TL;DR
Pros
I love Exanima, especially the sound and lighting. The atmosphere creates the perfect amount of tension. The physics and logic puzzles are great. I love using the environment and improvising to solve problems, large and small. The combat, while not initially intuitive, has become one of my favorite combat systems very quickly.
Recommendations
More freedom to control the camera angle to make interacting with objects, especially placing objects, easier and more enjoyable.
Discover hidden floor maps in each level, similar to finding the compass (but would exclude puzzles/mazes)
Visual indicators for progression, like being able to light wall-mounted torches (in reference to Level 5 coin collection feeling frustrating and unrewarding)
Difficulty in Level 1 is amazing. Felt over-powered in Level 2.
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I just recently bought and played through the story mode of Exanima. It has been a very long time since I have felt so tense during my first playthrough of a game. I did not spend a lot of time in the Arena prior to playing through the story mode and found the combat satisfyingly difficult, especially through the first 3 levels. Though the combat does take a minute to get used to, I now love the combat system and can't wait to explore it more deeply.
The sound design in this game is absolutely incredible. I do not have a very intricate set-up or any surround sound, so I can't speak to whether the sound in-game has accurate direction. I can say I pay attention to every sound I hear and admire the brilliant soundscape of every room and hallway.
The ability to interact with the environment feels great. I attempted to wear a bucket on my head for protection prior to finding a proper cap. I love the amount of interaction characters have with the environment, be it bumping into walls, tripping over chairs, or trapping hostile creatures.
I loved the difficulty of the first level while discovering dress that was more battle-appropriate. The difficulty does wane in Levels 2 and 3 due to becoming very well geared, disproportionate to the enemies in the level. There were a couple of times I had to fight two enemies in Level 3, and this was very exciting and challenging. Giving the enemies in Level 2 just a bit more armor would help maintain difficulty.
I enjoyed the physics and logic puzzles in
I love these types of puzzles as it lets players improvise and use their environment. I did find placing items somewhat frustrating due to the game wanting to locate the selected item on top of/behind objects in the environment, including the player. More freedom to control the axis of the camera and maybe zoom would allow for more precision and could help with this immensely.
I think the greatest improvements could be made to level 5. While finding items in the early areas, especially Level 1, was extremely rewarding and satisfying, finding the items required to progress in level 5 felt very tedious. This is partially due to no reliable way to record the map outside of drawing it on paper (which I did for each level). This is by no means a recommendation to have a mini-map on the UI. I do not want a mini-map on screen. However, it might be useful to have a scroll in our inventory that exposes more of the map as we progress (as if our character was drawing it as they progress) OR have hidden maps in each level. I prefer the latter as it would allow particular areas like mazes/labyrinths to maintain their core reason for existing. Another possibility in addition or instead would be having the ability to light wall-mounted torches. This would give the player direction and the ability to interact with the environment in a meaningful way.
Another way to remedy this issue would be to create an entirely different way to progress. I would recommend something that helps place the character, like lighting braziers or interacting with something in the environment that creates a visual indicator. Not only would this eliminate the frustration of searching through countless containers for items required for progression, but would also help guide the player away from areas they have already explored.
I am more immersed and invested in this game than I have been in a game in a very long time. I am glad I found Bare Mettle and am able to support the development of Exanima and Sui Generis!
Pros
I love Exanima, especially the sound and lighting. The atmosphere creates the perfect amount of tension. The physics and logic puzzles are great. I love using the environment and improvising to solve problems, large and small. The combat, while not initially intuitive, has become one of my favorite combat systems very quickly.
Recommendations
More freedom to control the camera angle to make interacting with objects, especially placing objects, easier and more enjoyable.
Discover hidden floor maps in each level, similar to finding the compass (but would exclude puzzles/mazes)
Visual indicators for progression, like being able to light wall-mounted torches (in reference to Level 5 coin collection feeling frustrating and unrewarding)
Difficulty in Level 1 is amazing. Felt over-powered in Level 2.
___________________________________________________
I just recently bought and played through the story mode of Exanima. It has been a very long time since I have felt so tense during my first playthrough of a game. I did not spend a lot of time in the Arena prior to playing through the story mode and found the combat satisfyingly difficult, especially through the first 3 levels. Though the combat does take a minute to get used to, I now love the combat system and can't wait to explore it more deeply.
The sound design in this game is absolutely incredible. I do not have a very intricate set-up or any surround sound, so I can't speak to whether the sound in-game has accurate direction. I can say I pay attention to every sound I hear and admire the brilliant soundscape of every room and hallway.
The ability to interact with the environment feels great. I attempted to wear a bucket on my head for protection prior to finding a proper cap. I love the amount of interaction characters have with the environment, be it bumping into walls, tripping over chairs, or trapping hostile creatures.
I loved the difficulty of the first level while discovering dress that was more battle-appropriate. The difficulty does wane in Levels 2 and 3 due to becoming very well geared, disproportionate to the enemies in the level. There were a couple of times I had to fight two enemies in Level 3, and this was very exciting and challenging. Giving the enemies in Level 2 just a bit more armor would help maintain difficulty.
I enjoyed the physics and logic puzzles in
the Level 2 area. At one point, I solved a puzzle to press a button using a sledgehammer on top of a bucket on top of a chair. The bucket was stabilized by two stools stacked behind it.
I think the greatest improvements could be made to level 5. While finding items in the early areas, especially Level 1, was extremely rewarding and satisfying, finding the items required to progress in level 5 felt very tedious. This is partially due to no reliable way to record the map outside of drawing it on paper (which I did for each level). This is by no means a recommendation to have a mini-map on the UI. I do not want a mini-map on screen. However, it might be useful to have a scroll in our inventory that exposes more of the map as we progress (as if our character was drawing it as they progress) OR have hidden maps in each level. I prefer the latter as it would allow particular areas like mazes/labyrinths to maintain their core reason for existing. Another possibility in addition or instead would be having the ability to light wall-mounted torches. This would give the player direction and the ability to interact with the environment in a meaningful way.
Another way to remedy this issue would be to create an entirely different way to progress. I would recommend something that helps place the character, like lighting braziers or interacting with something in the environment that creates a visual indicator. Not only would this eliminate the frustration of searching through countless containers for items required for progression, but would also help guide the player away from areas they have already explored.
I am more immersed and invested in this game than I have been in a game in a very long time. I am glad I found Bare Mettle and am able to support the development of Exanima and Sui Generis!
