Pleasant but a little shallow

[Unkie]

I just tried the demo after seeing an ad for this game on Reddit.

I thought it was super cute, I love the aesthetic and the top down perspective. Very Zelda-esque while also being distinctly it's own thing.

I'm not sure the edge blur (tilt shift effect) makes much sense in this instance. It feels like it was implemented in an effort to mimic the effect from Link's Awakening (which made sense in that game as the entirety of the art direction was evoking a miniature scale model with plastic toys). In Night Stones it's just sort of trying to make things look miniature because... I'm not sure?

I found the movement and jumping very snappy and responsive in a satisfying way. I really like the simple character design of the animals inhabiting the world and their structures.

Unfortunately during my entire time with the demo I was wondering WHY there wasn't any combat. We're already whacking things with a stick and being knocked out by plant gas. I don't need combat in games (my favourites tend not to have it at all) but I couldn't really figure out WHY Night Stones doesn't have it. It would be an easy way to add interest to your open world (which feels a little uninteresting consequently without it). The only thing I can arrive at is that the developer wanted to be able to bill this as "like Zelda but without the combat". I'm not sure that is enough of a distinction from Zelda to make it worth it. I didn't feel like I was using my "whit", it felt like it was just trying to eschew violence while still using... violence.

A smaller thing: I think it would be more appropriate to have the player be able to jump at the ladder and "stick" to it and then ascend. Right now standing in front of it and hitting B felt like it breaks the conventions of the control. If we can jump and land on roofs and structures, I feel like we should be able to land midway up ladders.

Overall I enjoyed my experience, but the demo doesn't quite scratch the itch. I'll be keeping my eye on this because I feel like it has all the mechanics to be interesting, I'm just not sure I'm convinced by the demo that they'll be used to their potential.

[AdvanceNine]

Hey! Thanks so much for giving the demo a try and even more thanks for providing your feedback! No one likes the tilt shift except me so I'll be removing it in the next release. I appreciate that validation :) Regarding combat, I removed it because I wanted the game to be a chill experience with limited stress. But that doesn't mean I made the right decision and I really appreciate your inight. I'll improve the situation. Thank you so much for your help!

[Sprieltje]

For me the no combat part would be the major selling point. I hope if you do decide to add it at people's request there will be a way to avoid combat in some way perhaps ? :)

[AdvanceNine]

Thanks for voicing your opinion. I've decided not to add any combat to the game. I want the game to be chill and relaxing and so it shall be that way :) Thanks for the cool validation!

[tokyochel]

Originally posted by AdvanceNine:

Thanks for voicing your opinion. I've decided not to add any combat to the game. I want the game to be chill and relaxing and so it shall be that way :) Thanks for the cool validation!

Not who you replied to, but thank you! I don't really like combat in my games, especially if they're meant to be cozy exploration adventures. If a game does have combat, all I ask is for customizable difficulty settings at least so everyone can have the experience they prefer.

[AdvanceNine]

Originally posted by tokyochel:

Not who you replied to, but thank you! I don't really like combat in my games, especially if they're meant to be cozy exploration adventures. If a game does have combat, all I ask is for customizable difficulty settings at least so everyone can have the experience they prefer.

Good to know. I've decided to continue to keep combat out of Night Stones because I want the game to be a chill and relaxing adventure :) Thanks for letting me know!

[Sprieltje]

Originally posted by AdvanceNine:

Originally posted by tokyochel:

Not who you replied to, but thank you! I don't really like combat in my games, especially if they're meant to be cozy exploration adventures. If a game does have combat, all I ask is for customizable difficulty settings at least so everyone can have the experience they prefer.

Good to know. I've decided to continue to keep combat out of Night Stones because I want the game to be a chill and relaxing adventure :) Thanks for letting me know!

Thank you for making your decision :) The right one for me and many others I am sure.