Recent reviews by Nolitnax

I just love when you can tell a developer actually plays video games. But it's really rare to find someone who combines this with talent and the artistic vision this game goes for.

The developer describes their game as a platform brawler, and I agree with that—in that order. This is, first and foremost, a platformer that spices things up with its combat. In the description, you can see the dev mentioning the greats like Yoshi's Island, DKC: Tropical Freeze, and Kirby’s Adventure in terms of level design, which is quite the tall order. But let me tell you, as someone who took about 9–10 hours to 100% the game, he's right. Let me explain why.

Keep in mind, the average player will likely take much longer. I’d argue that if you’re going for 100%, it’ll take the average Joe around 15–20 hours.

I've played my fair share of 2D platformers, trust me, and I can confidently say that this game is really tightly designed. You'll realize this if you go for the five heart pieces each level offers you to find. They’re placed in such a way that if you’re familiar with platformers, you just know where to look. I think I only had to repeat one level because I really get this dev and the experience they’ve crafted.

You’ll also notice small details, like shortcuts that lead backwards. At first, you might wonder why they're there, but later on, if you miss one of the pieces, you'll appreciate them. The dev understood that backtracking can be tedious, so they provided these shortcuts for those moments when you miss something.

And that's just one little detail among many that this game has going for it in terms of level design. Another highlight is the combat. It’s basically like playing Brawl's Subspace Emissary, but with a clear vision and actual level design wrapped around it. Globule controls like a typical Smash character, with wavedashing and parry/counter mechanics included.

It takes some time to get used to her moveset, as smash attacks have a decent amount of startup, and her air options (besides a side special) lack an attack that'll let you turn arround when facing forward. Once you jump in one direction, you're committed to that direction, which can cause problems if you're not aware of it and adjust accordingly.

But overall, the combat is just fun. Imagine playing any of the DKC games for the SNES, but with DK and Diddy using their Smash movesets. That’s exactly what this game is going for. Is it technically necessary? No. But does it make the game infinitely more fun, letting you pull off moves or spam attacks while running around? Absolutely!

Combine this with a cute story, a whimsical world, fantastic art direction, and an absolute banger of a soundtrack. I really appreciate a developer who understands how important music is for a game. And just like everything else, this dev gets it.

Occasionally, the soundtrack gets a little too melancholic for me, but that’s really nitpicking. The game has some incredible bangers in certain stages and boss battles. Let me put it this way: you can tell the game was made by a French developer when it comes to the artistic vision and music. I'll leave it at that.

Just give it a listen [modalmodule.bandcamp.com]

All in all, the game strikes an incredible balance between artistic vision, really fun gameplay, and tightly designed levels. I was already convinced when I tried the demo during one of the NEXTFESTs, but I always had that lingering fear that the game might be front-loaded and that the mid or late game would be a disappointment in terms of its gameplay. That never happened. This is an incredible game, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.