There's things I like about this game, then there's things I do not like as much. Now, although this may seem like I'm hating on the game, I am not. Even with it's problems, I did enjoy it for what it was. Also, for a TL;DR, go to the conclusion at the end.
Let's start with the smaller nitpicks that aren't that bad. Movement feels kinda similar to what you would get from some flash games, and some of the sound effects are of the same quality.
Jump sound effect actually kinda reminds me of the water girl jump sound effect lol. Resolution cannot be adjusted, so if you want to change the game's resolution, I suggest using a BepInEx plugin for that.
Now with the smaller nitpicks out of the way, I wanna discuss some of this game's issues.
The biggest thing I had a problem with, is the fact that you need to recharge your shield. This creates a weird situation where once your shield breaks, you pretty much have to go to a safe place to recharge it. Now this could be okay for the most part, but the shield cannot be recharged mid way, it has to fully deplete in order to be recharged, which makes this mechanic significantly more annoying.
Another problem in this game is how it kind of misses direction. You most of the time feel kinda lost, and it takes a good while to see where to go and what to do. I also feel like it would've been better if the developer added some kind of a tutorial to explain things like controls. There is a help button, that's true, but a help button should be for when you forget something after the tutorial, not the tutorial itself.
As far as level design goes, for a platformer, there isn't too much here. Each level has unique design, and it's unique things. For example the first level has some sort of fire vents that force you to time your movement to not get damaged. The second level, has ice which makes movement more fun and slippery. Those are great, but aside from the visual design, they don't make the level feel different. It's more of a gimmick than a feature to me. I wish there were more levels like the 3rd boss room for example. The boss room of the 3rd level, had 4 batteries you had to pick up, and put into a special harpoon, all in order to fight the boss. I wish for example that most of the 3rd level was designed this way. Instead of buttons to open doors, this time it would be batteries you had to pick up and move. The ice level for example, could've made it so you had to melt doors instead of open them with buttons.
One more thing that kind of connects to one of my previous points, is that the reason to get points isn't actually told to you at any point in the game. There's apparently a shop WITHIN the gallery that allows you to spend your points. Now most people, don't immediately go to the gallery, and the ones that don't, have no idea why points exist, or what is their purpose. Until around the 3rd level, I did not even know the shop existed. Stuff like this should in my opinion be on the level selection page, not within the gallery.
One of the last things I wanna talk about are the bosses. Most of the bosses in this game are kinda janky, and sometimes feel padded. For example the bosses you encounter when you get your wall jump ability. You cannot tell me that is not padding. The entire boss fight involves you going to tesla gates, and just waiting until one of the enemies touches the gate, from there it's rinse and repeat. The second boss isn't too much better, at first he may seem very challenging, but once you figure it out, it is WAY too easy to beat him. Go to the top right cannon, aim at him, then just stand back, crouch, aaaand that is it! You're untouchable! You may have to reactivate the cannon every once in a while, but that is it.
Lastly, a big gripe I have with this game, is it's combat. I feel like the lack of ability to hit or attack enemies early on, heavily takes away from the game. This is why the wall jump boss or the slime boss, or the ice boss are so weird to fight against. The player lacks any fighting power, and since overload is an optional ability to get, it forces the game dev to just make the bosses either passive to fight, or include some sort of "on site" weapon.
Now I know I have said a lot of bad things about this game, but not all of it is bad. For starters, the gallery is fully unlocked from the start, so you can just download the game for the sake of the content if you're into that. The animations are actually really well done, and the art is also really good. Enemy designs as well, are really nice, and there are a good amount of enemy types in this game. There's also futa content for those who like it, and just overall the visual aspect of the game is very pleasing. Not to mention the decent amount of customization options for your character too.
(TL;DR)
In conclusion, the game has it's issues. From level design, to weird mechanics, or less interesting bosses, along with some other weird design choices. However, it's not all bad. I do think the game is enjoyable so long you do not go in with big expectations, and the visual parts of the game are really well designed, and are fun to look at. Gallery is of course unlocked from the start for those who want it, and there's a nice amount of customization for your character. All in all, I think a 3/5 fits this game the most.
). I will hope that it will not be abandoned and the author will live happily ever after, and I will also light a candle for the sequel when it is finished, I will hope and support the community and side-scrollers.
