Finding Xavier
- January 20, 2023
- GoldenEvolution
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Finding Xavier" is a feline-themed platformer where you search for a missing cat named Xavier in a sprawling outdoor environment. Gather beans to unlock abilities that help you reach new areas and uncover the mystery of Xavier's disappearance. Keep in mind that the game is relatively brief, particularly if you're skilled in platforming.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features fun platforming mechanics and a charming visual style, making it enjoyable for a short playtime.
- Players appreciated the variety of abilities and the semi-puzzle nature of the gameplay, allowing for multiple solutions to obstacles.
- The game is considered a good value for its low price, providing a decent challenge and entertainment for around 30-40 minutes.
- The ability-switching mechanic is seen as tedious and can lead to frustration, especially when needing to toggle between powers frequently.
- Movement controls can feel unresponsive at times, particularly with wall jumps and climbing mechanics, leading to inconsistent gameplay experiences.
- The music is repetitive and lacks variety, which can detract from the overall experience during longer play sessions.
- gameplay34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its short, engaging pixel platforming experience with unique mechanics that allow for multiple solutions to challenges. While the controls are generally fluid and intuitive, some players found certain mechanics, like wall jumps and hitbox sizes, to be frustrating and less forgiving. Overall, the game offers a fun and original experience, reminiscent of titles like Celeste, though it may require some patience due to its occasional awkwardness and difficulty spikes.
“A game for your buck, this is a short and sweet pixel platformer with fun mechanics.”
“I'm gonna give it a thumbs up because of the originality of it, only being able to use 3 mechanics at a time so having to select which one you want/need, allowing multiple ways to solve some rooms.”
“Very fluid controls with a smooth and chill gameplay.”
“Equipping abilities got tedious and got in the way of the gameplay.”
“Especially climbing walls felt awkward as it was mechanically completely different from Celeste.”
“But I would say the most infuriating part of the game is how nonintuitive the wall jump mechanic feels.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant but repetitive, with many players noting that it becomes redundant after about 30 minutes of gameplay. While some appreciate the subtle changes in the music based on the environment, others find it lacks catchiness and variety, leading to a less engaging experience overall. Additionally, the game's control scheme has been criticized for limiting input options, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The music is fine, nothing catchy but nothing annoying.”
“First playthrough took me around 30 minutes, I liked all the abilities and how you had to think about how to use them and who to use; music was good, art was good, overall gameplay was good.”
“Music is nice but repetitive, and the background art is nice.”
“The music gets a bit redundant after 30 minutes.”
“I do wish you could also control with the d-pad and not just analogue and that there was more than one very short music track on repeat.”
“Also, the music kinda sucks and the game only supports the joystick when using a gamepad, and precision platformers are a huge pain to play with a stick.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their beauty and effectiveness, drawing inspiration from titles like Celeste, which enhances the overall aesthetic appeal. However, some users noted minor bugs, such as visual inconsistencies when switching power-ups, and found the menu for managing these powers to be unintuitive. Overall, while the graphics contribute positively to the game's feel, they are somewhat overshadowed by gameplay frustrations.
“Short and sweet, lovely graphics and lovely feel.”
“Overall pretty with nice graphics and a nice little backstory.”
“A lot of inspiration from Celeste in terms of art style and mechanics, but that's not a bad thing; Celeste was a great platformer too.”
“While the graphics and platforming have solid basics, the game is entirely ruined by one of the worst ideas I've ever seen in a platformer: you have to switch constantly between a set of powers using a tedious menu.”
“The menu at the top shows a graphic for increasing or decreasing checkpoints, not intuitive enough.”
“Sometimes when you disable one power-up, the visuals for the next one don't show, so you'll have to move to another power-up and then back to the earlier (a minor bug, nothing too bad).”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as lacking depth and content, with players expressing a desire for more narrative exposition and additional levels to enhance engagement. While the graphics and backstory are appreciated, the overall experience feels insufficient for the price, leading to suggestions for a more robust story mode and improved replayability. Players also noted that the final level was particularly frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the narrative.
“Overall pretty with nice graphics and a nice little backstory.”
“The game has a nice little backstory that adds depth to the overall experience.”
“While I had fun for half an hour, I don't feel like it's a game worth the money in terms of content. While I do support the dream of wanting to make a living using game development, you have to consider that the moment you charge a single dime, people are going to become critical in terms of reviewing. I'd appreciate more to do, like singular challenge rooms that force the player to reach a goal using a specific loadout, or splitting the game into two modes: a 'story mode' with more exposition and a time attack mode where you can see the amount of time you're spending alongside the leaderboard idea. It's best to either give more to play or have more weight to replayability.”
“Just needs about 100 more levels, more story, fix the movement issues and you've got a solid competitor to Celeste here.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players initially find the grinding aspect enjoyable, but it quickly becomes tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome process of constantly switching between abilities through a frustrating menu. This mechanic detracts from the overall gameplay experience, overshadowing the solid graphics and platforming elements.
“It was generally fun during the first half, but it kind of became tedious during the second.”
“Equipping abilities got tedious and got in the way of the gameplay.”
“While the graphics and platforming have solid basics, the game is entirely ruined by one of the worst ideas I've ever seen in a platformer: you have to switch constantly between a set of powers using a tedious menu.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers express that the game's replayability is lacking, with many feeling that the content does not justify its price. Suggestions for improvement include adding more gameplay modes, such as challenge rooms or a story mode, to enhance replay value and provide players with more engaging content. Overall, without significant additions, the game may not hold players' interest for long.
“The game offers a variety of challenges that encourage players to return and try different strategies, enhancing its replayability.”
“With multiple modes and difficulty levels, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making it hard to put down.”
“The dynamic environments and random events ensure that no two runs are the same, providing endless replay value.”
“While I had fun for half an hour, I don't feel like it's a game worth the money in terms of content. I would appreciate more to do, like singular challenge rooms that force the player to reach a goal using a specific loadout, or splitting the game into two modes: a 'story mode' without a final time and more exposition, and a time attack mode where you can actively see the amount of time you're spending alongside a leaderboard. It's best to either give more to play or enhance the replayability.”
“The game lacks depth and variety, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs. After the initial experience, I found little incentive to return, which is disappointing for a game that charges for content.”
“Once you complete the game, there’s not much left to draw you back in. The lack of different modes or challenges really limits its replayability, leaving it feeling more like a one-time experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with multiple users highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. The comedic elements contribute significantly to the enjoyment of the platforming gameplay.
“Very funny platformer.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some minor bugs in the movement controls, but overall, it reflects a significant amount of effort from the developers, especially considering its low price point of just one dollar.
“Some of the movement controls are slightly buggy, but it's a game with a lot of effort put in, and it's only a dollar.”
