it's ok,but it's not perfect
lots of glitches though
Reviews for "Castaway"
Very Cool
But, you have a few issues.
First, the pet. I like the idea. The execution, however, is lacking. The pet seems to take damage at an incredible rate and after a while I noticed it would sometimes simply run off on its own if I target an enemy. In other words, I'd love it if your pet weren't so expendable and could actually live to grow along with you. More hp/def and less atk maybe?
Second, a map. A REAL map. That is an addition that would make this game infinitely more playable, as at the moment getting loss is fairly easy. Yes, I realize that most the game is not that far from being linear but its still a hassle to remember every screen.
Third, items. They're a nice selection and their effects are good. However, the prices seem whacked. The item that is basically an "exit" button is way to expensive. That kind of item, in an RPG, is meant to be cheap. I don't like loosing my saved data simply because I have to run the gauntlet LEAVING an area. In addition, a little cheaper heal self items would be nice. It seems the fragile pet gets most the attention when it comes to heal items but he's not the one that ends the game if he dies.
Finally, in relation to pets once again, a pet revive feature would be fantastic. Pay some gold, get back your pet you've spent all that time training. Yes, you can restart, but usually a pet dies after you've done a bit of training and thats just not fun.
Aside from these issues, you've created a very nice game that has plenty of potential to be addicting, interesting, and fun.
A week of playing and a REALLY long review
During my first hour, I was going to give up on the game b/c I died often. There's no beginners' guide or tutorial. I found the "Hints and Tips" to be helpful, but it could have more... much much more. I only continued to give the game a chance b/c a lot of effort was put into it. Equipped gear could be seen on the character & the pet was a nice add. The little green alien you get in the beginning was my pet for the whole game, hereafter to be known as "Poof." I've completed every quest & achieved lvl 33 and Poof is lvl 32 ... he's a beast!
The start of the game was mostly guessing: how to properly use the physical/magical attacks, what gear to buy, how to grind the best way, how to afford gear/items, how to utilize items to make barriers (or what I like to call "item-wall"), etc. I wasted a lot of gold buying accessories, thinking they could be worn together - they can't, even if they look like they can be. The items aren't that expensive & drop rates are fine. Also, the difficulty and level scaling was fine b/c you're a human at a weird place. You have gear from the local store, from the same people that can't kill beetles... it all fits.
Many comments suggested auto-save & I am not for it at all. What's needed are more save points, like a wooden plank sign that gives you a chance to save - every other map. An auto-save might mean that it saves after the pet has died.
For the physical/magical attacks that are available, there should be a note of explain how to use them or what they do. Ex: I completed the quest for Flame and had 20 extra Fire Shards. I sold them at a crappy 3 gold per shard... just to learn later that they are needed to cast the spell. It would've been great to know that from a description, same for the physical attacks. Slash and Slice felt the same, though the other 3 were the best physical attacks. I was really disappointed to learn that if the 1st of 4 attacks when using Combo misses, then all of them miss too. Creature evasion was strangely high.
Limited inventory space was a BIG PITA (can make item-wall fail). 14 total slots: 5-gear, 4-shards, 2-pet food, 1-Castaway Feather, and only 2 for quest & healing. Hopefully can be increased to 21. Also, allow us to rearrange items.
Creatures should have limitations to where they can roam. I fully believe that creatures w/ alert, at a range of 3 sq or less, come from all corners of the map to attack you. Ex: I just entered the map and need to heal, so I chill near the entrance, far away from anything that will auto-attack, but with enough time - they will come.
Which brings me to item-wall = the only way to survive. Just as it sounds, items block movement & so if you're surrounded by 4 items then nothing will be able to attack you. Find a narrow pathway and close it off by killing a mob & hope it drops an item. I often made Poof stay safe this way, so I could venture out to murder everything. However, on this same note a glitch was discovered: each creature has a spawn point & if you kill the creature on that spawn point, leaving the item there until it spawns again (indicated by mini map by a red sq), then take the item, the creature doesn't appear & will never respawn on the map again, until you leave and come back in.
The WASD controls were simple & I didn't mind them, except that if I am holding the key down - I should stay moving, regardless if a creature alerts to attack. The character shouldn't pause & want to attack, the only way was to tap the key til he started to move again.
Some ideas:
~ increase HP gain, by lvl. The game is run on 5HP/10secs & could be increased to 10HP/10secs at lvl 10, etc.
~ Duel-wielding instead of a shield - attack a tiny bit faster, but lack def.
~ Stats menu viewable at Castaway. I had to go to the beach to look at my stats >.<
~ Pet Center can train pets to toughen up or provide gear at a gold cost.
~ Option to not bring a pet.
~ Special potions for temp. increase to dmg (30sec-1min).
~ Mob HP indicator w/ #s.
~ Add a pet stats pop-up to, at least, show exp #.
~ Active quests w/ details.
PM for strategy guide
i got attacked and owned by a snake after trying to find my way back to the village. the controls blow hardcore.
I enjoyed this game alot. Now to be a critic
Here is what I think.
- First and most importantly, If there will be a sequel, the shop Must sell products to heal the pet, even at expensive prices. At the jungle and ice stages, I ran out of healing items for "Oneeye", and had to leave him behind. It never caught back up to me afterward.
-The only reason I kept hatching new pets was solely to keep my first pet safe in town, until I could gather up healing items for it to come with me.
-The pet was an awesome helper for the first two stages, plenty of items dropped that provided enough healing, it hit fairly decent, but by around stage three creatures started hiting harder, so did I. Yet the pet's defense seemed to stay practically the same.
- I'd much much rather the pet to be a true "helper", with high defense and hp, but with less attack. Rather than to die so quickly due to it's weak defense. By the ice level my pet couldn't even solo many of the single creatures unless I spammed out healing items, even with it having a level advantage on creatures it was fighting. I went through hours worth of collected items just for it to whoop a few single ice scorpions. The pet is a liability by the time you get good armor. It just turns into a gimmick by the fire level imo.
I don't mind reloading to get it back, but having it die just from one creature that isn't even it's own level? That thing's killed almost as many things as I have, and gains the same exp. Plus it's a darn monster er, thing. It needs higher defense.
- I have no comment on camera angle, I actually found it fun "hunting" for the hidden snakes in the jungle.
- There needs to be more inventory slots. At least 4 more.
- The rare amulets are a gimmick unless there are enough inventory to hold them. I sold my boots just to have the extra space.
- Why can't there be a storage locker for your good items? I'd love to be able to store up some shards or have a place to put my fire and ice sword. Speaking of which where's my lighting sword? I wants a sword that shoots lightning bolts n' crud.
- Lastly:
If there is one, Please let the sequel have a proper ending. I need closure man.
I just scaled the entire island. I vanquished countless giant poisonous insects, saved a village in desperate need. I gathered mighty weapons and became a shining warrior of awesomeness, turned on all those villager's shiney rocks... finally, done! I return to the village, fighting my way out the whole way. To hear the same guy, I've not seen for a real-life 2 Days, Finally, come out once more... and he says to me . . .
"Thanks alot. Guess you're stuck here, Oh Well, Sucks For You. :D :D :D"
aw COME ON!!!
On the good side it was a Heck of a lot of fun as far as "grind" rpgs go, and the graphics were great. I wouldn't of played to the end if it wasn't enjoyable. Just has some unlikeable qualities to it that present more annoyance than challenge.
7/10.