• The Eevee Expo Game Jam #10 has concluded, congratulations to all participants! Now it's time for the judges to play through the games, and you can play along to vote who deserves the community choice spotlight.
    You can check out the submitted games here!
    Play through the games and provide some feedback to the devs while you're at it!
  • Hi, Guest!
    Some images might be missing as we move away from using embedded images, sorry for the mess!
    From now on, you'll be required to use a third party to host images. You can learn how to add images here, and if your thread is missing images you can request them here.
    Do not use Discord to host any images you post, these links expire quickly!

Released Pokémon: Ghosts of Knowledge

This project has a release available. The full version is still a work in progress.
Project Status
Work in Progress
Project Version
1.8.3
This game was made for the Relic Castle Game Jam # 6

FNVE2Qg.png

FiY38PK.png


-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Seasonal explorers Dust and Zee spelunk their way to the bottom of the sea, expecting to find all sorts of relics and treasures of aquatic nature. However, they instead stumble upon a world that has already ended...

Join them in their whimsical and hopefully non-explosive journey through the streets of a former paradise
by collecting treasures and uncovering the secrets behind its remains!

Who knows what happened down there?


-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

TEAM

rankoruru - Story, Eventing, Spriting, Writing, Dialogue, etc.

HollowGap - Puzzle Master, Scripting, Bugtesting

Mikecakes/mustafa - Spriting, Mapping, Bugtesting

Droid779 - Spriting

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

SCREENSHOTS
zg3XvfJ.gif
9OMBCEC.gif
tHU5K1i.gif

UuZ6D3c.gif
srn0oO8.gif
WnJBFOf.gif

FEATURES

A Different Engine!

- This game runs on the french Pokémon Essentials alternative PSDK which boasts a variety of differences in performance, layout, and form. It also allows me to do unique events! A special thanks to the entire PSDK team for helping me get this product out and pointing out how everything works. This was not possible without Nuri Yuri and Rey, who helped me the most with PSDK engine related things by fixing crashes, bugs, and scripts.

The Journey!

- Featuring Dust and her lovely Porygon-Z, they'll traverse their way through the labyrinth in search of gold and knowledge in Generation 4 Graphics with Pokémon available up to Generation 8! The story begins with them entering the ruins through an underwater cave, but the region ends up becoming much more complicated to comprehend over as they go on...
- Lots of strange and impossible events are taking place in this submerged region... How did this all happen, anyway?
- Pokémon that appear in this game are a bit different, some of which are Regional variants unique to the labyrinth! There are tons of balance changes and quality of life fixes that change how some Pokémon are used. Change log here, but beware spoilers:
All special evolutions of Pokemon in this game have been changed, and experience gain is boosted across the board.
The full details of each MODIFIED evolution in the game is listed below.

ALL POKEMON hold a Heal Powder, Energyroot, or Revival Herb when they're caught at a 50% chance and hold a Nugget at a 5% chance.

Porygon Zee learns a variety of new Attacks and Status moves, has balanced Attack and Special Attack and better bulk.
Pancham evolves at level 28 now
Mawile learns Steel moves at earlier levels and learns Spirit Break. Always has Intimidate
Dottler evolves at level 28 and learns a variety of status moves, and also has higher Sp.Atk stat.
Farfetch'd learns Brave Bird earlier and has stat boosts across the board
Staravia evolves at level 30 now
Azumarill learns Superpower earlier
Shellos evolves at level 25 and learns useful moves earlier
Fomantis evolves at level 24 and learns useful moves earlier
Lurantis always gets Solar Power or Cloryphyll and learns a variety of strong moves. Also learns most TMs found in the game.
Sneasel evolves by leveling up while holding Razor Claw and learns Ice Shard, Ice Punch, and Icicle Crash by level
Gligar evolves by leveling up while holding Razor Fang
Ferroseed evolves at level 29
Ferrothorn learns Steel moves and Power Whip earlier
Breloom learns Spore earlier, but still late and other useful moves
Flaafy learns Thunder Wave by level and learns Thunderbolt instead of Discharge, as well as other moves
Nidorino/Nidorina learn Toxic instead of Toxic Spikes
Nidoking/Nidoqueen learns Earth Power at level 33
Darumaka evolves at level 27 and learns its good moves earlier
Darmanitan learns useful moves earlier
Golett evolves at level 28 and learns useful moves earlier
Golurk learns useful moves earlier
Aipom learns useful moves earlier (Double Hit at level 30)
Honedge evolves at level 30
Machop evolves at level 25
Noibat evolves at level 32 and learns useful moves earlier
Noivern learns useful moves earlier
Machoke evolves at level 35 and learns useful moves earlier
Stunky evolves at level 28 and learns Poison Jab by TM
Shuckle gives a lotta XP and holds Nugget at a very high chance
Ponyta evolves at level 30 and moveset is adjusted to take in account earlier evolve
Rapidash learns Fire Blast earlier
Magmar evolves by holding Magmarizer and leveling up
Corsola has stat buffs across the board
Clamperl evolves holding Deepseatooth/Scale and leveling, also holds Nugget at a high chance
Gorebyss and Huntail learn useful moves earlier
Mareanie evolves at level 30 and learns useful moves earlier
Toxapex learn useful moves earlier
Tynamo evolves at level 25
Eelektrik learns useful moves earlier
Chinchou learns useful moves earlier
Frillish evolves at level 30, moveset adjusted to account for earlier evolve
Bosses have their base stats adjusted to fit the progression of the game.
- In addition, Experience Points are boosted to reduce grinding, and every Pokémon in this game has a 50% chance to drop a unique item, and a 5% chance to drop a Nugget. I wonder what they're used for in the underground...
- There are currently two endings to the game, and three unique zones to play through, with a run time of roughly 3-5 hours!
Treasures!

- There are special items known as Treasures littered throughout the region. Collecting them places them as a little trophy at the main campsite!
- Treasures aren't just for show, however. Someone might give you something nice for collecting a ton of treasures...
Challenges!

- At each zone, a very powerful foe will appear. Defeating them not only gives you the ability to move on, but choose exactly which area to unlock first...
Note: (The right door is a bit more difficult as of this Jam release)
- There are more than battles to overcome however... There are places around the region that test your mind rather than your strength!
Secrets!

- Look around each and every part of the region to find rooms that lead into each other, Pokémon to befriend, and items to collect...
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

READ ME
I hope you all enjoy playing this game as much as I did making it. I worked 40 straight days and nights in the middle of exams and I'm really happy with how a lot of it came out.

Lemme know if something breaks!!



Please keep in mind we were working on a deadline, and therefore a lot of bugs are probably present.

In addition, the battle system for PSDK is extreme work in progress. Everything is functional, but we need to know where the issues are to improve the engine. There is also no possible way I can animate 800 moves in one month, so the animations are just a liiiittle janky. Thank you for considering.


Anyway, were you expecting something self-deprecating?

Yeah, like this is easily my best project yet by a landslide. It even has two endings, but one of them is extremely rushed. I will fix it really soon! Working on this game was a lot of fun, and I will miss Dust and Zee in the coming future. The entire game has a beginning, middle, and end. Despite the content cuts, this is a full experience for once and I'm so happy I got to this point.


That being said, I'm not perfect. I always want to get better. Please report and bugs here, Twitter (@rankoDev) or discord on Relic Castle.


IF YOU PLAYED IT PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT AND ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE!

Content Cut from the game include:

True forms of Fossil Pokémon
The Map system being fully fledged out
More branching paths in the 2nd and 3rd zones
A 4th zone
The True Ending

Will these features come? Maybe... Depends on reception to the original.

POST SPOTLIGHT THOUGHTS

I hope this isn't too campy or stuck-up. I really wanted to say something on this end. I legitimately didn't think this game would get this popular, especially against so many high-profile developers and so many beautiful games created for the Jam (I played every single one of them). I, uh, had a lot of conflicting thoughts on this project, so to the many many people that voted on this game as their top 3 favorites, thank you so much. I've been around the scene for a decent amount of time, but always have been scared to release a project. I have lots of scrapped projects. It feels weird knowing people thought about and remembered my game (otherwise, they wouldn't have voted for it).

thatbbsdfnk yousf ;-;

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

RESOURCE PACK

Includes custom graphics that I edited or made for the game. Not needed to play.
Resource Pack 1.0

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

DOWNLOAD v 1.8.2!
Project Knowledge 1.8 (Old Version)

Mediafire Download: Version 1.8
  • Fixed up terrain and tileset bugs
  • Fixed game breaking issues with Nuggets
  • The last few Treasures now show up in the Motherbase
  • The reset button in one of the puzzles should now work
  • Added a disclaimer to allow your own Keybindings (for all you people used to Essentials)
  • Fixed up late game dialogue and events so it looks less rushed
  • Scyther can now properly evolve.
  • Added more preventative measures for the FollowMe bug (it is still not perfect however)
  • Fixed an oversight where Azumarill was not a Fairy type.
  • Animations have been updated.
  • Balanced the Speed stat of certain bosses to complement players speedrunning the game. You can play around them going second with good 'mon choices, and if you were training, you were outspeeding them anyway.
  • Fixed a few loading issues.
  • Last round of late game clean-up.
  • Balance changes, which include better TMs to combat enemies.
  • New cmd.bat in the folder allows you to change the screen size. Accompanied by instructions.txt
- FOLLOWING BUG IS DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Adjusted Zee's moveset to have Psybeam in slot 1 by default. This allows you to use Conversion without having to set it up yourself.
    • Tentative fix for lagzone
    • Fixed more broken moves
    • Removes X Items from the game as they crash the game if someone decides to throw them on not the lead pokemon
    • Adjusted Zee's moveset at later levels (because he's easy to grind)
    • Adjusted other movesets
    • Fixed typos
    • Fixed level curve of some Pokemon

Project Knowledge 1.8.3 (Complete) - Latest - In Birth - Under

Mediafire Download: Version 1.8.3



    • Added a QoL change that allows you to use Teleport from the Zee's Projection in the Key Items pocket. (Big change)
    • New PC mechanics! You can use the mouse to mass release Pokémon in the PC UI
    • New Learn Move UI!
    • Minor balance changes.
    • Fixed game breaking bug when in a prolonged battle


KNOWN ISSUES

PSDK is an incredible alternative to Essentials, but the battle system is very experimental. If you see something off, tell me and I will report it. They need feedback to improve it!

- There is a pervasive bug with the FollowMe feature that randomly has events follow you when they're not supposed to. Simply exit and reenter a room to fix it. This bug ONLY happens if you save the game before entering specific maps.UPDATE: FIXED in 1.7! LEMME KNOW IF IT HAPPENS STILL.
- Stuff you guys haven't run into yet and I won't know about unless they get reported :)

CREDITS

PSDK Team

Pixel Art Ocean Background - KnoblePersona -
Caves - Flurmimon's Tileset
Logs, and other misc items - Rekman's Game Jam Resource
Dark Ruins/Forest Dungeon/Water Dungeon Tileset - Phyromatical, Kyle-Dove, Magiscarf
Statue of Pokemon - Neffertity
Tents - RBRNNova
Water Auotile - Clara-WaH
Platinum Style Water Tile - Rayquaza-dot
Dante house tileset - Moebius/giova90, Womanizer, >dante</SteveN
Edgy Character's Room Interior - Princess Phoenix
Post office interior - Princess Phoenix
Excello's House Interior - Princess Phoenix
Pokeball Factory Tileset - Princess Phoenix
PMD Soundeffect 204 - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team
Underwater Tiles - Hel-el-grande
Nintendo + Gamefreak - Underwater tiles
Character Sound effects - Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Puzzle Sound effects - Golden Sun
Orbeetle and Dottler sprites- KingOfThe-X-Roads, leParagon. Smogon Gen 8 Sprite Project
Pokemon Infinity tilesets - AtomicReactor, Pokemon Infinity
Gardevoir PMD Sprite - ripped by EternalLight
Gyarados PMD Sprite - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Hartmann's Youkai Girl Arrange + A Tiny Tiny Clever Commander Arrange - Hatogoya Spring
Battle Pike Arrange - Zame on Youtube
Battle and Boss theme - I am Setsuna
Futile Hollow, and yet, the Future - RD Sounds/Diao Ze Yong
Night Falls Gently - RD Sounds/Diao Ze Yong
Dusk Flight - RD Sounds/ Diao Ze Yong
Delta Gardevoir Alernate Sprite - TheOSC on Pokemon Insurgence Forums
Sun Stone Overworld - PurpleAladdin
Aekashic's Static Battlers Librarium - Erebus
Living With Determination - Mix Persona 3
Eastern Dream Acoustic Demo and Normal - Demetori

PSDK CREDITS
  • SFML : Backend of LiteRGSS
  • Game Freak, CREATURES INC. et The Pokémon Company : Pokémon Universe
  • Microsoft : Visual Code
  • FIRELIGHT TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD. : FMOD lowlevel API
  • PokeAPI and its contributor : Data input for newer versions
  • Nuri Yuri : Creator of PSDK
  • Aerun : Active Contributor (DB & Moves)
  • Rey : Active Contributor (UI Programming)
  • Speed / SirMalo : UI Designer
  • Leikt : Old Contributor (Various System like PathFinding)
  • Jayzon : Gen6 Battle Entry Graphics
  • LiteRGSS Contributors : Scorbutics, nthoang-apcs, SuperFola, Nuri Yuri
  • PSDK Wiki Contributors : Jaizu, Rey, yyyyj, buttjuice, SMB64, Nuri Yuri, Bugfix, Akiyra, Guizmo, Metaiko, Mud', ralandel, Zenos
  • DataBase Contributors : AEliso, Aerun, Avori, Bentoxx, dragon935, Eurons, joeyw, RebelIce, Nuri Yuri, PokeAPI, Pαlвσlѕку, Walven, Tokeur, Redder, Schneitizel, Mauduss
  • Translation Contributors : SoloReprise, Pumone, Midarlarsupl, Frogginikus, SMB64, yyyyj, Rey, SirMalo, Aerun, Helio, Gehtdich Nichtsan, PadawanMoses, Kaizer, Eduardo Dorantes, Leikt, Jaizu, Dax
  • Ruby Host Contributors : AEliso19, yyyyj, Maxoumi, Bentoxx, Splifingald, Buttjuice, Nuri Yuri
  • Other Contributors : Otaku, Fafa, Jarakaa, Shamoke, BigOrN0t, Bouzouw, Diaband.onceron, Kiros97, Likton, MrSuperluigis, oldu49, SMB64, sylvaintr, UltimaShayra & Unbreakables, Aye, Anti-NT, Solfay, Cayrac, Amras
Resource related credits


  • Gen1 to 5 Overworlds :
    MissingLukey, help-14, Kymotonian, cSc-A7X, 2and2makes5, Pokegirl4ever, Fernandojl, Silver-Skies, TyranitarDark, Getsuei-H, Kid1513, Milomilotic11, Kyt666, kdiamo11, Chocosrawlooid, Syledude, Gallanty, Gizamimi-Pichu, 2and2makes5, Zyon17, Zenos
  • Gen6 Overworlds : Princess-Phoenix, LunarDusk6
  • Gen6 Pokémon Battlers : Diegotoon20, Domino99designs, Falgaia, GeoisEvil, Juan-Amador, N-Kin, Noscium, SirAquaKip, Smogon XY Sprite Project, Zermonious, Zerudez
  • Alolan Sprites : Smogon
  • Official Pokémon X/Y Texts : Smogon, X-Act, Peterko, Kaphotics
  • Official Sun & Moon Texts : Asia81
  • Animated icons : Pikachumazzinga
  • Gen7 icons : Poképedia, Otaku
  • Pokémon Offsets : Don
  • Epic adventures Tileset :
    Alistair, Alucus, Bakura155, Bati', Blue Beedrill, BoOmxBiG, Chimcharsfireworkd, CNickC/CNC, CrimsonTakai, Cuddlesthefatcat, Dewitty, EpicDay, Fused, Gigatom, Heavy-Metal-Lover, Hek-el-grande, Kage-No-Sensei, Kizemaru_Kurunosuke, Kymotonian/Kyledove, LaPampa, LotusKing, New-titeuf, Novus, Pokemon_Diamond, PrinceLegendario, Reck, Red-Gyrados, REMY35, Saurav, SL249, Spaceemotion, Speedialga, Stefpoke, sylver1984, ThatsSoWitty, TheEnglishKiwi, Thegreatblaid, ThePokemonChronicles, TwentyOne, UltimoSpriter, Warpras, WesleyFG, Yoh, Youri (Yuri / Nagato Yuki), 07harris/Paranoid, 19dante91, 27alexmad27
  • Gen7 Pokémon Battlers :
    Amethyst, Jan, Zumi, Bazaro, Koyo, Smeargletail, Alex, Noscium, Lepagon, N-kin, fishbowlsoul90, princess-phoenix, DatLopunnyTho, Conyjams , kaji atsu , The cynical poet, LuigiPlayer, Falgaia of the Smogon S/M sprite project, Pikafan2000, Lord-Myre
  • PSP Animations
    • Metaiko (Création des animations)
    • Isomir (Animation Close Combat)
    • KLNOTHINCOMIN (Animation Aéroblast, Eco-Sphere et Fulmigraine)
  • Battle Backs : Midnitez-REMIX
  • Brick icon & ADN Berserk : Maxoumi
  • Pink Ribon Icons : yyyyj
  • Mega-Blastoise Sprites, Cap-Pikachu : Smogon / Leparagon
  • Meltan & Melmetan : WolfPP/Wolfang62 et conyjams
  • Mega-Drattak Sprites : BladeRed et Amras Anarion
  • Default Message windowskin : ralandel
  • XBOX 360 Keys : Yumekua
  • Shiny Animation : Neslug
  • Quest Book UI : Renkys
  • Option UI : Mud'
  • Trainer Card & KeyBinding UI : Eurons
  • Alpha Ruins Puzzle : FL0RENT_
Special Thanks

PSDK would never have happend without Krosk the former creator of Pokémon Script Project which introduced Nuri Yuri to Pokémon Fangame Making in 2008.






 
Last edited:

ShinyDarky26

Rookie
Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Posts
5
I haven't tried the older version of the game because I don't know if its totally different from the last version or is it just removing bugs and buff the mons.
 

ranko

The Wind and Snow Continue to Stare
Expo Team
I haven't tried the older version of the game because I don't know if its totally different from the last version or is it just removing bugs and buff the mons.
It's a very similar version. It only changes a minor change in the end-game and has older PC ui, otherwise it's mostly the same.

May I ask what operating system you run?
 

ShinyDarky26

Rookie
Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Posts
5
It's a very similar version. It only changes a minor change in the end-game and has older PC ui, otherwise it's mostly the same.

May I ask what operating system you run?
64-Bit Operating System my dude :3
 
D

Deleted member 1065

Guest
64-Bit Operating System my dude :3

Hi, this black screen issue could be different thing.
Can you tell us what's your computer components and check if you can change the display graphic processor with right click ?

For example in case you don't understand, my current system contains the following:
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 Cores, 12 Threads, 3.4GHz)
  • RAM: 32GB
  • GPU 0: Radeon RX 570 running under the official AMD driver (updated on 09/09/2020).

PSDK runs under GPU 0 since I can't choose.

It could also be interesting to check what the console says when the game boot and you have a black screen. Sometimes where there's an openGL issue, it's stated in the console.
For example, if your GPU doesn't supports shaders (that could be a driver issue) it will state that Shaders are not available.

There's also something you can do, try to copy the lib/LiteRGSS.so file from the previous working version to the new version. This way we will know if that's an issue inside the rendering engine ;)
 
D

Deleted member 1065

Guest
God, how can people legally sell computer without graphic card for 1400€ ._.

Can you try to update your intel drivers ?
 

Route113

Rookie
Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2020
Posts
1
Hello! Making an account because I just finished this game and it's honestly one of the best Pokemon fan games I have ever played. You really have some talent and I really hope you continue making games like this, or expand upon this one.

Definitely my favorite part was the ambiance you set up. The wonderful, haunting soundtrack choices combined with the beautifully arranged tilesets really go the extra mile to create the 'mysterious abandoned ruins' atmosphere. I was sucked in from the first moment, and the degree to which you just offer the freedom to explore really puts you in the shoes of these characters, who are meant to be explorers unearthing ruins. It's incredibly immersive, basically. Puts the 'role-playing' back into 'RPG'. I'm naturally a little biased because 'mysterious ancient ruin vibes' are a trope I'm addicted to, but to see it handled so well in a game made in 1 month is truly astounding. You and the team have an excellent grasp of how to create atmosphere and evoke feeling from a player using setting and music alone. That's only complimented by the well-done exploration, in which I never felt unrewarded for going my own way and checking every nook and cranny.

In regards to character, the way you wrote Dust and Zee is truly something else. Like, it's not super complex, but the beauty is that it doesn't have to be. But they're fleshed out, well-written, and have good chemistry. I can believe they're human (Pokemon) and have a very real friendship. I'm sure I don't need to express how rare this sort of writing is in Pokemon, even in (from my experience) a majority of fan games. It's not something I expect to see in anything Pokemon-related, which is maybe a problem in and of itself. Your game has made me realize that Pokemon with actual good writing can be an exponentially better experience. It adds incentive for me to continue playing because I want to see what these two will get up to or say to each other next. I'm sure that with the atmosphere you created I would have completed the game with a totally silent protagonist just exploring, but the addition of these two is what really makes this game stand out imo.

Then there's the engine, PSDK. I am in LOVE with it. The added speed and fluidity of combat is not only welcome, it is in my opinion long overdue. With Pokemon gameplay being turn-based and (usually) only using one 'mon at a time, functionally, you're only pressing a button, like, once or twice, and just watching the rest play out on screen, making 70% of combat just watching moves play out. Now that's not an inherent flaw, but a system like this suffers severely from slow scrolling, tediously long animations, etc. I have personally always found the main series games, as well as a lot of Pokemon Essentials games, to suffer from this. Your engine made me realize how much more dynamic Pokemon's combat can feel if it's placed at just the right speed, both in terms of text boxes and animation speed/length. It's a common complaint that Pokemon has a lot of needless fluff text and redundant information pop up during combat, and this engine comes the closest I've seen to fixing this. It's not so fast that I don't know what's happening, but fast enough that I can get to my next turn before getting bored, and the consequences of the action I just made feel more immediate. Moreover, the entire UI that came with PSDK felt more intuitive, for lack of a better word. Menu-hopping wasn't as much of a chore as I usually find it to be because moving through my menus felt crisp and quicker, I'm actually a fan of the way you re-arranged the Pokemon's status screens, though I'm not sure if that's inherent to PSDK or the game. In any event, I thought I'd mention that I didn't experience any issues with it, so despite it being experimental, I'd call this experiment a success in this case.

Anyway, raving over. I read what you said about this being your first completed game and that you'd consider improving this/making more depending on reception, so I thought I'd write this. A lot of the only nitpicks I have are things already described by other users, such as a bit of a rushed ending and the last 2 areas feeling a bit small, but all of that can be chalked up to the deadline and the 1 month timeframe imho which is totally understandable. Imagine what you could achieve without those constraints, if you already pulled this off! Maybe even some of that cut content...? 🤞(No pressure, you work on what makes you happy lol)

Puzzles ahoy!
 
Last edited:

Aurora

Trainer
Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Posts
62
Hey, I played your game and it was good. I played both endings. The visuals were good and the story. I think I just wanted a different ending. Instead of the monster maybe a village to live with them? I mean I finished the game and I felt it empty. I'll try vigorous city now, it seems very interesting.
 
Heyo heyo! Finished the game today, both endings and just wanted to get my thoughts down even though I streamed the game to you, so while you probably know all my thoughts, at least it is out there now!

I played this game because I played GoK 2 for the current game jam and loved it a lot, so I had to just go back and play this one. So a lot of this will also be me comparing to how things were done in GoK 2. Overall, I think GoK 2 is an improvement in everyway I can think of. The writing is better, the visuals are better, the battles and puzzles have been made to be cool new mechanics in GoK 2 while everything is still here relatively simple here. Not to say this game wasn't good, it was quite fun, but it is a testament to your effort and willingness to improve that you have worked on everything there was to work on.

I love metroidvanias, I'm a sucker for them, and while this is a pretty simple metroidvania as best, it is fun playing something that messes with the pokemon formula a bit. This isn't your typical pokemon game, it takes the pokemon systems and applies them in a new way to make a different kind of game. So A+ for innovation, I love fan games (especially jam games) that do something differently.

While the dialogue is maybe a bit padded by a line or 2 in some sections, or written a bit awkwardly, at least comparatively to GoK 2, the interactions between Dust and Zee were quite fun, made for a nice comedic duo during the game, and it paid off well for when the stakes got more serious and we got to see how the characters changed when things were at risk. Also Duskclops was a great character too, did an amazing job at well, doing his job.

I know you were saying that the puzzle house was probably one of the best mechanics in the game, but I've had some time to think about it. And yes I loved the puzzle houses, even the hardest one, but I think my favourite mechanic was the treasure hunting. Flavour text that gives some background info is one of my favourite things, right next to games filled with optional findable secrets, so this mechanic really struck a cord with me. And it probably helped that the treasure keeper was such a cutie. Kuhuhuhuhhu!

Downsides? Not much point harping on about them because I've literally seen you improve already in GoK 2, but I think the watery section overstayed its welcome a tiny bit too long. Or maybe it was that the path felt too linear/samey, some significant land marks to break it up more would've been nice. But like I said, I think you got the biom structures and layouts down pretty damn well in GoK 2, so I wouldn't worry about that. And this part isn't a complaint but godddd you really left me wanting to know more about the history of this whole placeeeeeeee, I would've loved more hints to the details of what happened. But I guess that is how you leave me wanting more :P

Fun game! Puzzles Ahoy! Kuhuhuhuhuhu!
 
Back
Top