I enjoyed it, but it’s a really hard to beat, I wasn’t able to, even after playing for quite some time. The very first problem was figuring out the UI, the systems, the DNA, energy, etc. There is no easing-in at all, you are presented with the entire game and are left to figure it out, which I find ok, but I feel you should not have all mutations from the very beginning of the game, you should have to beat a few rounds and unlock them one by one, to allow a smoother controlled progression and allow the player to learn each mutation and game systems instead of having to read through them all in one go. Mutation should be greyed out when no mutations are possible, just to avoid wasting time setting things up and discover you don’t have any DNA points. I’ve also found some mutations to be redundant or uninteresting. I’ve also been disappointed by the flying unit healing mutation, it does not heal enough to make any noticeable difference during the battle. I’ve struggled to understand systems and UI because it’s a little all over the place, may be there is just too much info at once so it makes it hard to figure out. The cap system for example. Overall I feel it could be quite a good game with a more staggered introduction of each system, and much easier AI at the beginning. I hope that helps :-)
thanks so much for playing, and for such a careful writeup! really glad you still enjoyed it even when you couldn't find a win.
you're right about the opening: throwing the whole game at you at once, every mutation included, is a lot to read through before anything has clicked. unlocking mutations over the first few rounds, and walking systems in one at a time, is going on the list. same for making the early ai easier, so the first games are actually there to learn with.
the grey-out when you don't have dna points is a really good catch too, no reason to let someone set up a mutation just to find out they can't afford it. i'll also look at the redundant ones, and at the flying heal especially, since a mutation you can't feel in the fight isn't doing its job. the cap wording and the crowded ui are already on the fix list from other players as well.
i'm playing the corrupted ascent now and will come back with notes. thanks again, this helps a lot!
just finished a session of the corrupted ascent — the quality here is genuinely outstanding, not hype.
the art is basically flawless. the enemy death effects genuinely shocked me, and the backgrounds did too; i love this atmosphere so much. the sound hit even harder: the impact effects and the music are incredible, they actually got a reaction out of me. and that industrial / cyber look was a real little surprise. this whole game feels excellent, and there's a lot i'd love to learn from it.
a few notes from my side, as someone who doesn't play this kind of game much:
i got lost pretty easily, especially at forks in the path, and i sometimes wandered into dead ends.
not sure if this is on me, but if i hold a/d during a jump, there seems to be a short hitch when i land, like the character sticks for a moment. it breaks the flow a little.
the game itself is already excellent. if the menus got a bit of a polish pass, and the play button was more prominent, it would be easier for people to jump in faster.
thanks for the swap, and for the careful notes on dna evolution too. this was a joy to play.