15 replies to this topic

[ShadowTiger]

I backed this game on Kickstarter in 2013 because I absolutely love the "Metroidvania" genre of games, and I have to say, they've been one of the more reliable groups in terms of production that I've seen.  They're delivering a beautiful, polished product within a reasonable amount of time, and have been very responsive when it comes to the community.

 

So, Chasm is a single-player platformer action-RPG, very similar to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, with procedurally generated layouts of the dungeon.  The plotline remains largely the same, as do the order that you do must of the game in terms of playing through its areas,  (Mine, Catacombs, Garden, and Castle Keep. (Maybe more?))  but the layout of each of these areas will always be different when you create a new character.  You go around exploring, finding captured villagers that will then aid you in your journey, finding puzzle items, gaining items that help you move around, (The ground sliding ability, a double jump, etc.)  and a cog that fits onto a mineshaft elevator device to let you descend further into the mines.  The game has plenty of save rooms between "groups" of rooms, and even warp rooms so you don't have to do as much walking. 

 

So I'm happy to say that their release is just around the corner!  On July 31st, this very month, we'll be able to buy it for about $20 (I think) and enjoy it.  I've been playing a backer demo that was made one or two years ago, and it plays beautifully.  They also just implemented land-canceling attack animations when you jump, just like in Symphony of the Night and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, so I'm very excited about that.  It's always been a huge part of my gameplay style.

 

Take a look at the trailer. 

Spoiler

(Direct Link)

 

 

 

[Norzan]

The trailer just mentions PS4 and PS Vita but then Steam has a page for it. Kind of confusing.

[ShadowTiger]

I'm in a Discord chat with the developer (Really nice guy. ) and they're all confirming that it's a Steam release too.

Yeah, it's the same date for everything

[Norzan]

 Great then. Game looks pretty great and i got a Metroidvania itch after playing Hollow Knight recently. Might get this on release.

Edited by Norzan, 10 July 2018 - 03:19 PM.

[ShadowTiger]

I'll be playing it religiously on the 16th when it's released to backers. I'll let you know if I feel that it's worth getting.

It probably is, but all things depend on patience, how high one's "bar" is, and one's wallet.

[NoeL]

Ah yeah, I've heard of this one. Looks cool - I'll add it to the watch list and pick it up when it's $5

[Koh]

Graphics look nice and colorful, and I love the animation and attention to detail.  I enjoy good looking and good playing metroidvanias, so I might pick this up myself.

[Alucard648]

I wish that fire-breathing frog could deal 1/4 max HP in damage to fully upgraded character.

[kurt91]

Procedurally-generated immediately makes me think of "Rogue Legacy". That game wasn't bad, but the way that the generation was set up made it feel less like a Metroid-style game where you slowly learn an overall layout, and more like you were memorizing the best method to get through individual rooms, until you were able to stumble your way through. While the game itself wasn't bad and I did play it all the way through to the end, I wasn't exactly thrilled with it.

[ShadowTiger]

Rogue Legacy didn't feel all that good to me either, I'm afraid. But luckily, after having played the demo of Chasm, I can absolutely say that it feels MUCH better than any of those other games, and much more like Symphony of the Night, and even a little bit like Hollow Knight.

[Nicholas Steel]

Interestingly, Rogue Legacy is still getting updates!

[ShadowTiger]

So I've been playing the "It may as well be the released version" Beta, helping the developer, James, look for additional bugs (And not finding a single one. ) and I do have to say that the game is rock solid so far. As an avid fan of the Metroidvania genre, I am having an absolute blast going back and forth between places, doing what I can do, seeing what upgrades I might be able to get in town after rescuing a villager, and so on.

One of the miners I rescued just gave me a shovel that lets me dig through layers of dirt, exactly like in Mario Bros 2 on the NES in those sand levels, and I have a lantern that lights up a room like in A Link to the Past where the large orb of light is centered on you in an otherwise dark room.

There are plenty of warp places creating a network of convenient access to the surface, and a fair abundance of save rooms. Bosses have been interesting and varied, and even enemies seem to have their own "personalities" as they walk around the rooms, trying to snag a hit on you.

The droprates of items seems convenient, and the XP you get seems to match your progress very well. There are multiple varieties of weapons, just like in Symphony of the Night, and I seem to have taken a liking to the Whip type weapon. It has a conveniently long hit-box and lasts for a good amount of frames to be of sufficient use, all while retaining the ability to land-cancel your attacks.

I've been very eager to get back into it ever since I began playing it. My hopes are high that this game will have a place on my "Play again every few months" list in my Steam Library.

EDIT: Not that it matters much, but you can also make your "Seed" for the layout of the entire dungeon. Naturally, I had a choice between either 80085 or 1337. I opted for the latter.

[Norzan]

Game was released yesterday and it's sitting at 62% review score on Steam.

[ShadowTiger]

Odd.  It got a 78% in PCGamer. 

 

I really enjoyed my time with it.  It was a bit short, and certainly a bit predictable, but it was solid.  It had a lot of the elements I look for in a Metroidvania.  I do wish that shops renewed their goods, and there would be a tiny bit more to buy and look at, and even sell, but things worked fine as it is.

[Norzan]

A common complaint seems to be that the combat is not very fluid, people citing noticable delays when you swing your weapon.

Edited by Norzan, 01 August 2018 - 04:50 PM.