Ira
- October 3, 2023
- ABShot
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Ira is a single-player Action game with great graphics and an outstanding soundtrack. As a young girl chosen to restore order to a world invaded by chaotic creatures, players must find the remnants of Ira using an arsenal of 166 different bows and strategic 'perks' in this character-based shooter with roguelike elements."
Reviews
- The game features beautiful sprite-based 2D graphics and a pleasant soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
- Gameplay is engaging with a variety of equipment and strategies to explore, making each run feel unique.
- The character design and boss fights are well-received, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.
- The game suffers from a severe lack of health pickups, making it difficult to recover from damage during runs.
- There is a notable absence of meta progression, which diminishes the sense of growth and accomplishment between runs.
- Several design choices, such as limited passive item slots and unclear mechanics, lead to frustration and hinder the overall enjoyment.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable, featuring a mix of engaging mechanics and enemy variety that keeps the core experience fun, particularly in boss encounters. However, some players find the gameplay loop becomes repetitive over time, and criticize the poorly designed risk and reward mechanics, such as the chaos system, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers opportunities for players to explore its mechanics, though it falls short in fully capitalizing on them.
“The gameplay was also very enjoyable as well.”
“There's a decent enemy variety with different bullet hell patterns and the bosses are also very entertaining to engage with; all this makes the core gameplay pretty fun.”
“I'm not much of a story person, but this is a bullet hell roguelite, so let me tell you about the gameplay.”
“However, as I progressed through the game, I noticed that the gameplay loop is becoming bland and repetitive.”
“The challenge pillars are probably one of the most poorly designed risk and reward mechanics I have ever seen in a game.”
“Apparently there's also a chaos mechanic that imposes debuffs on you, which range from minor to run-ending.”
- music7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for being pleasant and sweet, with standout tracks for specific areas and menus. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack complements the beautiful character design and engaging boss fights, contributing to an overall enjoyable gaming experience.
“The soundtrack is always pleasant to listen to, with the music for area 2 and the menu being my favorites among all of them.”
“The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful.”
“The art style, music, and combat are great; it also runs very smoothly.”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is perceived as lacking depth, with limited conversations and world-building opportunities that fail to enhance the narrative experience. While players appreciate the sense of progression through skill unlocking and currency spending, the overall storytelling feels underdeveloped, leaving some players indifferent to the narrative aspect. Despite this, the gameplay remains engaging, overshadowing the story for many.
“I am in love with the gameplay and interesting storytelling.”
“For example, unlocking new skills, spending the currency you have accumulated, and getting extra story tidbits give the game a sense of progression. Not only do the player's past failures in completing a run allow them to get stronger and be better prepared, but it also makes them feel that whatever they did so far wasn't for naught.”
“The more maps and biomes, the merrier! Personally, I think it would be wise to implement some kind of endless mode when the game, story, and map are fully developed.”
“Which, as I explained before, there's no reason to do it anyway. You can talk to the apostles you have unlocked there, but the conversations are limited and the devs have not used this opportunity to flesh out the world and the story.”
“Sad story.”
“I'm not much of a story person, but this is a bullet hell roguelite, so let me tell you about the gameplay.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's sprite-based 2D graphics are highly praised for their quality, featuring impressive artwork, character design, and smooth performance. Reviewers highlight the beautiful art style and well-designed emblems/icons, noting that it rivals other visually appealing titles. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.
“The sprite-based 2D graphics of the game look really good, and the design of some emblems and icons is great.”
“The art style, music, and combat are fantastic, and it also runs very smoothly.”
“On the positive side, the game has a gorgeous art style that gives even Hades a run for its money.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the reviews highlight the appealing character design and artwork, as well as the enjoyable music and engaging boss fights, they do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game. Overall, the focus seems to be more on aesthetics rather than character growth or narrative depth.
“The character design is very pretty, with sweet music and really cool boss fights.”
“I absolutely love the character design and art; it is very pretty, the music is sweet, and the bosses are really cool.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that while the game's atmosphere is engaging, the difficulty may deter some players. They propose the addition of an easier mode focused on enjoying the atmosphere, which could make the experience more accessible to a broader audience.
“The atmosphere in this game is absolutely immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged and on edge.”
“The sound design and visuals work together perfectly to create an atmosphere that is both captivating and eerie.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional tone of the early access game to be surprisingly wholesome, indicating a positive and uplifting experience that resonates well with them.
“For an early access game, this is pretty wholesome.”
