Hatchwell

I don't recommend because the controls are janky and awkward. If it weren't for the controls being like that I would recommend this game. Also there is stuttering with full screen so I had to play in window. Not a fun game to play because of the controls.

good

A little nice game :)

Ah, so this is becoming a very popular genre. It's kind of a hodgepodge, with throwbacks to Stardew Valley and other such games. I feel the mystery going on in this RPG has a non-obvious answer, but one worth pursuing. Also, I love a game that has a wit that reflects its developer, and there's something about the wit in Hatchwell that is subtle and smart. I do recommend paying attention to the dialogue and story because there are important clues in there. But with the taste I had of this title, I think it has something to offer that's broader than what's encompassed by a modest impression. Overall summary: something mysterious and cozy is going on in Hatchwell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ryplKvl1I

Very cute game!

Cute pixel Zelda-like game. Puzzles in the caves makes you think and bosses - learn their behavior first. A very well made game with a lot of charm.

A short but sweet Zelda-like that does enough of it's own thing to stay fresh. The story is pretty good, the dungeons are mostly great, and the boss fights are really fun. Especially the final boss fight. There are even side quests that change some minor things. My biggest complaint is that you don't really get rewarded for doing any exploration until the very end, because a lot of things will be locked behind all different dungeon items. The entire game taking place in and around a single small village kind of makes it reasonable though. There's also a few softlocks and crashes in the game. But the dungeons are small enough that it doesn't really matter if you have to replay 15 minutes here or there. Definitely a recommend from me, go play it if you enjoy top down adventure games. 8/10

If you are shopping for a cute fluffy Zelda Link to the Past clone.....you found it here. But it isn't perfect....not even close. The game fails to explain a lot from the beginning. I have money to buy goods now, and have no idea what anything does. The controls are confusing to get in and out of the menu since you have start for a restart/quit menu, and then R bumber for menu where you will find inventory and settings. Settings...really? Then to save you have to go into the R bumper menu than hit L bumper. It is so poorly planned you will sit there just trying to remember what menu to go to and how to navigate them. The pet aspect is a cute...gimmick. In the end my pet feels more on a liability than useful. In fact in the first dungeon I shed no tears when it was out of health. Aggressive style should be renamed to suicidal. If you are going to have an AI partner...give it some brains. I've seen chairs that are smarter than my pet. But the biggest problem is that nothing is really explained. Have fun figuring out how to beat the first boss on your own. Actually let me put it into perspective: currently only a little over 50% of people have the achievement for beating the first boss (50.3% to be exact). In other words....you and a friend buy this game, and then look at each other. One of the two of you will not even bother to pass the first dungeon. The sad part is that this could have been good if it had tutorials and a better partner AI...but it doesn't. I guess it didn't hatch too well...afterall.

[h1]A [i]Zelda[/i] homage with an [i]Earthbound[/i] feel...[/h1] Although [i]Hatchwell[/i] is clearly an attempt to replicate the top-down feel of the older [i]Legend of Zelda[/i] titles, the characters, dialogue, music and story (graphics, too) all feel like they took something from [i]Earthbound[/i] as well. It isn't as good as any of the titles from which it derives, [i]Hatchwell[/i] is a fun romp in a very contained world that only barely outstays its welcome. The world is large, but constrained in ways that feel unfortunately artificial. There is a path early in the game that literally tells you that it is beyond where you can go in the game. In this respect, [i]Hatchwell[/i] makes you explore vertically into dungeons and caverns instead of expanding horizontally, making the town of Hatchwell your playground. Much of the world is gatekept by items in the familiar Zelda formula, and for the most part the items do fit with the game's theme. Exploring is also like opening up the worn pages of a beloved children's book, bombing cavern entrances and (once you are able) swimming to find new paths to treasure only previously visible but just out of reach. This is a indie love-letter to the games we enjoyed in the 90s. There are a few flaws that merit mentioning. Controls are a bit janky in that spikes and other deadly obstacles seem to have a hit box far too advantageous toward the game. You will lose more hearts to falling or getting pushed by spikes than you will the enemies. The dodge doesn't seem to have any iframes, which is fine in general but against some boss attacks feels unfair when trying to avoid numerous projectiles. These are minor issues in the grand scheme of things. My other complaint revolves around the story and length. I think the first 3/4ths of the game have a clear pattern and direction, but the last quarter is uninspired. I wondered if they ran out of ideas and ended up rushing to wrap things up. The story isn't anything to write home about in terms of complexity; it is about what you would expect (not that it needs to be) but it could use some polish as I felt like there were elements not explained. Characters don't really get any sort of closure and the story ends abruptly. There is no endgame content; you will start back before defeating the final boss on your save. The final couple of bosses are also sort of wishy-washy. Compared to earlier bosses in the game, the level of difficulty is minimal and the strategies simpler than what you needed against foes you faced when you were muddling through the midgame. I also was ready for the game to be done as it seemed like the last boss or two were there only to artificially extend the length of the game rather than for meaningful plot purposes. The biggest complaint? Menu navigation is atrocious. You don't have the ability to remap controls, and not all of the gamepad controls are used. Silly button sequences to get to the save menu are inexcusable (I can't just press start > save?!?). The UI never remembers your fullscreen selection, so the game always starts minimized which is irritating on my 4k display. Why in 2023 are these types of issues still common? I know the indie label can cover a multitude of sins, but this is the easy stuff that should be resolved without a second thought. In spite of these flaws, [i]Hatchwell[/i] does a good job at being a 90's Zelda-lite. You could do a whole lot worse at this price point. I would be interested in playing a sequel or something similar from this developer.