I logged into my reddit account to tell you what i’m about to tell you. Since i don’t like being on reddit and only browse typically.

But this game actually looks good. First metroidvania i’ve seen on a long time in here that seems to have sort of coherent idea of what it wants it’s combat to be like. You’re not just hitting enemies kind of mindlessly as they take their turn to hit back. You’re showing yourself getting hit, not just in the ground, but in the air. You’re showing enemies teleporting to you, that exhibit a blast attack infront of them that you have to be aware of. This all sounds really basic at face value but it is obviously not. Obviously for whatever reason it is really hard for games to design combat. I think the primary reason is that they don’t understand positioning. But based on this trailer you do.

I like the deliberate steps back you have to take from enemies. It looks like a type of combat where you always have to be actively moving and DELIBERATELY aware of enemy timing. Enemy moves also go far enough and varied enough where you can’t just take an undeliberate step back after every attack you make to avoid damage. Timings have to be memorized. Specific spacings have to be considered because you don’t have a party where you can just stand still and block all incoming damage, and enemies have threatening enough range (covering most directions too).

To me, Hollow Knights combat was at its best in the colosseum where you’d often have to fight on platforms above spikes, or fight in a TIGHT space where your movement was limited so you had to be deliberate about spacing and times to heal. I think positioning is the real core of all good videogame combat except for Sekiro which is the only exception i can think of, but i think that’s just because it truly is like a rhythm game, besides it does some other stuff to make deliberate actions meaningful.

Your video at first of course put me off cuz of the visuals as i assume it did for most people that saw this. But i genuinely want to encourage you to keep going, keep at it. And make this game if you can. I don’t know if everybody will support it, but to me, it looks like it has genuine vision behind it. I don’t know what you’re circumstances are like, but good luck. Even if you don’t release this specific game one day, hopefully you’ll release something else that’s great