpendicular to each wall!
the design for sybil here is kinda goofy but i really like it.
performance was pretty bad though
i very much recommend playing it if you're interested in seeing the game's beginnings.
given the very positive response, more work was done on the game and made into a full release
the full release took the game jam version and polished it until it gleamed.
the visual identity of the game was completely enhanced: volumetric fog, skyboxes, crisper textures and more environment decoration!
upgrades were given new names e.g bright soul -> ascendant light, wallkick -> sun greaves, etc. slide was separated from solar wind and strikebreak from soul cutter.
the movement changes were so cool as well.
a backflip similar to mario's sideflip was added. however it was implemented in such an ingenious way the game feels weird without it - you flip higher at faster velocity. with the momentum you're able to gain in the game, sliding off ledges, jumping off moving platforms and solar wind, this is an incredible addition to the moveset
blazing dynamo's jet flip was added as a sunsetter cop-out. not only is this great for stopping momentum but it chains exceptionally well with a kick away from a wall at a ledge.
you can now throw the dream breaker. not only does this provide light, making traversing dark areas early easier, but it can also be kicked which not only looks super cool but also deals a lot of damage.
you can now hit projectiles. while a small change this is just a neat addition to combat.
but apart from polish there was an awesome amount of content added.
existing areas were all expanded!
new areas with awesome music were added! twilight theatre is a super fun massive platforming gauntlet and listless library now houses sun greaves and has such a cosy vibe which partially inspired the look of my shack!
aspects were added which are mini upgrades to combat and movement and fill out the world a bit more
a boss and a final boss with sick music were made! strong eyes is pretty decent but princess is such a good boss - i really like the mix of projectile and melee attacks she has
