Illuminascii
- August 11, 2015
- DDD Wares
Get on Steam"Illuminascii" is a first-person shooter with a unique ascii text-based visual style. In this roguelike game, players take on the role of the @ symbol and navigate through procedurally generated levels, facing off against randomly generated monsters and seeking out weapons and armor. The game features permadeath and randomized cutscenes, providing a fresh challenge in each playthrough. The aesthetics of a classic roguelike are brought to life in a modern engine.
Mac OS
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Reviews
- Illuminascii features a unique and visually appealing ASCII art style that many players find engaging.
- The game offers a mix of humor and interesting references, making it entertaining for those who appreciate its quirky design.
- Despite its flaws, some players enjoy the gameplay in short bursts and find it fun to explore the procedurally generated levels.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many levels feeling similar and the objectives often being the same.
- Controls and menu navigation are clunky, leading to frustration during gameplay, and there are significant issues with AI and enemy behavior.
- The game is criticized for being unpolished, with bugs and design choices that detract from the overall experience, making it feel incomplete.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it decent but ultimately flawed, describing it as poor and lacking smoothness, which detracts from the overall experience. The game incorporates a blend of roguelike and RPG elements, but many users feel that it becomes repetitive and boring, despite appreciating the visuals and thematic references. Overall, while it may appeal to fans of older roguelikes, the gameplay itself is often criticized for being cheap and unengaging.
“The gameplay itself is a mix of some roguelike and RPG elements (random levels and names, hunger, etc. + experience points and stat points) and FPS.”
“I recommend this game to anyone who liked older roguelikes, maybe not for the gameplay, but for the neat visuals and references.”
“Ah, but these days a game is not proper unless it has a hunger mechanic.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is quite poor, making it difficult to enjoy the good bits.”
“I like the style of the game, but it's a bit dark and hard to see, and the gameplay is a bit... cheap or flimsy.”
“The gameplay ends up being boring.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of Illuminascii are described as a unique blend of ASCII symbols and simple 3D models, evoking nostalgia for old roguelikes and classic screensavers. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and visual references, there is a desire for a more cohesive art style, with some wishing for animated ASCII sprites for enemies. Overall, the visuals are praised, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
“I love the visuals! :)”
“I recommend this game to anyone who liked older roguelikes, maybe not for the gameplay, but for the neat visuals and references.”
“Visuals are an odd combination of ASCII symbols and simple 3D models, the latter of which reminds me of that old 3D Windows maze screensaver.”
“I found myself wishing this game stuck with a single one of these art styles, or at least fully committed to using ASCII only for important objects.”
“I still would've liked it more if at least some of the enemies would have had some kind of animated sprite made with ASCII graphics.”
- music14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it lackluster and opting to disable it in favor of other soundtracks, like that of Hotline Miami. However, others appreciate the sound effects and recognize that the music may appeal to different tastes. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the music may not resonate with everyone, it has its moments of quality.
“This game brings realization, with top notch sound/music effects.”
“Maybe someone else will like the music though!”
“- good music”
“The music is kinda... blergh.”
“I usually disable the music and just set the Hotline Miami soundtrack in the background.”
“There's like, no music.”
- story10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with players noting a lack of plot development and narrative depth. Missions are repetitive and limited to a few types, set in procedurally generated environments that feel sparse and uninspired. Overall, the storytelling aspect is criticized for being non-existent, leaving players feeling disconnected from any meaningful narrative experience.
“I have yet to see any story or plot whatsoever as I continue on.”
“You wander around procedurally generated (read: poor) environments, trying to find 5 quest items so you can go to the next level and do the same thing.”
“The game is overall pretty sparse; you run about completing three different types of missions on procedurally generated levels, while leveling up your similarly randomly generated character.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in Illuminascii is a standout feature, with players appreciating its comedic texts and quirky visual style, which compensate for the game's simplicity and lack of variety. Despite its basic combat system, the game's funny elements provide an engaging experience.
“Illuminascii is a very simple and barebones game with not a ton of variety, but the humor and interesting visual look of it more than made up for that.”
“This game has a basic combat system, but it makes up for that in its comedic and funny texts.”
“Funny little tidbits.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
“It is badly optimized.”
“It is badly optimized.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its impressive visuals and immersive feel, creating a captivating environment for players. However, some criticism arises from the repetitive nature of the weapon mechanics and the simplistic AI behavior of enemies, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The game's atmosphere is fantastic; I love the way it looks and the way it feels.”
