Pronty
- November 18, 2021
- FunZone Games
- 2h median play time
"Pronty is a single-player, open-world game with an intriguing story and wholesome themes. Control Pronty and Bront, a weaponized robotic swordfish, in a unique combat system to fend off toxic waste-corrupted sea creatures. Explore the perilous underwater city of Royla, discover new abilities, and fight giant bosses in this immersive Metroidvania experience with delightful music and outstanding visuals."
Reviews
- Pronty features a unique underwater setting that enhances exploration and movement, allowing for 360-degree navigation without traditional platforming.
- The combat system is engaging and innovative, utilizing a companion character for attacks, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The game boasts beautiful artwork and well-designed boss fights, creating a visually stunning experience that is both challenging and rewarding.
- The game suffers from pacing issues, with lengthy tutorials and cutscenes that disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- Some players find the combat mechanics to be unbalanced, particularly with the stamina system that can hinder performance during boss fights.
- The English translation has inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, which can detract from the overall storytelling experience.
- story192 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Pronty" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its heartfelt themes and environmental messages, particularly regarding pollution and its impact on marine life. While the narrative is often described as straightforward and occasionally predictable, it gains depth through environmental storytelling and a rich lore that players can uncover. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, translation, and a reliance on cutscenes towards the end, which can disrupt the flow of the game. Overall, the story is engaging and emotional, resonating well with those who explore its depths.
“The world itself is so unique, with fish that have been mutated with trash, and a very interesting story that had me tear up.”
“The story is really amazing and went in directions I never expected.”
“What starts as an aquatic metroidvania delivers a pretty solid story in the end, and while I've still got a few more things to do to get the secret ending, I could definitely stop playing here and be satisfied.”
“Unfortunately, this is one of the weaker areas of the game as the voice acting isn't up to par and the story is a bit underwhelming all in all.”
“The story around the lore, though, is fairly simple: go here, do this, kill that thing, etc., and doesn't engage too much.”
“Particularly, an unfair mechanic that limits player choice without proper reason, cutscenes that often disrupt the flow of the game, level design that is claustrophobic and cramped, and storytelling that is delivered through unnecessarily long dialogue and exposition dumps.”
- gameplay100 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this metroidvania title is praised for its fluidity, unique underwater mechanics, and engaging combat, which combines elements of positioning, attacking, and dodging. While some players found the combat initially reminiscent of other games in the genre, it evolves into a satisfying experience with well-designed bosses and varied mechanics. However, the heat mechanic is often deemed irrelevant, and some players noted issues with healing animations and auto-targeting that can make certain encounters feel unbalanced.
“The gameplay is extremely fluid and gets better as you progress; your movements will improve, making the combats even more fun.”
“To say gameplay is slick would be an understatement - it flows like water, deadly and precise like a well-aimed torpedo, and is a breath of fresh air for the metroidvania genre which often incorporates tedious platforming nowadays.”
“The gameplay is very unique for the genre, and still manages to be satisfying and fun.”
“The fighting mechanic at first felt boring, as it is very similar to the first Ori game.”
“There are dodge mechanics, but they're just not up to the standard of a game that's so reliant on dodging.”
“Particularly, an unfair mechanic that limits player choice without proper reason, cut scenes that often disrupt the flow of the game, level design that is claustrophobic and cramped, and storytelling that is delivered through unnecessarily long dialogue and exposition dump.”
- graphics74 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and unique art style, featuring vibrant colors, creative enemy designs, and varied environments that enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's gorgeous underwater aesthetic, likening it to a blend of Bioshock and Aquaria, while also noting the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's charm and immersive storytelling.
“Beautiful graphics, amazing boss fights, rewarding exploration, exciting ability upgrades, secrets galore, a heartfelt story; I could go on and on, but the longer I do, the longer it will be before you start installing this gem and playing it.”
“The graphics are stunning, with good use of colors and animation. The art style is distinct and easily identifiable with creative enemy design.”
“The aesthetic of the world is gorgeous and does a good job of being varied in spite of being 100% underwater.”
“The graphics and physics are decent for the most part, but can be a bit frustrating during boss fights.”
“That said, don't go in expecting a happy cute game; it's very much a game that uses cute aesthetics to hide a depressing setting.”
“It isn't particularly striking, but it ticks all the boxes to feel like a quality product.”
- music54 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as ambient and atmospheric, effectively complementing the underwater exploration but often lacking memorable melodies. While some players appreciate the serene soundtrack during key moments, others note that it can feel sparse, with music primarily present during cutscenes and boss fights. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's mood, though it may not stand out significantly on its own.
“The music does a great job of helping to set the atmosphere of the game.”
“It's really fun, the art is absolutely amazing, the music is top-notch, and Pronty is extremely adorable!”
“The OST combined with the story and atmosphere really set the mood for the rest of the game.”
“Music is serene in the right moments but otherwise is forgettable.”
“There is little soundtrack available; only bosses seem to have a theme going, but then the major parts of the game are just underwater ambient effects.”
“Needs more intense music for the boss battles; other than that, it's a really good game.”
- emotional40 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative and heartfelt moments, with many players expressing that they cried during key story events, particularly the redemption ending. The game effectively combines a dark theme with a whimsical underwater setting, leading to a blend of hope and melancholy that resonates deeply with players. While some critiques mention pacing and repetitive elements, the overall emotional impact and beautiful art style make it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.
“Getting the redemption ending was heartwarming. I was crying, tearing up, but I loved every part of this fishy adventure!”
“This game takes a very real problem and takes it to a fantastical conclusion that is at the same time incredibly depressing and wholesomely hopeful, while also being very, very entertaining and fitting for a game like this.”
“I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried several times in the storyline.”
“This is a partial recommend, the game has interesting combat and exploration, the twin stick shooter style gameplay and underwater setting are both fun and enjoyable, but is held back by a boring story (humans pollute the sea, and that's bad m'kay) and kind of slow pacing overall, and difficulty is inconsistent especially on bosses, so if you do get it you may want to play on easy for a smoother experience.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Pronty is a striking blend of beautiful, relaxing underwater scenery and a dense, foreboding ambiance that enhances the game's dark themes. The evocative music and sound design effectively immerse players in a haunting, dystopian world filled with rich lore and disturbing elements. While the overall atmosphere is praised for its depth and consistency, some reviewers noted that the reliance on ambient noise could have been more impactful.
“The entire setting is underwater with beautifully drawn scenery, a creepy atmosphere that intensifies as you explore more of the areas.”
“Its evocative underwater vibes and atmosphere, mixed with some really good sound design, suck you oh so easily into this failed utopia, where humanity, unable to tackle and solve burning issues and also due to wars, decided to submerge itself and try living underwater, in an authoritarian society governed by draconian rules and guided by utopian principles which the corrupt exploited at every corner.”
“The art design and atmosphere were fantastic.”
“The atmosphere, however, is consistent in being dense and foreboding.”
“- Dark, decrepit atmospheres - the lore is surprisingly in-depth and disturbing, scattered in enemy descriptions and records found around the world.”
“Whether this was a design choice or budget constraints, I don't know, but it's a missed opportunity to really bring out the atmosphere of the world.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a mix of humor and serious themes, creating a rollercoaster of emotions that includes funny moments alongside grief and hope. Players appreciate the clever and humorous designs of enemies, which creatively blend marine life with garbage, contributing to the overall comedic tone. While the humor is well-received, the game also balances it with challenging gameplay and a compelling atmosphere.
“At times humorous, at times serious, at times sad, this game is a rollercoaster of emotion.”
“The graphics and physics are decent for the most part (a bit frustrating during boss fights), the ambience is great, some good humor, and the combat is challenging.”
“The enemy designs are genius and humorous blends of marine life and garbage.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its super cute character design and appealing visuals, which enhance the overall enjoyment of the plot and gameplay. Players appreciate the creativity in both character and monster designs, contributing to a visually engaging experience.
“I enjoyed the plot and character design a lot in the game.”
“I love the visuals of the game, character design, monsters, and the level backgrounds.”
“Super cute character design.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that while the gameplay is generally smooth and engaging, certain encounters can feel tedious or overly simplistic, leading to a mixed experience with grinding elements. The balance between challenging and repetitive gameplay varies, with some battles being enjoyable and others described as spammy or lacking depth.
“Some were very cool and tough, but some were extremely easy (garbage maiden) and some were a bit tedious and spammy (meduso magna).”
“Some were very cool and tough, but some were extremely easy (garbage maiden) and some were a bit tedious and spammy (meduso magna).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with good performance reported by users; however, there are occasional freezing issues that can disrupt gameplay.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to persistent technical glitches and significant lag, which can lead to lost progress for players.
“Technical glitches ruin the experience; from time to time, the game starts lagging seriously, and I have to lose my saved progress.”
“Technical glitches ruin the experience; from time to time, the game starts lagging seriously, and I have to lose my saved progress.”