Recent reviews by Sworly

Fun game, lot of replayability, just needs some extra time in the oven (which it's getting).

From an early point on, it's clear that this game did not get the much-needed care and curation that comes with run-and-guns. I've wanted, for years, to have this be more than just a Cuphead clone, but...after having spent some time with it, it's clear that this wasn't meant to be more than a cash grab.

Pros:
- Music is fun, so far
- Controls don't feel too terrible, at least movement wise
- Art looks good in most places so far

Cons:
- Awful spell-changing controls (at least for gamepad controls)
- Missing/broken opening animation (at least for Steam Deck; might be a device-specific issue)
- Broken gamepad controls pages (How to Play); changing controls also seems to be having issues
- No invincibility frames; if user takes damage, there's no limit to how much is taken continuously, which is extremely frustrating and, depending on enemies on screen, is an immediate game over
- Lengthy level structure, with a punishing return-to-start mechanic. I get it, it's a run-and-gun, it's surprising enough that you even get something of a sort of "checkpoint", but this still feels like it could be better fleshed out
- The enemy element weakness mechanic is...awful. You're expected, on the fly, to change what spell you have equipped, CONSTANTLY, and with multiple enemies on screen at a time, this can be frustrating

This needed more time in the oven for sure, and while there's clear passion behind the project (especially with it actually being followed through after the public tarring and feathering from people years back), I hope the developer is aware that, in its current state, this isn't a feasible experience to stomach for $20, or even $5. It is in severe need of some serious polish.

I want to preface this by saying I absolutely bought into the hype pre-release based on visual uniqueness and, obviously, that Giger style that is unmatched and seldom used these days.

Unfortunately, the experience you get vastly differs from what was presented as seemingly an atmospheric shooter/FPS, and instead you’re provided with one of the most frustrating and punishing games I’ve played in a long time.

As some have mentioned, this game is first and foremost a puzzle exploration game at heart. That’s great and all, but in a game like this that utilizes a persistent style for the map and environment, it’s extraordinarily easy to not only get lost, but to stay lost. Someone said it’s “Goth Myst”, and honestly it’s not too far off. I didn’t expect handholding, but when you hawk players into the experience with absolutely no concept on how to proceed, it’s not a great start right off the bat.

The most egregious thing (aside from paying $40 for a 6-8 hour game with no replayability)? It’s combat, hands down. The game is indescribably finicky with ammo, with health, and has no problem lodging you in an awkward space with “bullet”-sponging enemies. A fundamental rule of game design is to not put a secondary emphasis on game mechanics that aren’t the inherent factor to a game, and this is a prime example of that. Reloading (and “healing”) is god-awfully slow, and when you’re faced with an enemy that turtles damage, the initial “gun” you get is nearly useless. There’s no melee weapon, minus your…piston thing that works like Ocarina of Time’s Hookshot, if it shot only a foot in front of you.

Needless to say, I’m not happy with much of what the game has to offer, but I will say that the visuals are neat, even if the graphical quality isn’t far from Xbox 360-era graphics, even when cranked up to maximum. Overall, this needed a bit more in the oven, even after an 8-year development period.

I would've recommended this game, had I not played Super Bernie World after this one; the level designs are exactly the same, and while Kitsune Zero has four additional "Bonus Worlds" that differentiate from those found in Super Bernie World, these really only differ in the sense of difficulty (difficulty being "platform is slightly farther than the other platforms", and half of the time they're leaps of faith). Voice acting in the game is fun, and characters are cute, but sadly this is not enough to warrant a price tag on something that's been reskinned and rethemed from the prior title from this developer.

Absolutely fun little puzzle game, high replayability. Bosses are unique, found myself having to rethink my strategy for Boss 2 a few times. Overall a fantastic purchase.

Truly an amazing game; I find myself consistently reminded why I fell in love with it in the first place, years and years back.

The time spent in this game, while currently minimal, has been time well spent. Definitively the "graveyard simulator", this game burdens the player with macabre conclusions, from finding loved ones lost from disease, fire, and some having perished before their own lives came to be. A few NPC's haunt this graveyard, some more disconcerting than others, some instilling wisdom onto the protagonist, but all a very neat addition to this title. Definitely worth every cent, if you're looking for perturbing experience this Halloween.

Truly one of the best games I've had the luxury of playing.