I think I have found a bug. I spent my champion medals on a skill (Artificer), but later reloaded to a save before that decision, because I had misunderstood what it did (I thought that it gave me an extra equipment slot to select an equipment to give characters on top of their starting three things, it actually gives a third slot with which to hold a book). Visiting the vendor again, I notice that Artificer is no longer in the list of available purchases, which makes me wonder if my having it somehow transcended the save (even though I have the champion medals back and can buy other things).
Upon starting a new game after defeating what appeared to be the final boss, I found that Artificer was available to select, as was the thing I ended up choosing instead after I reloaded (Ancestral Prowess). This implies that one could simply repeatedly reload the point immediately before the medal vendor and buy out all the things, and have access to them the following game... (Of course, it's a bit of a moot point for me, since these appear to compete with the slot for the absolutely-vital Mana Bolt :P)
Another bug: Panacea claims to prevent status effects for the rest of the battle, but I was still able to get cursed again after using it. (Also, I'm not clear on what exactly curse is supposed to do...)
Also, spoilers below for anyone reading this who hasn't played the game, but I'm a bit confused by Sarundar's dialogue before the boss fight. I was under the distinct impression that Irinia was in the wrong and I would be walking the same path as Sarundar did, but I don't seem to actually be able to tell him this.
... And upon defeating him, my impression that fighting him would lead to a bad outcome seems to have been correct. "In my demise, the fate of the world is sealed" indeed.
Is this actually the end? I was kind of hoping to actually experience the looping system, lul.
The Panacea issue is a problem with the item description accuracy rather than a bug specifically. I will try to address that in a future update, but the gist of it is that Curse is supposed to be the "ultimate" debuff that only an Elixir can remove, yet that caveat got left off of some item and skill descriptions. A Curse spell is available to the player as well - but is well hidden - and causes the targets to take additional damage, while lowering many of their attributes significantly.
Defeating the final boss unlocks a specific feature that can be brought into a new run. I don't want to give too much away, but that information is crucial to seeing the "true" ending and breaking the cycle.
As far as the upgrade system goes, there is a bug/exploit that is possible to achieve with the scenario you mentioned. It's sort of a technical limitation with the engine, though I don't know if I would patch it out regardless as some players really dig those sorts of things. I'm glad you like the Mana Bolt skill! I think it flies under the radar a lot but is quite effective and supports a lot of builds. (that said, once you unlock a few specific upgrades I think you might replace it eventually :) )
As you already know, I streamed your game this past Saturday. Overall, I was actually pretty impressed with Soul Survivor.
Soul Survivor takes some of the best parts of a rogue-lite and puts them into an RPG package reminiscent of early Final Fantasy games with a bit of classic RPGs like DnD thrown in. What I enjoyed most about it was of course all of the natural and interesting choices that come from having to assemble a competent build within the limited and random choices provided to the character, however leveling also continues to provide choices as this game's motif seems to be "choices in 3's", where at each level you can pick 3 perks out of a handful of new options. The character creation part is also interesting as well, and I think it is also an interesting and unique way of having the character creation lead into the tutorial.
However, the character creation is where some of my complaints begin; albeit all of my complaints are very minor and in no way affect the enjoyment of the game.
Character creation, though provides a helpful tip as to what each stat plays in context of the game, there is no way for players to make a truly informed decision on their first playthrough as to how these stats affect the game and combat as a whole. However, in fairness, since this game is a rogue-lite and is intended to be replayed, I would say this is gets a pass since you will probably be revisiting this character creation menu again soon. Secondly are another 2 very minor complaints: Each weapon has a skill attached to it. When you find a new weapon it will show a comparison window to help you decide whether you want to replace your current weapon or not. However, it does not provide information about the new weapon's skill, it only tells you the name of the weapon's skill. And the other complaint being absolutely minor, just a missing bit of polish: Camera scrolling (during cutscenes) uses stilted cardinal directions to scroll. For all of the other polish in this game, it sort of surprises me that Soul Survivor does not use a plugin to allow for diagonal camera scrolling.
Really, this is just a great game and I hope the dev is able to find the success they hope for this game. It's very rare that, out of the many, many games I play on my stream, that I leave a game thinking "I think I want to see more of that..." and yet the developer has achieved that effortlessly with a good idea, a good design philosophy, and the perseverance and commitment to see those 2 elements to completion.
If you'd like to watch my experience with your game, I've linked the archive below. You can click the timestamps to jump to when I start playing your game.
Thanks a lot for featuring the game on stream along with the great commentary. I'm glad all of the critiques are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, though I'll definitely have a look at those points for ways to improve them (got my eye on a camera plugin that should remedy that janky scrolling, for example!)
When I saw the 8 bit title screen with accompanying music, I thought, "Oh no!", but upon playing the game, I found it to be very engaging with a depth I've only begun to uncover. I had a list of specific things I thought were either good or could be improved... but I can't even understand my own notes! Things I can remember off the top of my head:
- If you are not allowed to use certain items in battles, I feel like you should be able to escape somehow. There could be a penalty for doing so, but without much ability to heal, it makes it very difficult.
- I haven't played long enough to tell, but the game is challenging from the get go. I think I made it to level 6 (somewhere up in the mountains), but the learning curve is steep. I've played games before that put you back to the beginning when you die, but they had more randomization making it more fun to keep trying. For example, there are always keys in the first area, bombs in the second, etc. So you lose a little bit of the "choice" element when those things stay the same. Maybe it is a programming issue so it was done that way, but just food for thought.
- This is nitpicky, but I had to go through 3 menus to find out what my total health was. I'd like it front and center, even on the main screen if I have 84/150 HP, MP, TP... it just wouldn't be so tedious by going through several menus to find the answer.
- I think you are onto something with this game... keep at it because the concept is cool and challenging.
Hi there - thanks for playing and for your interest in the game. I'm hoping to get this one done by end of 2022! (wish me luck)
New Game+ lets you bring in any upgrades you may have purchased from the special vendor in Area6, and it also brings over any Champion's Medals (the main upgrade currency) from that save file, so that if you're working towards a bigger upgrade you don't have to collect all the medals in a single run.
There are other ways to earn upgrades but most of them are through the special merchant for the moment.
-need to see what skill do and the mp cost before grabbing item
-cant target scorpion at 35:25
-id like to see what l unlock when l learn a passive skill, otherwise ill need to learn just to make me reload
-last area before demo end had no items
-people are just going to reload if you make them able to save when you die once and you dont have 3 lives if you have to remake the character after dying once
-it looks like there is no healing skills except salve so youre dependent on potions if you dont take salve at the beginning*the 2 other choices are completely useless compared to healing
-mp to do damage is weaker than just attacking and do around the same damage, also no tp skills that get boosted by magic damage which make tp useless for a mage
-not enough mana regen when trying to just do mp damage, youre forced to go physical and take atk while if going physical you dont need mag to do anything, only healing would be better but you have enough mana to heal either way
-secrets dont look randomized, got the same thing twice
Think of it as dragon quest, but you are playing Sifu in a dark souls setting. It is a very very good game with a unique gameplay, making it standout from tons of retro indie games.
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I think I have found a bug. I spent my champion medals on a skill (Artificer), but later reloaded to a save before that decision, because I had misunderstood what it did (I thought that it gave me an extra equipment slot to select an equipment to give characters on top of their starting three things, it actually gives a third slot with which to hold a book). Visiting the vendor again, I notice that Artificer is no longer in the list of available purchases, which makes me wonder if my having it somehow transcended the save (even though I have the champion medals back and can buy other things).
Upon starting a new game after defeating what appeared to be the final boss, I found that Artificer was available to select, as was the thing I ended up choosing instead after I reloaded (Ancestral Prowess). This implies that one could simply repeatedly reload the point immediately before the medal vendor and buy out all the things, and have access to them the following game... (Of course, it's a bit of a moot point for me, since these appear to compete with the slot for the absolutely-vital Mana Bolt :P)
Another bug: Panacea claims to prevent status effects for the rest of the battle, but I was still able to get cursed again after using it. (Also, I'm not clear on what exactly curse is supposed to do...)
Also, spoilers below for anyone reading this who hasn't played the game, but I'm a bit confused by Sarundar's dialogue before the boss fight. I was under the distinct impression that Irinia was in the wrong and I would be walking the same path as Sarundar did, but I don't seem to actually be able to tell him this.
... And upon defeating him, my impression that fighting him would lead to a bad outcome seems to have been correct. "In my demise, the fate of the world is sealed" indeed.
Is this actually the end? I was kind of hoping to actually experience the looping system, lul.
Hi Typical_Name! Thanks for your comments!
The Panacea issue is a problem with the item description accuracy rather than a bug specifically. I will try to address that in a future update, but the gist of it is that Curse is supposed to be the "ultimate" debuff that only an Elixir can remove, yet that caveat got left off of some item and skill descriptions. A Curse spell is available to the player as well - but is well hidden - and causes the targets to take additional damage, while lowering many of their attributes significantly.
Defeating the final boss unlocks a specific feature that can be brought into a new run. I don't want to give too much away, but that information is crucial to seeing the "true" ending and breaking the cycle.
As far as the upgrade system goes, there is a bug/exploit that is possible to achieve with the scenario you mentioned. It's sort of a technical limitation with the engine, though I don't know if I would patch it out regardless as some players really dig those sorts of things. I'm glad you like the Mana Bolt skill! I think it flies under the radar a lot but is quite effective and supports a lot of builds. (that said, once you unlock a few specific upgrades I think you might replace it eventually :) )
Hello,
As you already know, I streamed your game this past Saturday. Overall, I was actually pretty impressed with Soul Survivor.
Soul Survivor takes some of the best parts of a rogue-lite and puts them into an RPG package reminiscent of early Final Fantasy games with a bit of classic RPGs like DnD thrown in. What I enjoyed most about it was of course all of the natural and interesting choices that come from having to assemble a competent build within the limited and random choices provided to the character, however leveling also continues to provide choices as this game's motif seems to be "choices in 3's", where at each level you can pick 3 perks out of a handful of new options.
The character creation part is also interesting as well, and I think it is also an interesting and unique way of having the character creation lead into the tutorial.
However, the character creation is where some of my complaints begin; albeit all of my complaints are very minor and in no way affect the enjoyment of the game.
Character creation, though provides a helpful tip as to what each stat plays in context of the game, there is no way for players to make a truly informed decision on their first playthrough as to how these stats affect the game and combat as a whole. However, in fairness, since this game is a rogue-lite and is intended to be replayed, I would say this is gets a pass since you will probably be revisiting this character creation menu again soon.
Secondly are another 2 very minor complaints: Each weapon has a skill attached to it. When you find a new weapon it will show a comparison window to help you decide whether you want to replace your current weapon or not. However, it does not provide information about the new weapon's skill, it only tells you the name of the weapon's skill.
And the other complaint being absolutely minor, just a missing bit of polish: Camera scrolling (during cutscenes) uses stilted cardinal directions to scroll. For all of the other polish in this game, it sort of surprises me that Soul Survivor does not use a plugin to allow for diagonal camera scrolling.
Really, this is just a great game and I hope the dev is able to find the success they hope for this game. It's very rare that, out of the many, many games I play on my stream, that I leave a game thinking "I think I want to see more of that..." and yet the developer has achieved that effortlessly with a good idea, a good design philosophy, and the perseverance and commitment to see those 2 elements to completion.
If you'd like to watch my experience with your game, I've linked the archive below. You can click the timestamps to jump to when I start playing your game.
Thanks a lot for featuring the game on stream along with the great commentary.
I'm glad all of the critiques are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, though I'll definitely have a look at those points for ways to improve them (got my eye on a camera plugin that should remedy that janky scrolling, for example!)
Appreciate the review!
Also, good luck with your game dev endeavors!!
When I saw the 8 bit title screen with accompanying music, I thought, "Oh no!", but upon playing the game, I found it to be very engaging with a depth I've only begun to uncover. I had a list of specific things I thought were either good or could be improved... but I can't even understand my own notes! Things I can remember off the top of my head:
- If you are not allowed to use certain items in battles, I feel like you should be able to escape somehow. There could be a penalty for doing so, but without much ability to heal, it makes it very difficult.
- I haven't played long enough to tell, but the game is challenging from the get go. I think I made it to level 6 (somewhere up in the mountains), but the learning curve is steep. I've played games before that put you back to the beginning when you die, but they had more randomization making it more fun to keep trying. For example, there are always keys in the first area, bombs in the second, etc. So you lose a little bit of the "choice" element when those things stay the same. Maybe it is a programming issue so it was done that way, but just food for thought.
- This is nitpicky, but I had to go through 3 menus to find out what my total health was. I'd like it front and center, even on the main screen if I have 84/150 HP, MP, TP... it just wouldn't be so tedious by going through several menus to find the answer.
- I think you are onto something with this game... keep at it because the concept is cool and challenging.
Thank you very much Crossbow! I appreciate the great feedback you've provided.
With any luck this game will be completed by the end of 2022, but I am committed to releasing it regardless of the timeline.
I may be mistaken but for me New Game+ doesn't let me choose anything I couldn't choose the first time. It has no effect I can notice.
Am I doing something wrong?
Just got to the end. Pleaaase finish the game. It's such a shame that it ends so early :(
Hi there - thanks for playing and for your interest in the game. I'm hoping to get this one done by end of 2022! (wish me luck)
New Game+ lets you bring in any upgrades you may have purchased from the special vendor in Area6, and it also brings over any Champion's Medals (the main upgrade currency) from that save file, so that if you're working towards a bigger upgrade you don't have to collect all the medals in a single run.
There are other ways to earn upgrades but most of them are through the special merchant for the moment.
I hope that helps!
-press a key cannot be clicked
-need to see what skill do and the mp cost before grabbing item
-cant target scorpion at 35:25
-id like to see what l unlock when l learn a passive skill, otherwise ill need to learn just to make me reload
-last area before demo end had no items
-people are just going to reload if you make them able to save when you die once and you dont have 3 lives if you have to remake the character after dying once
-it looks like there is no healing skills except salve so youre dependent on potions if you dont take salve at the beginning*the 2 other choices are completely useless compared to healing
-mp to do damage is weaker than just attacking and do around the same damage, also no tp skills that get boosted by magic damage which make tp useless for a mage
-not enough mana regen when trying to just do mp damage, youre forced to go physical and take atk while if going physical you dont need mag to do anything, only healing would be better but you have enough mana to heal either way
-secrets dont look randomized, got the same thing twice
-cure doesnt worth the 3 mp, lower to 1mp
-last boss before mines dont give xp which could be used to gain skills you want to keep https://youtu.be/NBEQFMIHu90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5dh5LUyan8
Thanks for the video and detailed comments lolshtar. Appreciate you checking out the game!
I really enjoy in playing this game!
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the big update that just came out as well :D
Ah nice, will download it now. :D
Think of it as dragon quest, but you are playing Sifu in a dark souls setting.
It is a very very good game with a unique gameplay, making it standout from tons of retro indie games.
So glad to see another game coming out from you! Found you through Hawk's jams and this one looks amazing! <3 Love the concept!
Wow, thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the game!