Found some time to play this game while taking a break from Heroes Of The Storm and I sure am glad that I did. This was a game that I don't recall how I heard about it, but I did have a chance to try the demo at a store when it the demo first came out and found it pretty interesting. I ended up forgetting about this game and getting distracted with other games when suddenly I randomly remembered it last week and quickly got it on steam.
Controls
I started out the game trying to use my cheap logitech controller that doesn't have any analog sticks and used a program to rebind the buttons to different keyboard keys since I couldn't get the game itself to recognize it. This worked out slightly but after getting multiple weapons I had a bit of issue switching between them so I grabbed my PS4 controller and went with that instead which worked out well so I recommend not being like me and trying to use a more retro-style controller or the keyboard because there is a lot of things you'll be doing. That was a small issue I had was that there was just a little too much going on with how many buttons are used so I would sometimes get confused and the main issue I had was once I got the dash I pretty frequently accidentally would dash, sometimes into enemies so it was a little frustrating. The other issue was with the quick-switch being L3 and R3, pretty much every time I tried to utilize this in the heat of a battle, I would accidentally open the weapon wheel and reassign a new quick-switch rather than switching. Mildly frustrating but not major.
Gameplay
Being a massive Metroid fan, it was pretty obvious I would likely really enjoy this game no matter what. I like that even though it could be seen as a 'clone', it definitely brings a lot of new stuff to the table. I wasn't too big of a fan of the amount of backtracking that was in this game, which seems to contradict my previous statement of enjoying Metroid games but it just felt a little on the high end. This also ties in a bit with how there are some secrets that I just don't see how you would find them other than by luck. After about 3/4 of the way through the game I decided to bring out a walkthrough and go back and collect all the items I was missing. I mostly wanted to be able to experience every single weapon which seems kinda silly that you will probably miss out on a good chunk of weapons on your first walkthrough-free play through just because you're unlikely to find them unless you really go out of your way. Playing on hard difficulty did pose a bit of a challenge which I enjoyed, mostly on the bosses that were quite the endurance challenge. Although the final boss was.. lackluster. I don't really know why but it was a bit of a letdown being as easy as it was but oh well.
Design and Music
I am pretty impressed that the soundtrack was also solely done by Thomas Happ. It might not sport the same deep atmospheric soundtrack that Metroid is known for bit it does have a very nice soundtrack of upbeat tracks that will keep you moving. The game starts off looking like almost a clone of Metroid when you first awaken (minus the giant save chamber) but as you progress deeper and deeper into the game it separates itself from being a clone. I really liked the big boss battles but think they could have used a bit more to them since a couple of them have sweet spots that trivialized them.
Story
The story is nice in that it's got some twists but it's not over the top and confusing which just leaves you confused. It allows itself to be interpreted in a few different ways and lets you imagine your own connections in a few spots but overall it tells the story quite well and leaves you wondering if there may be a sequel. (hopefully)
Overall
I really enjoyed this game. It took me about 15-20 hours to finish it, using a walkthrough near the end to collect all the items so it's got some good length, especially if you go into it walkthrough free and try to find everything on your own. Of course as I said, being a huge Metroid fan I was pretty likely to enjoy this game and I can definitely see why someone wouldn't be a fan just because of the way those games play. The backtracking is a little much and the secrets but I don't think these are glaring flaws just because they are a key aspect of the game style. I love the world you get to explore and the Rusalki, I really hope that Thomas Happ decides to give this game either a sequel or even prequel. I definitely recommend anyone that is a Metroid fan to pick this game up, and even those that aren't just because it's totally playable without worrying about item hunting. It's $20 on both PSN store and Steam and if it's ever on sale I'd urge you to pick it up just because it's a great game and a pretty good price.
8.5/10
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