DEVIATOR
- August 1, 2024
- Gami Studio
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"DEVIATOR is a single-player Action game with wonderful gameplay and perfect graphics. Precise timing is key in the core combat mechanic of deflecting enemy attacks. Mastering this skill builds momentum, leading to a powerful enhanced state for your character. The game features a fantastical world with vivid 2D hand-drawn artistry, from lush forests to shadowy cities, leaving a deep impression."
Reviews
- The game features engaging combat mechanics, particularly the parry system, which adds depth and strategy to encounters.
- Visually stunning with beautiful graphics and art style, reminiscent of Hollow Knight but with its own unique flair.
- Offers a challenging experience with tough bosses and intricate level design, making it a rewarding game for fans of the metroidvania genre.
- The game suffers from input lag and unresponsive controls, particularly during critical moments in combat, which can lead to frustration.
- Many elements feel overly similar to Hollow Knight, leading to accusations of being a clone rather than a unique title.
- As an early access game, it has several bugs and performance issues, including long loading times and occasional crashes.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily focused on a parry mechanic, which many players find engaging but also inconsistent, leading to frustrations during combat. While the game draws aesthetic and mechanical inspiration from titles like Hollow Knight, it struggles with some clunky mechanics and lacks polish, particularly in movement and boss encounters. Overall, players appreciate the potential and unique elements of the gameplay, but many feel it requires further refinement to reach its full potential.
“The mechanics in the game are also awesome; the ability to parry is a fantastic choice: it's easy to time the parry, but hard to predict when the enemy will attack.”
“I enjoy this game not just for its affordability, but primarily due to its bounce mechanics and gameplay, which, while sharing a similar aesthetic with Hollow Knight, still incorporates distinctive elements.”
“The combat mechanics that I've unlocked so far are fun; the charms and abilities are, too.”
“Grabbing a ledge mechanic seems clunky; it should be faster or there should be no mechanic at all (considering there is wall hopping).”
“It's clear to all of us this is based mostly on Hollow Knight, and this game lags a lot; it crashed on the first 2 seconds of gameplay.”
“It's not interesting to follow, and the start of the game does not build up gradually in mechanics and severity, thus destroying any desire to keep playing and seeing how it will evolve (if it evolves at all).”
- graphics26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting a strong resemblance to the art style of Hollow Knight. While some critics argue that the game borrows heavily from Hollow Knight's aesthetics, others appreciate its unique elements and execution, highlighting the overall visual appeal as a significant strength. Despite the comparisons, the game's graphics are described as stunning and well-integrated into the gameplay experience.
“The artwork is amazing.”
“Visually, it's stunning - clean, detailed graphics enhance the overall playing experience.”
“Very promising hollow knight-like game with beautiful graphics and parry mechanics.”
“I think any Hollow Knight fan will love this game, as long as you're okay with it being a pretty blatant copycat, especially in terms of art style.”
“I've already heard the many complaints about the eastern devs using an art style that is very similar to Hollow Knight.”
“Graphics: Hollow Knight's homework friend.”
- music15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its chill and relaxing quality, effectively complementing the visuals and enhancing the atmosphere. However, there are notable performance issues, such as soundtracks occasionally stopping or not syncing properly during boss fights, which detracts from the overall experience. While some users appreciate the originality of the soundtrack, others feel it falls short compared to similar titles like Hollow Knight.
“The soundtrack is chill.”
“Artwork and music and everything else is awesome!”
“The original soundtrack is very nice, having such relaxing music while fighting is insane.”
“Some performance issues: soundtracks sometimes just stop working.”
“The game crashes at the menu about 3 seconds after the music kicks in.”
“The music needs work; on one of the bosses, the music didn't even start until a couple of seconds into the fight, and on another boss, the background music for the area didn't stop playing and just had an overlay on the boss music.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking in depth and coherence. Some describe it as a bland and cryptic narrative with classic tropes but little emotional engagement or explanation of the character's motivations. Overall, while there are hints of a mysterious world, the storytelling feels underdeveloped and often an afterthought.
“So far I love the story, gameplay, the art and look of everything. The only thing I didn't like was my own fault for not checking that I was buying an incomplete game. It needs to be finished up, smoothed around the edges, and have quality of life upgrades added in. Once all that happens, it'll be a top-tier game.”
“All of the classic tropes are there, all wrapped neatly in a mysterious story set in a foreign world.”
“By the rough estimates, early access offers around 30-35% of the main story, featuring 4 locations, 4 main boss fights, and 2 optional ones.”
“The story is just... another bland cryptic anime nonsense with no explanation whatsoever.”
“I wish it demonstrated why our character needs to do what they need to do or why they went on a quest to begin with, how they got to the location at the start of the game etc. just show us why we should care about our character in general.”
“Whatever's happening with the story seems like an afterthought, but I don't really care.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often overshadowing the lack of plot and engaging exploration. Many express that the grinding can feel overwhelming, suggesting it requires a significant time investment to progress.
“It took me about 4.5 hours to get through the early access, and then the rest of the time was spent grinding for resources or whatever it's called.”
“Combine this with no plot (right now), the exploration didn't feel much fun due to being very labyrinthine and with little to no powers, making the 2 hours I played very tedious.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, users note that while there are some performance issues, such as occasional soundtrack interruptions, they anticipate that these will be addressed and optimized by the time of the game's official release.
“Performance got fixed.”
“But probably this will get optimized when the game actually releases.”
“Some performance issues: soundtracks sometimes just stop working.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal issues, though some have noted occasional bugs and glitches that are expected to be addressed in future patches.
“There are occasional bugs and glitches, but I hope they will get patched soon.”
“I haven't personally experienced any bugs, glitches, or crashes.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the game's controls, particularly regarding the responsiveness of movement keys after certain actions, which detracts from the overall emotional experience and immersion.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by a melancholic classical tune that permeates the game, effectively contributing to its overall emotional depth and ambiance.
“There is a sort of melancholic classical tune that runs through everything—really helps develop the atmosphere.”
“The lighting and sound design create an immersive experience that pulls you into the world.”
“Every corner of the environment feels alive, filled with details that enhance the overall mood.”
