53 replies to this topic

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Stronger/Swindle]

Genre: Metroidvania

Released in 2016 to the PureZC Quest Database.

Designed by Evan20000

 

 

Description:

 

A short Metroidvania by Evan20000 released to the PureZC Quest Database in 2016. This quest can be considered a challenge quest for you masochists out there with difficulties often considered to rival Evan's other quest Isle of Rebirth. While this quest is said to be a Metroidvania, I feel it personally gives a more Dark Souls vibe than your typical Metroidvanias. Since I am a Dark Souls fan, this works just fine for me. 

 

The story follows the journal of Sasic, a shade who along with his brother and sister has been adopted by a man named Olsov. Shades are beings who were originally Solots (similar to Hylians or just normal people I would assume). Shades are Solots who have been corrupted by miasma. Though they are corrupted, they retain their very peaceful personality. However, they have the power to heal in the dark, but they also carry the weakness of being completely vulnerable when exposed to sunlight. Since sunlight is threatening to the Shades, it is important for them to keep the world in perpetual darkness at all times. 

 

As the threat of sunlight returns to the land, Sasic must discover what is causing the clouds to begin to part before the shades are all forced to remain living underground for the rest of time.

 

Much like Isle of Rebirth. This quest is notoriously known for its difficulty and bosses, especially on the Swindle difficulty. However, I'm not exactly sure how the word swindle defines as a "difficulty level", but whatever. Of course, being the masochist that I am, I will be playing this game on Swindle of course. Because what on earth did I ever do to deserve the pain? I don't even know.

 

 

Stream & LP Information:

 

I just recently started streaming this quest. So there are plenty of streams to go. So you'll be just in time to catch the majority of this stream if you tune in to my weekend streams now. That is unless this quest is shorter than I think it is, but I doubt it. I will announce all streams on my main topic page. Of course, all Lets Plays will be shared here. 

 

 

----------

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (01 - Nightwood Grove part 1)

(Duration 28:45)

 

"You found [Thing]! You don't really need it but it's now glued to your inventory." - Moosh64 @ 25:27

 

Long ago, a race called the solots and the great spirits of the world lived in complete harmony. However, one day a dark miasma erupted from the earth and brought fort darkness in the skies. 

 

The miasma corrupted the land and killed off most of the solots. Those that did survive ended up becoming shades. These shades became beings of darkness, though fortunately retaining their original personalities. 

 

The shades became content at living out their lives as they became until one day light started peering through the clouds. Most of the shades burnt up in the sunlight. Those who survived escaped and hidden inside caves until eventually the sunlight ceased. The clouds grew thick once again. 

 

Decades later, the clouds are once again showing weakness which is now an obvious threat to the shades. A small family of shades lead by a man named Olsov aims to find a cause to this phenomenon. Olsov is certain that these fluctuations could be related to the sun spirit.

 

With his oldest son falling ill, Olsov tasks his younger adopted son Sasic on a quest to get into the Sun Tower. As Sasic begins his journey, he recieves encouraging words from his sister, Saiya. 

 

Before speaking to Olsov, Sasic finds a weapon and challenges his brother, Gaius to a friendly duel before his adventure. After defeating Gaius in his sickened but still powerful state. He is commended by Gaius and their sister for his improved abilities in strength and performance. Sasic is rewarded the Quake Tablet which Gaius instructed Saiya to give Sasic if he's ever able to defeat Gaius in a duel. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 13 January 2017 - 07:39 AM.

[Soma C.]

Awesome that you're playing this one haha.  I am in the process of playing it myself, am currently a good chunk of the way (I think) through, and it's amazing so far.  Playing on Swindle too, of course, and plan to give Evan another well-deserved review when I'm done!  Wanted little to no insight on the quest before I played so it would be completely fresh to me, and of course, it is as surprising as I thought it would be lol.

[TheLegend_njf]

I like it. This quest has given me some ideas of how I may want to redesign Souls of Wisdom 2 if I ever return to it. 

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 12 July 2016 - 10:46 AM.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (02 - Nightwood Grove part 2)

(Duration 32:35)

 

"I need to make a sidequest like that and when you finish it, it says "you feel very blessed"." - Moosh64 @ 2:23

 

"NJF doesn't like frogs. This'll surely be funny" - Moosh64 @ 5:05

 

"Oh! Olsov!! My adopted father is... Is rather... Strange looking!!... Really?! I'm adopted by this guy?!" - NJF @ 7:07

 

"Amazing Adventures of Forehead: Featuring Frog" - LejesR @ 23:48

 

Sasic continues exploring around Nightwood Grove searching for his father Olsov. Sasic appears enthusiastic to help his father opened the sealed door to the Sun Tower. He explains that 4 Sun Tower keys is needed to open the tower. Fortunately one has already been open by Sasic's brother before he fell ill. Sasic is now sent on a quest by his father to find the remaining 3 keys. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 31 July 2016 - 09:10 AM.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (03 - Miasma Keep part 1)

(Duration 25:33)

 

Moosh64: TOADally (11:42)

LejesR: Too late, Moosh, you missed your punchance. (12:00)

LejesR: and it's never coming back (12:04)

 

Sasic discovers and explores Miasma Keep. This heavily guarded place appears to a fortified tower designed to either hold, keep back, or respect the miasma that created the Shades in the first place. This keep while surrounded and protected by Shades seems infested with monsters. Sasic explores what appears to be the mostly abandoned keep to find that what his dad seeks. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (04 - Chilled Caves part 1)

(Duration 23:52)

 

"Jubbz hands out for blood" - LejesR @ 2:24

 

After some exploration, Sasic discovers the Chilled Caves at the foot of Hillside. Inside the Chilled Caves Sasic finds one of the guardians that his father mentioned. This creature proves himself to be a serious obstacle for Sasic to defeat. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 31 July 2016 - 09:10 AM.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (05 - Chilled Caves part 2)

(Duration 37:05)

 

"See those rocks? Ha! They're falling!" - NJF @ 13:28

 

arceusplayer11: Watching youfail again again again (14:01)

arceusplayer11: This is entertainment (14:08)

 

"Umbral Cloud really is the Dark Souls of ZC." - LejesR @ 30:25

 

"WAH!! What can you do?!?! Haha! Ha!.. You play good and then you get sloppy gettin' overconfident and then you just play bad and then you get.. and then you just lose your overconfidence and then you cry... you cry and you die, you die and then you cry... It's uh... It's it's it's the pattern of defeat... " -  NJF @ 32:01

 

Sasic continues to battle Kholdstare who proves to be a relentless challenge. However, after much trial and effort, Sasic becomes victorious against the frozen creature. Defeating Kholdstare earn's Sasic his first key which he decides to return to his father.

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (06 - Exploring the World)

(Duration 32:37)

 

Sasic reports that he's collected the first key to his father Oslov who rewards him his hammer to help him in his quest. Sasic continues his adventure only to blindly explore the world in search of a place to go. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image. 

Evan20000 for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (07 - Hillside)

(Duration 28:29)

 

LejesR: Don't look down on Patra. (5:32)

LejesR: It has the map. (5:35)

 

"stuck in Patra's crawlspace" - LejesR @ 11:50

 

"This quest is going to give NJF minor PTSD over jumpy enemies, at this rate." - Rondorix @ 25:56

 

"I see your laugh and I raise another laugh!!" - NJF @ 28:16

 

Sasic returns to the frozen region of Hillside with his new hammer to discover new terrain. This brings him into confrontation with a Patra, and later Kotake inside the chilled caves. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (Miasma Keep part 2)

(Duration 21:04)

 

"Skeleton is in cahoots with Ball and Chain Man." - LejesR @ 10:15

 

Sasic returns to Lava Flow which takes him to the back entrance of Miasma Keep. This return to Miasma Keep offers Sasic some new interesting puzzles to complete before he's able to explore the true depths of Lavaflow.

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Stronger] (09 - Lavaflow part 1)

(Duration 36:39)

 

""I'm guessing that fire burns me"" - LejesR @ 4:29

 

"Well, look on the bright side: at least this boss doesn't summon slimes" - LejesR @ 6:03

 

"I agree. It must be the mushroom" - Evan20000 @ 16:55

 

"I KNEW THAT PILLAR WOULD GET SOMEONE" - Evan20000 @ 21:45

 

"The real question is why don't your frogs explode?" - Evan20000 @ 29:12

 

Sasic ventures into one of the most dangerous regions for a shade. A fiery region partly basked in sunlight. Nearly everything here is a potential danger for Sasic. Yet after fighting two fire witches, he manages to reach the other side. But he must travel elsewhere to get the crystal orb. Sasic heads east to the Sandy Wastes and finds a hermit there. The hermit reveals that Sasic's quest to awaken Horizon would surely cause all the clouds to part and end the life of the shades. This makes Sasic feel very conflicted and presents a need to confront and speak to Olsov about the nature of his plans.

 

The hermit gives Sasic the orb he was looking for. Sasic returns to Lavaflow with the orb and uses it to open the gate to the next guardian. This guardian, the Trinexx turns out to be more powerful than the previous guardian. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (10 - Lavaflow part 2)

(Duration 24:56)

 

Sasic meets the next key guardian. Trinexx proves to be much tougher than Kholdstare. He proves just how confidently he will not go down despite Sasic's best efforts. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (11 - Lavaflow part 3)

(Duration 26:19)

 

"The ice head strategized you." - LejesR @ 9:57

 

LejesR: how graphic (16:15)

arceusplayer: Enemy rape is not funny (16:19)

LejesR: might have to censor that for the youtube upload (16:22)

 

Sasic finally gathers up the strength and determination needed to conquer the Trinexx once and for all, earning his 3rd key to the Sun Tower. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda Classic quest.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 15 August 2016 - 09:40 AM.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (12 - The Earth Guardian part 1)

(Duration 35:17)

 

"Now that's the power of the yellow shirt" - LejesR @ 0:11

 

"healing accomplished" - LejesR @ 10:51

 

"Careful what you wish for?" - Rondorix - 19:05

 

Sasic now has 3 keys to the sun tower! Only one key remains on his conflicted quest to awaken Horizon. Unable to find his father Olsov, Sasic strays from his quest to fight the world's guardians and contemplate his future actions. 

 

Credit:

byWizards @ deviantart.com for title image.

Evan20000 @ purezc.net for sharing his Zelda classic quest.

[TheLegend_njf]

NJF Plays Umbral Cloud [Swindle] (xx - Temporary Rage Quit)

 

After having a difficult time with the Golem boss. I decided that maybe Swindle just may be getting too difficult for a blind run. I've opted out of completing Swindle right now in favor of starting over in Stronger mode instead. 

 

I may return to Swindle in the future.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 19 August 2016 - 09:59 AM.