Nightmare: The Lunatic
- March 31, 2024
- Maetdol Games
Get on Steam"Nightmare: The Lunatic" traps you in an endless dream world filled with powerful monsters. With the help of a dream merchant, find a way out by exploring and collecting useful items. Use various weapons and master their attacks to defeat enemies and progress through the ever-changing dreamscape. Dying is just a minor setback, as you'll reawaken to try again.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique weapon swapping mechanic that encourages diverse playstyles and strategies, enhancing replayability.
- Combat is fluid and satisfying, with a well-implemented parry system that adds depth to the gameplay.
- The pixel art graphics are beautiful, and the game offers a variety of weapons, upgrades, and challenging boss fights that keep players engaged.
- The lack of a 'keep attacking while holding the button down' option can lead to discomfort during gameplay, making it feel poorly designed for some players.
- Some players find the difficulty spike in boss fights to be frustrating, with bosses having high HP and attack patterns that can feel overwhelming.
- The game can feel grindy at times, especially in the early stages where weapon options and upgrades are limited, which may deter some players.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging weapon-swapping system, and clear tutorials that make it accessible despite initial complexity. Players appreciate the blend of challenge and fun, likening it to titles like Dead Cells and DMC, though some express concerns about the incentive to utilize certain mechanics, such as parrying and weapon switching. Overall, the game offers a satisfying roguelike experience with varied enemy designs and enjoyable boss encounters.
“The gameplay is great, even if it looks daunting at first with the mechanics; it explains everything very clearly and provides a fair challenge.”
“It's a very fun roguelike that I got since pre-1.0.0 and got very far into the game. I was one of the first to beat the current hardest difficulty of Nightmare IX and got noticed by the devs in their Discord server. 10/10 would recommend; the gameplay fits well together and is easy to learn.”
“Despite being early access, what's here is exceptionally well-done: movement and combat mechanics are smooth and satisfying, enemy design is varied and balances challenge levels appropriately, and the overall presentation and surrounding mechanics are all competent.”
“The weapon swap mechanic is strange.”
“For a game whose mechanic is around swapping weapons, they make it very hard to incentivize me to actually swap weapons when any other weapon puts me in danger by being melee, takes longer to get out of attack animations, grants no extra mobility or guarding, and staggers less frequently.”
“Gameplay: well... think Dead Cells meets DMC. The weapon system is fun (and hard to master), a good combination if you ask me. My only issue is the enemies overlapping, and you get hit off that often.”
- music6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered inconsistent and fails to energize players, though it does align with specific biomes, such as the desert level. While some tracks, like those for the intro and boss battles, are appreciated, overall feedback suggests that the music lacks cohesion and polish. Sound effects, however, receive positive remarks for their satisfying quality.
“The music for the intro and boss was good, but could still use a little more polish.”
“The music also isn't great, but it tends to fit the biome (e.g. the desert level has the stereotypical 'eastern' music you'd expect).”
“The music is just okay.”
“I found the music in the first forest world to not quite fit the feel of the game.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful pixel art and varied aesthetics across different zones and bosses, providing a strong contrast between biomes. Overall, the visuals complement the gameplay well, enhancing the experience despite some minor control issues.
“Graphically, it sports beautiful pixel art.”
“The aesthetics of each zone and boss vary greatly, adding good contrast between biomes.”
“Love the gameplay and graphics.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered decent, with some users noting that it continues beyond the main ending, adding depth to the narrative. Overall, it offers an engaging experience reminiscent of MapleStory.
“If that wasn't enough, there is story past the ending.”
“The story is decent too.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is considered highly replayable due to its numerous weapons and upgrades, offering significant replay value with each playthrough.
“Highly replayable.”
“There is a lot of replay value since there are many weapons and upgrades to find on a run.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, particularly in the late game where bosses have high health and limited opportunities for counterattacks, making encounters feel tedious.
“The only negative I had for this game is that I found the late game bosses to be a bit too tedious, with extraordinarily high HP and too few gaps in their attack patterns to actually do damage.”
“It's a bit grindy (because it's a roguelite).”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Nightmare is praised for its unique style, effectively blending elements from games like Skul and Dead Cells while establishing its own distinct ambiance.
“Nightmare is a great game, incorporating some of the best elements of Skul and Dead Cells while still retaining its own unique style and atmosphere.”
