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Astalon - Tears of the Earth - A Gauche Review Production

Gauche

Arch Disciple
Messages
663


5/10

Completed it

Main mechanic revolves around switching between characters to open paths using their unique skills. Problem is you can only switch at a campsite which are spread throughout the map. This results in going down a path with one character to reach the end of it to find out you need a different character to continue on. Now you've got to go back and return again. There is an item that is obtainable that circumvents this but it is a fair ways into the game. It doesn't take away from the game just to have it from the beginning I would think but decisions were made I suppose.

While there is fast travel there is no convenient way to warp to start. You'll have to die or travel over half the map to get to that thing you just obtained the means to unlock. I've neglected to mention you don't heal in this game when reaching a camp/save point. So if you were to travel over half the map you are bound to take damage and just diminish your ability to explore that new area.

Another aspect is that this game has XP in the form of enemy drops which you can then allocate between your characters to buff stats or unlock skills. I don't like this system. I find it incentivizes farming. What stops you from farming the first enemy over a million times and what would be the difference in having all the stats from the start? Aside from a time sink it would be the same. You're in a way gimping yourself by not farming, Takes away from those who roleplay with their game too.

It reminds me of those rouge-like indie games which award you XP to unlock things so your future runs are permanently better. All your runs before that were essentially gimped from the get go. Why not just have it unlock from the start I ask? "But muh progression!". Rouge-imitation they be.

I also didn't care much for the key system. I had extras by the time I completed it. Red keys are used to open whole new areas while white and blue just gives access to paths. Why not just make blue and white the same? Clever reasons I guess.

The version I played had moving platform issues. Sometimes the platform would decide you weren't along for the ride and decide that despite you being directly on top of it would continue scrolling along without bringing you with. Other times it would bring you along. And other times it would flash the screen for your character to disappear and then reappear seconds later. I don't know how they fucked that up so badly but call me impressed.

Bosses kinda suck. I damage raced them and still had near half health.
There is a boss rush mode which strips you of your power which just exacerbates boss issues. Too much invincibility and too much health. After trying for the second time to clear the mode I said fuck waiting nearly 15 minutes to kill the second boss and just used cheats. The unlock wasn't even worth it.

Black Knight has a pretty dope back story though

 
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Ogoid

Adherent
Sanctuary legend
Messages
73
I've had my eyes on this one for quite a while now, and yeah, most of what I've been hearing has been mixed - not a bad game, but has some flaws that definitely need working on.

I'll still probably get it, though.
 
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