Medusa
- November 29, 2022
- radgu8
Get on Steam"Medusa" is a classic Metroidvania-style game where you help Medusa search for the Ancient Sludge. Explore eight distinct regions, acquiring unique abilities and spells, while battling a variety of enemies in each location. With 100% completion taking at least 5 hours, this game offers a substantial adventure for players to delve into. Map example included.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fun and creative upgrade system with unique abilities, such as transforming into a snake and summoning a chariot.
- Smooth and responsive gameplay with decent level design, providing a sizeable and well-marked map to explore.
- Fair pricing for the content offered, making it a good value, especially during sales.
- Traversal can be cumbersome, requiring frequent menu navigation to switch between abilities, which can disrupt gameplay flow.
- Combat mechanics are frustrating, with poorly balanced enemy interactions and a lack of boss fights, leading to a tedious experience.
- The graphics and overall presentation feel outdated, resembling a low-quality NES game, which may detract from immersion.
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in the reviewed games varies significantly, with many titles in the "B tier" praised for their engaging narratives, while those in the "E tier" are criticized for having minimal or nonexistent storylines, often reduced to a simple premise and conclusion. Overall, the narrative depth appears to enhance the experience in higher-rated games, while a lack of story detracts from enjoyment in the lower-rated ones.
“The story is effectively nonexistent, with a single blurb about a macguffin at the start and a similarly short 'you found it' line at the end.”
“In hopes of offering a general overview without spoiling too much, the story is as spartan as the presentation.”
“Enemy behaviors are very basic (albeit sometimes annoying to deal with), and while movement and jumping feel solid with a little practice, your character's unusually tall sprite can make dodging attacks and platforming near ceilings feel awkward.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics feature a low-fi, early 8-bit pixel art style that lacks charm due to limited animation and inconsistent biome aesthetics. Reviewers noted that the visual design suffers from a lack of coherence, with enemies not fitting well within their respective environments.
“The graphics are a low-fi/early-8-bit-style pixel art that falls just on the wrong side of charming, made worse by exceptionally limited animation.”
“- Aesthetically, the biomes have no logical consistency between each other.”
“- Many of the enemies in each biome don't aesthetically fit there.”
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a commendable chiptune soundtrack that enhances the experience, complemented by well-designed, labyrinthine levels. However, the sound effects are criticized for being jarring and inconsistent, with some failing to respond to the sound slider settings.
“Highlights include an actually fairly good chiptune soundtrack and decent level design with a labyrinthine layout of branching passages.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth performance without crashes, the chariot item is frequently associated with serious glitches and softlocks that can disrupt gameplay.
“The chariot item is prone to causing serious glitches and softlocks.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its smooth and responsive mechanics, complemented by well-designed levels that enhance the overall experience.
“Smooth, responsive gameplay and good level design.”
“Smooth, responsive gameplay and good level design.”
