So, I like DeAmina.
I liked the demo, putting about 2.5 hours in it, and I like the launched game.
I recorded much of my progress in DeAnima, enjoying it, as well as offering some observations and thoughts.
Please take a look if you prefer a more audio / visual format.[/b]
https://youtu.be/Sr4EYSy5IxQ
DeAnima is an Indie, RPG Roguelike, First Person Dungeon Crawler; think old school Rogue, but in first person.
DeAnima is a far more approachable take on Rogue.
Interested?
[h1]Interesting Things To Find:[/h1]
Due to the Procedural Generation of the dungeon lvls, you never know exactly what you will find, adding exploration focused excitement to each run, which is something I find glaringly lacking in games where the layout is always the same.
In DeAnima, you will never know exactly what is around each corner, or lurking in each room, adding to the excitement and anticipation so vital to dungeon crawling.
The absence of the dungeon crawling from many so-called “Dungeon Crawlers” is downright disheartening: I am glad to report that is not the case here!
Secret treasure rooms?
Present!
Pits of doom = in!
Watch your step!
I have yet to encounter any illusionary walls, but that does not mean they are not present…
I also found some weird stuff, which is good, as it is usually the weird ones who choose to live in a dungeon in the first place!
I found a ghost light that when snuffed out, whispered a word to me; mysterious!
I found a demon that wanted me to make a deal; no thank you evil!
There was a fey who identifies a few items for you; handy.
You can also explore, with your stomach!
You can seemingly eat many of your fallen foes.
I once ate a spider, followed by a “Boris” (a foul monster of the dark), and I died of food poisoning!
Immersive and believable!
Fun!
[h1]Goodies:[/h1]
Like Rogue, there are many powerful items to find here.
They start unidentified, adding to the mystery and excitement.
Think scrolls of vorpal blade, or Monster Massacre
Potions of long lasting, improved invisibility (does not break after attacking)
Think wands of polymorph, or calm monster, letting you run right past.
Magical rings of power, like the very handy ring of Slow Digestion, that makes food last much longer.
Plus, the expected piles of magic armors and armor.
In short, there are a lot of powerful, interesting items to find in the dungeons of DeAnima: this is good.
Controller Support is present, and good, as is good old Mouse and Keyboard, in case you want to play a first person Dungeon Crawler the classic way.
While I did enjoy my time with DeAnima, I did find some areas where it could be even better.
Please let me know if any of this is off-base, but I find directness works best here.
I will try and keep this organized.
[b]Tech / UI Suggestions:[/b]
[h1]1: Rebindable Controls Planned?[/h1]
These are an expected feature in a launched product on Steam, so it is never a good sign when a game launches and they are not present.
Also, an ability to view the controls off options is another feature I would encourage you to add, as having to press “?” is very non-standard to most games on Steam.
Rebindable controls are badly needed here, especially due to some of the very non-standard control scheme.
Space = inventory?
E = search, not interact?
I will say that the controls feel fine when you get used to them, but space is usually jump, used for running leaps, which could be a very nice feature here, given both the first person perspective, and the presence of traps and pits, so I’d strongly recommend allowing rebinding, to make room for the expected running leap.
[h1]2: “Esc” Does not Close the Map?[/h1]
It is seemingly a small thing, but when the players is often consulting the map trying to find the downstair, not having it instantly close when “Esc” is hit again rapidly gets unpleasant.
Allowing “Esc” to serve as the expected universal cancel button, as it currently does with the options, discoveries tab and inventory screen, would be a very player friendly improvement here.
[h1]3: Want to Resize Message Text.[/h1]
The text is a bit too large, especially when the messages get too long, starting to encroach onto the center of the screen.
Maybe if the message got too long, like for example, getting about as far as the “Apprentice” message on the bottom of the screen, then the message log text should start another little line below the last.
That would likely make the message log readouts seem much less overpowering and crowding the screen.
[h1]4: The Map Needs a Legend.[/h1]
Maybe a little box on the side, this reminds players which are doors, chests, downstairs, handy things like that, as it can be very unclear, especially if a player has taken a break from the game.
[h1]5: Movement is Too Slow[/h1]
On the fastest setting in options, yet I feel I have to just have to hold down Lshift to move at a decent pace.
Any chance of allowing the in-game fast forward command to be a toggle?
It would really help here.
[h1]6: Arrows Fire Too Slowly[/h1]
Even on the fastest setting in options, I found myself hesitating to use it, on account of just how slow it is to fire.
About 2 seconds after hitting RMB to fire until the projectile launches.
Makes me just want to ignore it and stick to melee.
[h1]7: Base Attack is Too Slow[/h1]
Not as painfully slow as the arrows, thankfully, but still, on the fastest setting in options, it feels too slow.
While playing, I find I have to hold down LShift when attacking to make it feel snappy.
[u]A toggle or check for faster attacking, arrows and movement would feel much better here.[/u]
[b]Gameplay Suggestions:[/b]
[h1]8: Crawlers Can’t Open Chests?[/h1]
It seems like such a brutal punishment, as it prevents them from perhaps finding a scroll or potion to undo the curse.
Worse, it actively encourages the player to end the run after polymorphed, which is not very interesting.
I tried to keep going as a crawler, killing and consuming 2 monsters, but not seemingly getting any experience, and having to pass up chest, after chest, after chest, just got to me, and then new monster plummeted off the edge into the great unknown.
Maybe after enough kills, and enough new protein, the player’s mind can resurface, enabling them to remember how to open chests, and understand the concept of an inventory.
Perhaps learn how to shape pockets of flesh into baggies, or even grow some of their own?
After all, some monsters have gold on them, so maybe some of their old life was coming back.
That would at least allow a recovery state to the polymorph, which otherwise, just seems an extended death.
Perhaps monsters can even grow physically, with long claws / articulated hooves / tendrils / tentacles able to manipulate and rip open chests, perhaps even wield wands and weapons.
That would allow wand and weapon drops off perhaps surprising monsters, as well as perhaps a surprise monster variants deeper in the dungeons.
It might also help explain certain merchants...
Anyway, my suggestions aside, I did enjoy my time with DeAnima.
DeAnima is an Indie, RPG Roguelike, First Person Dungeon Crawler; think old school Rogue, but in first person.
DeAnima offers a far more approachable take on Rogue, and is easily well worth a look.
