The main gimmick of opening a portal centered on you to change the environment, invert gravity, shrink, and more is decently utilized, but it never really goes beyond using it just like the double jump or dash, again with little room for error or creativity. It feels like the hitbox for Soli taking damage (you only get one hit) is much larger than the one that detects when you’re standing on a platform.ĭespite all that, I wouldn’t call Unbound a difficult game. Just barely miss the spikes that cover most walls, ceilings, and floors? Actually you didn’t, now you die. I’ve played and enjoyed games like this before, but Unbound feels unfair thanks to stiff controls and a low tolerance for mistakes of any kind. It’s essentially a test of trial and error the whole way through you throw yourself at a platform, see if it doesn’t work like you guessed it to, die, and try again until you succeed. The platforming isn’t very fun, simply put. These branches lead to linear platforming challenges which lead back to the main path once you’re done. The main path is essentially a straight line, but you’ll frequently be asked to take a branch to get an item marked on your map, removing any incentive to actually explore the gorgeous world the developers have crafted. I won’t judge it as a metroidvania in that case, even if it has all the trappings of one, but the level design is still bland. Sure, it has all the trappings of one: a large world, unlockable abilities, and backtracking, but it’s more of a puzzle platformer as is claimed on the steam page. Said snippets of lore serve as optional collectables hidden behind difficult platforming challenges or puzzles, but they’re very easy to discover.Įxploration really isn’t a focus of Unbound, because it’s not really a metroidvania. Some players might find it interesting, but it personally came across as confusing. Despite being the village outcast, it’s up to you to traverse multiple worlds and find a way to fix things.The story is very simple, but NPCs are ready to dump a bunch of lore on you if you choose to speak with them. You play as Soli: a cute little mage who discovers they can open portals to other worlds just as said worlds begin to apocalyptically converge. Unbound: Worlds Apart looks to take direct inspiration from Hollow Knight, but fails to capture what made that game, and the genre itself, special. Well, I haven’t done everything yet, but I certainly want to go back and chip away at the extra difficult sections I missed. One of my favorite games, Hollow Knight, does exactly that and it instantly grabbed me with it’s creepy and cute atmosphere, and wouldn’t let go until I had seen everything it had to offer. These types of games typically plop you somewhere in their world with minimal direction, and off you go to discover the story as you acquire new powers to aid in your exploration. Rightly so, in my opinion, as the genre can loosely be centered around the theme of finding your own path. Metroidvanias and difficulty go hand in hand these days.
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