"Chromatic Crisis" - Looking for feedback! Solo Metroidvania

[Buine]

CHROMATIC CRISIS is a colorful metroidvania with unique mechanics!

Someone or something has stolen the colors of the world, and you must get them back

You can play the demo right now here !

Gamejolt link : https://gamejolt.com/games/chromaticcrisis/972910

itch.io link : CHROMATIC CRISIS (DEMO) by Buine1

its solely made by me and I’d really love to hear your thoughts on the game (feel free to be 100% honest) (Here’s a Google Form if you’d like to share your feedback)

Trailer :

CHROMATIC CRISIS | TRAILER (DEMO OUT)

[hail_to_the_fun]

Great art !

[phoenixdk]

Overall, the game feels really good, and there are a lot of good design decisions in there already. What are your plans for it, in terms of what you want to work on?

My notes, in no particular order:

• The game sound is very very loud, particularly the game music, both overall and relative to other game sounds
  • It’s also quite repetitive
• The control instructions at the beginning could mention right click dash
• The movements are cool, and it’s nice with little details like elevator platforms launching you a little in the air. It’s a fun space to run around in
• Good level of difficulty too, for the start of a presumably challenging game. Good first boss too. Some of the sphere robot (i forget the name) sections are pretty tricky already, but at least there’s no penalty for failing.
• I’d prefer attack on the equivalent of square on a PS controller, or X on an XBox controller. That way you can keep the thumb on jump while attacking. I think it’s the most common layout?
• Is there no interact button (equivalent of E) on the controller? Even if it has to double with an already-used button, there should be.
• Gathering numbers for the numeric keypad is a fine puzzle, but it’s also the kind of thing some players will miss. Maybe consider inputting the known numbers for the player… it’s more about the finding than the remembering anyway.

I’ll put a little more time into it when I have some free

[Buine]

Thank you very much ! im glad you liked it :))

-Sorry about the sound being too loud at the beginning you’re not the only one who’s told me that xd i’ll need to fix that

-”The control instructions at the beginning could mention right click dash” : 100% agree, my bad!

-@controllercontrollercontrollercontrollercontrollercontrollercontrollercontroller buttons: I get what you’re saying—I only have a Switch controller, so I guess the equivalent would be pressing Y, if I’m understanding this correctly. If that’s the case, I have to admit I’m not really used to doing that, but I totally get it: if you want, you can normall@interacte change your butto@interact assignments in the @interacteinteracte@interacttings.

-@interact button : There is one, but it’s true that it’s very inconvenient: you have to click the left stick. sry about that

-remembering numbers : I have to admit that personally I kind of like this sort of thing where it “goes a little beyond the game”—even if it means someone has to grab a pen and paper to write it down. Do you think it’s always too much trouble to keep it?

anyway, thank you very much for your feedback and your kind words

:))

[Buine]

thanks a lot !!

[phoenixdk]

No problem

@Buine

you can normall@interacte change your butto@interact assignments in the @interacteinteracte@interacttings.

I think a typo or two may have snuck in there..?

@Buine

There is one, but it’s true that it’s very inconvenient: you have to click the left stick. sry about that

As long as it’s communicated to the player, it’s no problem.

@Buine

Do you think it’s always too much trouble to keep it?

I think most players will be annoyed at having to “step out of the game” to note something down, at least in a fast-paced platformer. In this case it’s a simple puzzle, and not a problem, it’s just a matter of catching the stragglers who didn’t pick up on the “quest” and would otherwise have to backtrack to memorize the signs. I think that fits best with the current gameplay.

[phoenixdk]

I got through the demo btw, excellent stuff Cool 2nd boss, and I really like how the move set builds. The level design is constantly reinforcing it, and I think the complexity is spot-on.

A thought - it’s a little hard to tell if a lever switch has been used or not - you could have them pointing up in their unused state, so they’re easier to read.

[dragonforge-dev]

Pros

• It’s a fun game and the controls felt good.
• I liked that when you switched from keyboard to controller the controls updated.
• I liked the retro feel the game gave me with the graphics and music.

Cons

• It’s really loud on start.
• You cannot press the bottom action button to select menu items with the controller. I had to navigate the menus with my mouse.
• The game music loop is too short. It got annoying really fast. Thankfully I could turn it down.
• I didn’t realize I could dash and almost gave up before pressing all the buttons on my controller.
• I had to switch the attack button from the right action button to the left action button to beat the boss.
• I don’t know what the Spheresect does, other than flip switches. I couldn’t progress once I killed the first boss and got it. Had no clue where to go. I retraced all my steps.
• No XBox buttons.
• When I got the attack powerup, I accidentally clicked away the info on it before I could read it because I was jumping.
• The info on the powerups should give you a hint of how they help you and require you to use them to get out of the room you got them in. You did a good job with this until the Sphersect.
• There should be info on the dash button early on.
• It would be nice if when I move it to a new monitor, the game remembered what monitor I was on.

Overall

Really nice retro game feeling. Really enjoyed the controls. Reminds me of a number of Metroidvanias I played in the Metroidvania game jam. You also had really nice settings. I was able to find everything I needed.

I just would have liked a little more info while playing.

[Buine]

oops sorry idk what happened lol :

i was saying that you can change the keys in the options

and for the code : what if I make something like in Deltarune, with the discovered numbers floating above the spot where you enter the code?

[Buine]

thank you very much!! im super glad to hear that, and yea i could fix thoses levers It’s a sprite I made really early on in the game lol, we’ll see, thanks again!

[Buine]

thank you very much for your feedback!

@ost: I’ll try to improve some of them; I’m having a bit more trouble with the slower, more progressive tracks, but I’ll give it a shot

@”I had to switch the attack button from the right action button to the left action button to beat the boss.”: not sure I understand—were your controls changed during the boss fight? Or is it something else?

@”You cannot press the bottom action button to select menu items with the controller. I had to navigate the menus with my mouse.”: like you couldnt navigate with the left stick? if so thats my bad, should probably have people with different controllers test it out lol (same for “no xbox buttons”)

@ “The info on the powerups should […] You did a good job with this until the Sphersect.” + ”I don’t know what the Spheresect does, […] Had no clue where to go. I retraced all my steps.” : If you send your spheresect up to the room where you defeated the boss, you should find something, sry if it wasnt clear lol

@It would be nice if when I move it to a new monitor, the game remembered what monitor I was on: I never thought of that—I don’t think it’s a top priority, but I’ll make a note of it anyway. Thanks

As for everything else, I have nothing to add—you’re 100% right. And as for the positive points, thank you very much

also here’s some things i started to fix

[dragonforge-dev]

@Buine

”I had to switch the attack button from the right action button to the left action button to beat the boss.”: not sure I understand—were your controls changed during the boss fight? Or is it something else?

No I’m saying that in every other game attack is not the right action button (Sony Circle, Xbox B). In a game like this it’s usually the left action button (Sony Square, XBox X). So I kept hitting the wrong button. Because I was trying to Dash with Circle/B.

So I switched them.

@Buine

@”You cannot press the bottom action button to select menu items with the controller. I had to navigate the menus with my mouse.”: like you couldnt navigate with the left stick? if so thats my bad, should probably have people with different controllers test it out lol (same for “no xbox buttons”)

No the stick works fine. In the Input Map you need to check Show Built-in Actions and then add Joypad Button 0 to the ui_accept action like this:

@Buine

If you send your spheresect up to the room where you defeated the boss, you should find something, sry if it wasnt clear lol

It is unclear that you can send it up. I only knew it went left and right.

@Buine

I never thought of that—I don’t think it’s a top priority, but I’ll make a note of it anyway. Thanks

It’s easy to do. You can take a look (or use) my Display Plugin.

@Buine

also here’s some things i started to fix

Looking good.

[phoenixdk]

@Buine

and for the code : what if I make something like in Deltarune, with the discovered numbers floating above the spot where you enter the code?

I think that would work great

[Buine]

“No I’m saying that […] So I kept hitting the wrong button. Because I was trying to Dash with Circle/B.”

Actually, it’s just a personal habit I have with the controller I use. I didn’t realize so many people used Sony X /Xbox A button to attack. I’ll keep that in mind and maybe change the default layout. Thanks

btw it’s kind of the same for:

“In the Input Map, you need to check Show Built-in Actions and then add Joypad Button 0 to the ui_accept action like this.”

Actually, that’s because I had set Nintendo A as the default, which is Xbox B. I just fixed it today so I hope it’ll be clearer now (at worst, maybe I can just put both?)

“It’s easy to do. You can take a look (or use) my Display Plugin.”

will check this out, thx!

@spheresect: i just added these pulsing arrows maybe this could help?

thx again!

[EriTheSwitch]

A Linux export would be greatly appreciated ; this looks pretty fun.

[Buine]

thanks a lot! I just updated the links with Linux exports. I haven’t been able to test them yet, so if you run into any issues, don’t hesitate to let me know

[FroggyWad]

By playing just the first few minutes of the game so far here is what I think, I will say more as I play more

pros

• The controls feel really good
• The beginning is really good at teaching the player mechanics without telling
• The keybinds seem pretty good so far
• The graphics are nice

Cons

• When I slightly have the controller angled just slightly up, I attack up, which is kinda annoying when I want to attack straight(this could just be a me problem)
• The music, as someone already said, gets annoying because of how much it loops
• I feel it is a little weird that boxes break in one hit

Bugs

• I was only able to find one so far, and that was when you hit an enemy and turn around, you actually bring it to you. It probably happens because you look at the player’s direction to see what direction the knockback should go, leading to you being able to fling the enemy at you(which is kinda fun)

Another thing that you can do is variable jump height(you jump higher the longer you hold jump, like in Mario), but I can see why that can interfere with what you already have because it can mes with you level design so far, so you don’t need it.

That is all I have right now! I will try to tell you more as I play

[Buine]

Thank you very much!

@FroggyWad

When I slightly have the controller angled just slightly up, I attack up, which is kinda annoying when I want to attack straight(this could just be a me problem)

Idk tbh, come to think of it, I wonder if there’s really any point in being able to attack from the top…

@FroggyWad

The music, as someone already said, gets annoying because of how much it loops

will be fixed (i hope lol)

@FroggyWad

I feel it is a little weird that boxes break in one hit

never thought about it—does it bother you, or is it just something that “feels a little weird but isn’t really a flaw”?

@FroggyWad

I was only able to find one so far, and that was when you hit an enemy and turn around, you actually bring it to you. It probably happens because you look at the player’s direction to see what direction the knockback should go, leading to you being able to fling the enemy at you(which is kinda fun)

I totally believe you, but I have to admit I’m having trouble reproducing the bug. That said, I think I’ve encountered it before. In any case, looking over the code again, there are some things that aren’t right, so I think I’ll try to fix that.

thanks for everything and im glad you liked some things :))

[Buine]

update for the bug : I think I understand the issue: the knockback was based on the overall position of the “weapon” rather than the player. If we calculate it relative to the player, in theory the issue should be resolved (which, if I understand correctly, I was able to reproduce by getting hit by the enemy at the same time as attacking it).

[FroggyWad]

@Buine

Idk tbh, come to think of it, I wonder if there’s really any point in being able to attack from the top…

I think attacking from the top is good for flying enemies, But it’s up to you if you want to keep it

@Buine

never thought about it—does it bother you, or is it just something that “feels a little weird but isn’t really a flaw”?

Yeah, it just feels a little weird because I’m just used to how boxes(or things like them) are normally, where it takes a few hits to break. I think it is fine the way it is​

Overall, I really liked the game, and it has potential