Cloak and Dasher

Quick Description: -Cloak and Dasher is a fast twitch speedrunning precision platformer gem in the rough. You will need to dash and jump your way through levels as fast as possible, likely dying hundreds of times along the way. It's not the best in the genre, but it is a solid game worthy of your time. *Update: -I completed all 5 available levels and found all of the collectible jewels. It only took about 90 minutes to complete this, so I will update and finish this review over the next 6-12 months as the devs finish up the full release. -The dev re-coded the whole game, added Hard Levels, and it's in a much better place now. I played about another 3.5 hrs and finished all of the main levels and about 80% of the hard levels. There are a ton of different medals to collect for completing the levels quickly enough or finishing levels in a specific way, such as not double jumping once in the level. I only collected about 40-50% of the medals. The dev has said that the game isn't finished, and there is more content to come. What's Good: -Mechanically solid movement, jumping, and overall feel as you come into contact w/ enemies -Very easy to learn, but high skill ceiling. Due to how fast you can move, and how you can use enemies to give you another jump and dash, the skill ceiling is really high. I like that the early levels ease you into the game before really challenging you. -Really solid mechanic of being able to use enemies to add an extra jump and dash. This is very similar to the mechanic in The Messenger. It's utilized really well here and fits the platforming sections perfectly. -Excellent value at just $5 new. This is such an easy recommendation at that price point. -Well designed interface that makes it easy to see the goals of a level, which medals you've already collected, and the online leaderboard. There are tons of different incentives for players to come back and try a level again just to edge off a few fractions of a second and collect a new medal. -The pixel art is simple but fits perfectly. I like the look of your character as well as the diversity of the different biomes that you traverse through. Could Use a Few Changes: -The coding feels a tad bit off for enemy/environment collision. Lantern Bearer had a similar issue where the spikes had a collision detection that was actually a square, meaning it was very jarring when you "hit" a spike and died. Cloak and Dasher has some similar issues, although it's not as bad here. -The camera point of view is a bit far away for a precision platformer. The platforming sequences are a bit bigger and more complex than the average platforming sequence, but there are moments that it's difficult to see exactly how much room you have until you'll hit something that will kill you. -Not as much content or variety as the big guns in the genre. The bar for the best in this genre is impossible to live up to, but it must be mentioned. I wouldn't recommend this game before playing games like Celeste, The End is Nigh, N++, etc but this is a fantastic game for those that have already finished those games. Thoughts: -I really enjoyed my short time w/ Cloak and Dasher. After I got the hang of all of the mechanics, I started to feel like a ninja as I combined my double jump w/ my dash, and used enemies to propel me forward and keep me in air for most of the section. It's really fun and rewarding as you start to improve. Some of the jewels seemed impossible on my first try, but it felt great once I was able to master the mechanics, and get them w/ ease. The dev has been very transparent about his continued efforts to make this a well rounded game that reaches lots of players. Consensus: -Solid Game (Tier 3 and makes up 35% of my reviews). I've really enjoyed my time w/ Cloak and Dasher so far, and I'm looking forward to finishing up the Hard Levels and seeing what additional content the dev adds. If you haven't played this yet, don't hesitate, $5 is an absolute steal for a gem like this!