Overbowed
- May 30, 2024
- tsuwami
Get on Steam"Overbowed" is a Game Boy-inspired adventure game where you explore a once-peaceful kingdom now overrun by dark magic. Armed with a magic bow, equipped with controller support, and filled with interconnected ruins, fluid combat, and collectible items, your mission is to fight past dangerous foes and uncover the kingdom's secrets. The game takes you through derelict cities, overgrown caverns, and flooded dungeons, shedding light on the past as you delve deeper into the dark places.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The charm mechanic is innovative and allows for creative combinations that enhance gameplay and exploration.
- The game features a charming retro aesthetic with great music and sound design, reminiscent of classic Game Boy titles.
- The progression system is rewarding, with a good balance of challenge and exploration that keeps players engaged.
- The map system is basic and lacks features like markers or fast travel, making navigation and exploration tedious at times.
- The initial difficulty spike can be frustrating, with some early bosses being disproportionately hard compared to the rest of the game.
- Players may experience confusion due to unclear progression paths and hidden areas that can lead to getting stuck for extended periods.
- music9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are widely praised for being catchy and well-suited to the game's environments, enhancing the overall atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the retro feel and express a desire for a soundtrack release, noting that the music significantly contributes to the nostalgic experience reminiscent of childhood road trips. Overall, the music is described as phenomenal, with standout tracks that elevate the gameplay.
“The music and sound design are great, with nearly every tune being catchy and fitting for its environment.”
“Excellent music and atmosphere.”
“Fun gameplay and phenomenal music.”
“I wish that there'd be a release of the soundtrack, or at least an upload of the tracks online.”
“It captures the vibe of being a kid stuck in a car during a family road trip, but it's nighttime so you angle your Game Boy's screen to the window for any kind of light while your mom puts on her Donny Osmond CD and your brother's using the only pair of headphones to listen to 'Now That's What I Call Music 4.'”
“Bosses and music are absolute bangers.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their charming Game Boy aesthetic, featuring a clean presentation and distinct color palettes for different map areas that enhance the retro feel. While the visuals effectively capture the nostalgic look of classic games, some players noted performance issues, such as input lag, likely due to the 30fps limit. Overall, the art style and soundtrack contribute to a solid metroidvania experience.
“The art style is so charming, it captures the look of a Game Boy game perfectly, and the shifting color palette gives some great variety.”
“I enjoyed the retro music and visuals.”
“The Game Boy aesthetic reminds you of the games you loved as a kid.”
“Additionally, the 30fps limit is true to the Game Boy aesthetic, and probably the engine, but possibly because of that, it has some issues with eating inputs.”
“Pretty solid Metroidvania with Game Boy-style graphics.”
“The presentation is good, simple and clean, and each area of the map has its own palette and visual effects to modify the Game Boy-type graphics.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and varied, featuring a well-designed charm mechanic that encourages exploration and creativity. As a competent metroidvania, it offers diverse biomes and solid mechanics, complemented by smooth movement and effective shooting. Overall, players find the experience enjoyable and bug-free, enhanced by phenomenal music.
“This not only keeps gameplay varied, but it also rewards creativity.”
“The charm mechanic is fun, has a tight scope while still giving you plenty of reasons to explore.”
“The core movement is pretty good and the shooting mechanic works well.”
“The game is totally competent metroidvania; it has different biomes, mechanics, a map, etc. There are zero bugs, and it feels pretty fun for a while.”
“The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The controls feel clunky and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the excellent music as a key component that enhances the overall experience.
“The music and atmosphere create an immersive experience that draws you in.”
“The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its excellent soundtrack, making every moment feel alive.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and haunting melodies sets a captivating atmosphere.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story progression is hindered by the requirement to defeat specific bosses, such as the bone/arena and lightning/ghost ship bosses, which some players found frustrating and a significant flaw in the game's design.
“I don't mind extra content being hidden behind challenges, but needing to do that multiple times (the bone/arena boss and the lightning/ghost ship boss) for main story progression, and almost nowhere else in the game, was a flaw that got me stuck for some time.”
“The story felt disjointed and lacked coherence, making it hard to stay engaged with the characters and their motivations.”
“I was disappointed by the predictable plot twists and underdeveloped characters, which made the overall narrative feel flat and unoriginal.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to excessive backtracking and poorly designed fast travel options that become available only late in the game, making exploration feel unnecessarily prolonged.
“The backtracking gets pretty tedious once you've explored most everything and are powerful enough. There are lots of shortcuts that are only one-way for some inexplicable reason, and the fast travel gates are sparse and positioned uselessly, making them inaccessible until you're almost done with the game.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, with repetitive tasks that offer little reward and make the gameplay feel stagnant.”
“The amount of time spent grinding for resources is excessive, leading to burnout and diminishing the enjoyment of the game.”
