And All Would Cry Beware!
- June 24, 2019
- Tales of the Renegade Sector
- 2h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"And All Would Cry Beware!" is an old-school first-person shooter with Metroidvania elements. Players, pursued by a ruthless gang, stumble upon a portal to a dangerous, otherworldly forest filled with caves and acid lakes. To uncover the fate of a previous expedition, players must traverse this connected world, facing challenges that require gained abilities and upgrades.
Mac OS
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a short but enjoyable experience, making it perfect for players with limited time.
- The music and visuals are praised for their retro aesthetic and engaging atmosphere.
- The gameplay features fun gun mechanics and exploration elements, reminiscent of classic FPS and Metroidvania titles.
- The game is extremely short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
- There are significant issues with navigation and level design, including a lack of a map and confusing layouts that can lead to getting lost.
- The combat and enemy variety are criticized for being simplistic and unchallenging, with many players feeling that the game lacks depth.
- story37 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mix of engaging sci-fi elements conveyed primarily through text logs and brief cutscenes, with some players appreciating its homage to classic 50s and 60s science fiction. While the narrative has potential and is described as charming and interesting, many reviewers noted that it suffers from excessive exposition and a lack of memorable plot points, leading to a somewhat bland experience. Overall, the story adds a layer of intrigue but is not the main draw of the game, allowing players to focus on gameplay if they choose to skip it.
“The story is quite fun, and very much an homage to classic science fiction of the 50s and 60s.”
“The story, although conveyed almost exclusively through text, is amazingly interesting, personal, and charming.”
“Running, jumping, and shooting your way through the rather large map basically seduced me into not stopping until the game was beat, and the story kept me engaged.”
“The story had potential but then nothing really happens; there is not a single plot point in it.”
“The enemies aren't memorable, and the story is totally bland.”
“An incredibly short metroidvania with a bland story, uninspired weapons (with the exception of one), and save points which don't seem to understand the concept of 'saving' progress.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic blend of 90s first-person shooter mechanics and early 00s indie elements, featuring solid gunplay, exploration, and metroidvania-style progression. While the mechanics are enjoyable and the atmosphere is charming, some players note a lack of variety in enemy patterns and a desire for more polish and depth. Overall, the game offers a fun, albeit brief, experience that balances classic gameplay with intriguing lore and secrets.
“The story, graphics, and gameplay are all lovingly crafted and presented with retro flourish.”
“Lovely game, really fun circle strafing gameplay combined with many cool weapons, with each feeling like they have a place.”
“A fascinating story, fun classic gameplay, and those satisfying classic secrets.”
“While having a good atmosphere (not great) and a solid mechanical base of guns, enemies, and metroidvania elements, this title is missing a few things.”
“Also, the game does lack variety in gameplay, with its bosses having extremely similar attack patterns (except for the acid serpent! that one was fun.) This last point is a little bit more subjective and pointless, but I also felt that the game deserved a little more polish than it got, with a little bit better writing in the story logs, a little bit more work with the sound, and a little bit more work put into the settings menu, but this doesn't really detract too much from the game.”
“Not very compelling, but I think that's also a symptom of the meaningless gameplay.”
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its catchy, retro-inspired soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some noted that the music can become repetitive, it is often described as a highlight of the game, featuring distinct themes for different areas and a seamless transition during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its stylistic flair and ability to evoke nostalgia, despite a few criticisms regarding memorability.
“Anything that recalls early era PSX titles (i.e. King's Field) makes me extremely happy, and this one nails it perfectly, complete with cheesy synth and sample soundtrack.”
“The music tracks change seamlessly as you enter new environments and react to enemy encounters.”
“Oozes with stylistic flair, catchy music, and some clever and competent level design.”
“Calling your game a metroidvania and full pricing it just 7 bucks less than Hollow Knight is ballsy when your game is an hour long. The only metroidvania elements are that different doors need different guns to open, there are 3 enemies, the music sucks, and it's just a tiresome pretentious experience.”
“Whilst it can get repetitive with textures and music, it still doesn't annoy due to the fun gunplay.”
“The music also has this artfully-crafted-but-not-by-a-pro vibe that I loved as well.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro aesthetic reminiscent of 64-bit visuals, which some players appreciate as part of its charm, while others find it lacking compared to modern standards. The unique art style, featuring geometric designs and vibrant colors, has been praised for its creativity and alignment with the game's themes, although some elements, like the map design, have drawn mixed reactions. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's presentation, enhancing the storytelling and gameplay experience.
“The story, graphics, and gameplay are all lovingly crafted and presented with retro flourish.”
“The story genuinely left me wanting to know more, and the vibrant aesthetic is absolutely fantastic!”
“Graphics are very much from the 64-bit age.”
“I am not a big fan of the rest of the aesthetics either: the map looks almost like it's from Minecraft. I guess it's trying to look like a 90s shooter or a PS game, but it didn't have that feeling for me.”
“An interesting game that delivers a somewhat retro feel with its aesthetics.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as dreamlike and hypnagogic, effectively evoking a unique blend of influences reminiscent of Coleridge's poetry. While the ambiance is generally well-received, some reviewers feel that the storytelling approach detracts from the experience, suggesting that the atmospheric potential could be better realized with less reliance on lengthy text logs. Overall, the atmosphere is considered good, contributing to the game's distinct identity within the FPS and metroidvania genres.
“Really good atmosphere and to be honest I don't think there is anything like this game out there, a unique mix of Doom meets Metroidvania.”
“It does, however, desperately need a lesson in show not tell; endless, lengthy, front-loaded text logs do not befit an abstract FPS like this whatsoever, and while no one is playing this for the story, the hypnagogic atmosphere screams for something better than what we're given.”
“While having a good atmosphere (not great) and a solid mechanical base of guns, enemies, and Metroidvania elements, this title is missing a few things.”
“The dreamlike atmosphere is very appropriate, given the references to the poem 'Kubla Khan; or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, detracting from the overall experience.
“This is not fun; this is tedious.”
“The grinding feels endless and lacks any real reward.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, and it's just boring.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional stability, with users reporting no glitches and a smooth experience throughout, allowing them to fully enjoy all its features without any issues.
“I will give this game a gold star for being a 100% complete game with all the features a game should have. I ran into no glitches and was able to complete it and get everything the game had to offer me without too much issue.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with some players finding it enjoyable during their initial playthrough but lacking incentives to return afterward.
