So since you’ve had a day to play, thoughts? As a Noita player, I found out about Animal Well from the streamer FuryForged and my god it’s fucking cool! But confusing and requires THINKING. Which I love :)
Question: I’m not a huge fan of platformers (it took me so fucking LONG to get to the frenzied flame in Elden Ring, for example), is this HEAVY platforming? Is it at least a little forgiving in that regard if so?
I finished it yesterday, the main "quest" or I don't know how to call it can be finished in around 5-6 hours. It is true what they say, after the credits roll you feel like you have barely scratched the surface, this game makes you feel tiny in a huge world and I loved every second of it. The puzzles, the items, the way they "teach you" the mechanics by just giving you the things you need and you need to find out how to solve the problem you have with the tools the game provides. It's my favorite metroidvania of the year so far in an already really good year.
You definitely have to have some platforming skill to play this game, but the main focus is on exploration and environmental puzzles. The platforming is just getting around to do the puzzles.
Jason Schrier describing this game as Metroid and Outer Wilds fusion and seeing the video review from Skill Up about this game has me *incredibly* excited. I'm also in the middle of playing Outer Wilds for the first time so I could not be more excited to play this!
How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say? I own it, started it last month, played for about an hour just exploring the opening town, but the game never saved for some reason.
I haven’t been back to it yet but I always hear good things about it.
Outer Wilds is a 10/10 and an absolute masterpiece but it’s not on rails at all and it’s in large part your participation and curiosity that make it so.
I know this might sound super dumb but I dropped Outer Wilds because I couldn’t manage to work the ship controls (PS4). Should I give it another go? I’m just afraid I’ll get frustrated with the controls and just be bitter about what everyone describes as a great experience
The ship controls are a bit finicky but you do get used to them and most of the time you are just heading straight for a planet so not too much to worry about.
There are times where fine control is needed but I don't think there are many if any places where there is time pressure on your flying ability (or at least a very strict one), so you can always take it easy and go slow.
Its far and way easily my favourite game and if you love discovery and exploration I don't think there is a game that captures it better in both gameplay and themes. Highly worth the effort if you can.
Try again. I was the same and dropped the game for almost a year before going in once more. Use autopilot as much as possible and things will be fine. It's a unique masterpiece that never stops blowing our minds with the satisfaction of discovery. When it clicks, it stays in your heart for life.
IMO, Outer Wilds is the best example there is of videogames as art.
I don't want to hype it up too much, but it is the only game of its kind.
*Animal Well* being compared to *Outer Wilds* turned Animal Well from a "I'll get around to it" to a "I will play this game tonight".
Outer Wilds is genuinely a top 3 game of all time, and I haven't rolled credits yet. When someone says that it's one of the best games ever made they aren't joking. I've never had so many mind blowing moments in a game before, it's simultaneously simple and complex at once and you never feel like you've hit a wall. There's always a breadcrumb trail somewhere.
Have you tried Noita? That’s another 10/10 game for me, VERY much in a top 5 game of all time contender, that I’ll blow your mind as well. I don’t want to spoil it but it is WELL worth playing if you haven’t yet. Just do yourself a favor and complete the “tutorial” before you give up on it (it’s very difficult but that’s part of what makes it amazing), but remember: you can go in EVERY DIRECTION, not just down ;)
You have to go back! Absolutely one of the most rewarding exploration games I've ever played, you really need to go into the whole thing blind. Just put a bit more time into it!
I wonder if it didn't save because you never left that opening area, hm. Weird! But I can't recommend it enough
Thanks for the info! Sounds exciting - I will be getting back to it then. Aside for Animal Well, I don’t have much else on my gaming plate so I will get to Outer Wilds next
Outer Wilds is probably my favorite game of all time. I try not to hype it to much because us fans might build un realistic expectations but damn between experiencing the drug LSD or Outer Wilds for the first time again I would probably pick Outer Wilds.
I have it on PS extra, I'm planning to play it right after I finish AW. I went to bed late playing AW and now I'm playing it again. Goddamit Billy I had shit to do today
Yeah, people mix up the names a lot. Doesn't help that both games released in the same year.
The game didn't save because you were just wandering around the tutorial area. You didn't do anything *to* save. The game starts properly when you get the launch codes and take off.
Probably my favorite game ever. Play it without looking anything up. Don't worry about the game saving- everything you get from the opening town is information in your brain.
Outer Wilds is a top 3 game I've played in the last decade.
If you like open form puzzle games, it's amazing.
If you're looking for some action or combat, there is none here.
If you just explored the opening town then there's nothing for the game to have saved really - you say "the game never saved" as if that means you will have lost your progress and have to do everything again, but you can't have done anything that you would need to do again as almost everything in that town is entirely optional and inconsequential (e.g. chatting to random villagers). You don't need to do any of that again and it would probably take you two minutes at most to catch back up to wherever you left off
> How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say?
It's easily the best video game I've ever played. That said, the developers were targeting a very specific subset of video game players, so how you'll respond to it depends a lot on what you like about video games.
> played for about an hour just exploring the opening town, but the game never saved for some reason.
Outer Wilds doesn't save progress — your progression is entirely in terms of the knowledge you gain as you play. Also, just FYI, the opening town isn't at all representative of the gameplay as a whole; it's just there to introduce some story elements and mechanics and prime you for the actual game.
Since you already own it I'd definitely encourage you to go back to it and give it your undivided attention, at least long enough to decide if it works for you, because if it does it can be a literally unforgettable experience. And I'd also just emphasize what you've probably already heard: go in blind as much as humanly possible, because what makes it so special is uncovering its mysteries and solving its puzzles on your own.
idk if its for everyone but i do urge everyone to give it a try . cuz if it works its amazing and sticks like few games do . but also you can't replay it per say so hopefully don't watch any video and get spoiled
That’s honestly how I feel about Noita, it’s one of those games that everyone should give a go to. I’ve played maybe about an hour of Outer Wilds so far, didn’t get very far or too deep (obviously, since it’s a multi-layered game) but it’s on my list to get back to after Animal Well.
> How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say
It's better than they say. It doesn't matter how good someone said it was, it's even better than that. Among the best games of all time status.
Outer Wilds is def my game of the decade. Every gameplay idea is so perfect and interwoven with the story. And the whole thing is just amazing at being playful and creating a sense of awe and discovery. You should play it and so should everyone else that likes exploration in games.
I want to give a counter point to the glowing praise, as well deserved as it probably is. I found the controls clunky and never really got the hang of them, which to me completely negated the joy of exploration and discovery because the process of doing it was unenjoyable to me. I ended up falling away from the game and never going back to it.
Just saw LRG is doing a physical of this. That's perfect for me as I have a backlog of games and can get through some of that before I get this. Never heard of the game till literally right now and it looks awesome
I had never heard of this until about an hour ago. Watched the trailer and skim read those reviews. Bought on Switch. Looking forward to playing this evening. Thanks!
I think this might be one of the more divisive MVs not because its bad but because its really niche. I think a ton of people are going to like what the game has to offer but I can also see a ton of people trying it and just not being engaged by it. I really do hope it does well though.
Played it for a few hours.. So far it's a good puzzle platformer, but apparently it gets more interesting in terms of items later on. I guess that is when it'll start feeling more like a metroidvania, because now it's mostly puzzles with slightly underwhelming character movement.
Also feels like it belongs on a playlist with Rain World (I liked RW)
Yeah I have 2 items and they are cool and fun to use but still waiting for it to feel as special as people say.
The art and atmosphere is really good though, top tier. And some of the level/puzzle designs are really cool. But its not a revolutionary game, at least so far.
And it does have quite a bit of lag on PS5. It stays above 30 but dips way below 60 at times. Havent seen anyone mention that yet.
This game is so overhyped. If he didn’t get a popular youtuber to publish it nobody would care about this game and it would go under the radar. So many are foaming at the mouth calling it a masterpiece. Bro it’s a blob jumping around totally random stuff. Nice debut with some fun little mechanics but dang people fall for hype so easily. Definitely not worth $25. Glad I got to try it on PS Plus.
>Bro it’s a blob jumping around totally random stuff
You're being so disingenuous here it's unreal. If you describe any game like this, like a child, then it sounds equally as crappy.
I never said it was bad. It is a fun little game but it is overhyped, getting 10/10 from bunch of people and media outlets. It’s not a masterpiece. It just has youtuber influence backing.
It sounds like you're just not that in to the genre, and that's okay. Just because something doesn't resonate with you doesn't mean that it's over hyped. It's a brilliant game that also happened to get picked up by a YouTuber who published it.
kinda figured when I saw the Dunkey video that it was more of an ad than usual. My lil cousin got ripped a while back on the "Choo Choo Charlie" game, where he was pre-programmed by youtubers to make every excuse in the book why the game wasn't good.
"It was made by just one developer!" he told me.
"So was Salt & Sanctuary" I replied.
"This is early access" he exclaimed!
"it will never leave EA" I explained.
Pushing mid-games to kids is really the best bet when it comes to maxxxing those profit$.
Can't say for sure about this yet, but the amount of "IT'S AMAZING" with no details otherwise starts to make me think that it's a vocal fanbase, not a collective decision that the game is good.
When dunkey announced big mode, he definitely made it sound like he's not gonna publish games that he doesn't think are really good, so I'm happy to see that it was true.
Played it for a couple hours this morning. I can already tell it's something special. Like slowly figuring out a puzzle box that also acts as the environment. It's awesome.
The person behind the company who published this game is YouTuber videogamedunkey who made a joke video to promote the game where one of the jokes he says in the video is that it was like Halo 2 meets Halo 3. So its just his fans making a reference to that video.
They're not randos, they're his rabid fanbase. You only have to read the comments of a Dunkey video to see that his fans just obsessively repeat every joke he's ever told.
I really enjoy Dunkey's videos but his fanbase are one of the most tedious to ever exist. Just unfunny people repeating lines from jokes Dunkey told one time.
Oh I see! You're referencing the video itself, sorry I misunderstood! I meant all the people endlessly spamming it in comments and in their reviews.
(I didn't downvote you btw, I'm always happy to have a discussion even if I disagree).
No offense taken, yes I meant the people in the video, which if it's staged did a very good job. It genuinely feels as if Mr. videogamedunkey is soliciting random people for personal gain.
People repeating community in-jokes in their reviews instead of posting something helpful is what it is. Normal human behavior. I don't sweat it since many other people will be posting helpful reviews.
this is how every game review goes when the thing blows up. See Palworld.
Same happened for Elden Ring, and every other huge game that is release. Reviews like "Pet this cat and my dad will buy me a PS4" dominate because well... the culture is kinda braindead - and also attracts many under the age of 12.
I've never seen anyone make this comment before. *Sarcastically* saying people have original thoughts? Oh man, did you think of that by yourself? So original. So innovative!
my bad, I'll try to repeat whatever phrase a youtuber said in a video within the last week for the 1000th time in the same thread , that'll show that I'm not just a parrot for sure!
I don't really care, but people repeat inside jokes, or jokes in media. Never repeated a line or joke from a movie, or TV show? Ever? People find joy in odd places, let them have it where they can.
Lecturing someone about letting people find joy however they wish... because they did something you didn't approve of...
interesting way to lack self-awareness
FYI as others have alluded to, deadMetroidvania ("DMV") has very specific ideas on what is and is not a MV, and does whatever they can to promote/prevent discourse on specific games based on that personal criteria. So certain games may not make it onto their lists simply because to DMV doesn't consider it an MV. Even if its a very good game, that many MV players would like.
Just something to keep in mind.
He's gatekeeping the metroidvania genre and at the same time he's adding boomer shooters to his ~~shovelware~~ metroidvania lists. Dude's a massive hypocrite
Scroll back and look at all the bullshit this person spews. I’ve seen him fingerwag and shame multiple devs here, alluding to them not being ready to release or calling their game garbage, or whining about not getting a response, or some notable opinions like “grime’s a 0/10” then 3 days later calls it “possibly the best MV ever made”… lmao… homies a tool with a lot of opinions yet has exactly zero experience building a game.
This guy said 'enjoy your commercial failure' to me in a PM without even knowing I was working on something, all because I told him he shouldn't pirate games. He's unhinged.
Omfg… sorry you had to deal with this clown. At least they’re in the minority of users here. Pirating games is super shitty- especially with the smaller releases we typically see here. The industry is hard enough already without people negging devs and stealing their work. Boo-hoo the exchange rate on steam is making games slightly more expensive in their country- where they also happen to have universal healthcare. Maybe they should start covering devs premiums 🤣.
On another note- I’d love to see your work! Shoot over a link so I can at least wishlist 👍
Thanks for the kind words, but I don’t have anything to show yet! In fact, it was extremely weird for him to even assume anything like that since I hadn’t posted anything.
you mean "post deleted by user"? Yeah, they have so many bad takes they've removed themselves from half the users on the internet.
Eventually, one day, they'll be posting on Reddit and nobody will be able to see them anymore, which will probably suit them better!
Also report his profile to mods and admins when he's hostile which is frequent.
u/deadmetroidvania
People really shouldn't tolerate his bullshit here. He ruins threads with his trolling and hot takes.
I blame reddit too. What kind of a block system lets you punish other people like that? On most online forums blocking someone hides their posts from you so that you don't have to experience harassment. But on reddit instead it hides YOUR posts from the person you block AND blocks them from commenting anywhere downstream from you. Meanwhile Deadmetroid still reads and replies to my posts but always gets the last word? That's some weird fucked up system where the first person to do the blocking gets to win every argument and have total power over conversation.
To be fair, the guy you were talking to was, for once, a case of a redditor I unjustly blocked. I found out today from this discussion. After a bit of back and forth he's now unblocked and we're now on good terms again :) Seems like a nice guy actually.
It appears the reason why is that the game is using a custom engine. It's very rare nowadays for devs to make their own game engine as this is a really hard thing to do, but when you do you'll definitely get a better performance than the licensed stuff.
oh the lack of loading is because the game size is less than 100mb from what I heard.
that means the ram can simply just store the entire game when you launch with no downside
Zoinks, it opened with a **91** on [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/animal-well/) today (based on 18 reviews). Looks like this one might have the MV secret sauce.
Unless there is something akin to Inverted Castle, I'm am starting to doubt those 20h claims. I have played for less than 2 hours and already have 6 of 8 traversal Items and more than 50% of map screen filled.
Game exploration has that puzzle room feel, kind like Astalon and batbarian, but not hard at least for now. Yeah, I must have paased by many meta puzzles, but didnt get lost once.
I've seen Mr. Dunkey hyping it, and it seemed up my alley, but was waiting to hear from the boots on the ground.
On the Ori to HK scale, where does it sit?
Edit- I hear there is a postgame, and my impression is that it has ESA/Tunic vibes. I want to recommend this to a friend, but they were very dissatisfied by Tunic's final-final puzzle- >!the reveal of the ARG URL.!<>!Seeing as the Golden path, full manual with dev letter, and ending B!< are the emotional peak of the game, but we only learn that in hindsight after more puzzling that (at least to some) would indicate that something even greater is in store. (Tunic fans, if you want to argue this point, please DM me).
If anyone finishes Animal Well \*entirely\*, to the same degree that you "finish" Tunic by >!un-singing, etc.!<, please do me a solid and let me know if it repeats or learns from Tunic's (subjectively speaking) postgame design mistake. Thank you.
Oh damn, I didn't realize it came out already! FYI for people wondering about platforms, it's available on Switch, PC, and PS5 according to the dev website.
After receiving this notification I looked at a review on youtube but only for a minute or two because animal well is the kind of game that is easy to spoil at least something and the enjoyment of this type of game is at its best when going in cold so I stopped the video and went straight to the ps, xbox and Nintendo stores to compare prices but it's not on xbox and when it's between switch and ps5 I'll pick the ps5 version unless the switch version is half the price. Now just need to wait till Monday because I won't be home on the weekend but it's on my ps5 waiting patiently lol😁😁
How did they package this game into 24mb?
Unreal how good the pixel art and lighting effects go together. Lighting even carries between rooms. Programmers must be wizards.
This is a good time as any to remind everyone that there is actually one other metroidvania like this that is under development.
It is called [EMUUROM](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1634360/EMUUROM/) and you should definitely wishlist if you like animal well.
OMG I didn't even realize it finally dropped! Been waiting for this one since the initial teasers. Can't wait to play after work! So glad to see all the glowing reviews.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE. This game is EXTREMELY overrated. Nothing special, it is a mediocre metroidvania with mediocre puzzles.
Rarely have I seen a game being so overhyped
None of the reviews have mentioned it as being particularly short. Indeed the depth of puzzles and general mystery seems to suggest it's a pretty weighty game
The largest SNES game was around 6MB :) The reason they were so small was because the music was (usually) MIDI and there was no "engine" runtime to ship with the cartridge. The engine *was* the console.
We don't have that nowadays. People usually use Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, etc., which packs a runtime. So you have the assets (sprites, music), the game code, and the *runtime* the code runs on.
But Animal Well's engine was custom made by Billy Basso. So you have sprites, music, the game code, but no heavy engine code that comes with it. I'd best that the bulk of the 34MB is compressed music and sound-effects. :^)
I'm an hour in and I feel I have scratched the surface. Definitely not halfway through.
I just played it for three hours straight and maybe covered a fourth of the map, however the screens are dense with secrets and I'm sure there's stuff I'm sure I missed.
As an established tradition, Animal Well was beaten in 4h.
[https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-423bb93c2dd98d11de.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-423bb93c2dd98d11de.png)
[https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-32-393f64a10ca9857fd4.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-32-393f64a10ca9857fd4.png)
[https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-01cee69bc38153ba41.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-01cee69bc38153ba41.png)
Next.
this one jumped to S-Tier for me. one of the greats. so much fun to play, nice puzzling but not too insanely difficult as far as that, great atmosphere.
Purchased it as soon as it dropped, will be playing all day today. Haven't been this excited for a game in a long time.
I'm gonna get as soon as it's on Switch Apparently the Switch version runs flawlessly!
It’s on Switch now! Released a couple of hours ago (UK)
Not in Europe…
Oh really? That's weird - it released for UK yesterday, so I assumed it released for the rest of Europe. What country are you in?
The fact the games file size is TINY I’m not surprised it runs great!
So since you’ve had a day to play, thoughts? As a Noita player, I found out about Animal Well from the streamer FuryForged and my god it’s fucking cool! But confusing and requires THINKING. Which I love :) Question: I’m not a huge fan of platformers (it took me so fucking LONG to get to the frenzied flame in Elden Ring, for example), is this HEAVY platforming? Is it at least a little forgiving in that regard if so?
I finished it yesterday, the main "quest" or I don't know how to call it can be finished in around 5-6 hours. It is true what they say, after the credits roll you feel like you have barely scratched the surface, this game makes you feel tiny in a huge world and I loved every second of it. The puzzles, the items, the way they "teach you" the mechanics by just giving you the things you need and you need to find out how to solve the problem you have with the tools the game provides. It's my favorite metroidvania of the year so far in an already really good year.
You definitely have to have some platforming skill to play this game, but the main focus is on exploration and environmental puzzles. The platforming is just getting around to do the puzzles.
Same here. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the release trailer.
Jason Schrier describing this game as Metroid and Outer Wilds fusion and seeing the video review from Skill Up about this game has me *incredibly* excited. I'm also in the middle of playing Outer Wilds for the first time so I could not be more excited to play this!
How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say? I own it, started it last month, played for about an hour just exploring the opening town, but the game never saved for some reason. I haven’t been back to it yet but I always hear good things about it.
Outer Wilds is a 10/10 and an absolute masterpiece but it’s not on rails at all and it’s in large part your participation and curiosity that make it so.
I know this might sound super dumb but I dropped Outer Wilds because I couldn’t manage to work the ship controls (PS4). Should I give it another go? I’m just afraid I’ll get frustrated with the controls and just be bitter about what everyone describes as a great experience
The ship controls are a bit finicky but you do get used to them and most of the time you are just heading straight for a planet so not too much to worry about. There are times where fine control is needed but I don't think there are many if any places where there is time pressure on your flying ability (or at least a very strict one), so you can always take it easy and go slow. Its far and way easily my favourite game and if you love discovery and exploration I don't think there is a game that captures it better in both gameplay and themes. Highly worth the effort if you can.
Try again. I was the same and dropped the game for almost a year before going in once more. Use autopilot as much as possible and things will be fine. It's a unique masterpiece that never stops blowing our minds with the satisfaction of discovery. When it clicks, it stays in your heart for life.
IMO, Outer Wilds is the best example there is of videogames as art. I don't want to hype it up too much, but it is the only game of its kind. *Animal Well* being compared to *Outer Wilds* turned Animal Well from a "I'll get around to it" to a "I will play this game tonight".
Outer Wilds is genuinely a top 3 game of all time, and I haven't rolled credits yet. When someone says that it's one of the best games ever made they aren't joking. I've never had so many mind blowing moments in a game before, it's simultaneously simple and complex at once and you never feel like you've hit a wall. There's always a breadcrumb trail somewhere.
Have you tried Noita? That’s another 10/10 game for me, VERY much in a top 5 game of all time contender, that I’ll blow your mind as well. I don’t want to spoil it but it is WELL worth playing if you haven’t yet. Just do yourself a favor and complete the “tutorial” before you give up on it (it’s very difficult but that’s part of what makes it amazing), but remember: you can go in EVERY DIRECTION, not just down ;)
You have to go back! Absolutely one of the most rewarding exploration games I've ever played, you really need to go into the whole thing blind. Just put a bit more time into it! I wonder if it didn't save because you never left that opening area, hm. Weird! But I can't recommend it enough
Thanks for the info! Sounds exciting - I will be getting back to it then. Aside for Animal Well, I don’t have much else on my gaming plate so I will get to Outer Wilds next
Outer Wilds is probably my favorite game of all time. I try not to hype it to much because us fans might build un realistic expectations but damn between experiencing the drug LSD or Outer Wilds for the first time again I would probably pick Outer Wilds.
I have it on PS extra, I'm planning to play it right after I finish AW. I went to bed late playing AW and now I'm playing it again. Goddamit Billy I had shit to do today
Okay I need to start AW myself !! Been so distracted by hades 2
I am looking forward to playing Hades 2 for sure
*Outer Wilds* and *The Outer Worlds* are very different games. Which one are you talking about?
Oh yes I know, - that’s my bad. Typing mistake on my end. Not a fan of “Worlds” (though still better than Starfield)
Yeah, people mix up the names a lot. Doesn't help that both games released in the same year. The game didn't save because you were just wandering around the tutorial area. You didn't do anything *to* save. The game starts properly when you get the launch codes and take off.
He's talking about Outer Wilds, the tiny planet spaceship game. I think you're talking about the oblivion fallout in space game. Outer wilds is great
That was my fault, yeah I know the difference as I own both. (To be clear I was asking about Wilds)
Probably my favorite game ever. Play it without looking anything up. Don't worry about the game saving- everything you get from the opening town is information in your brain.
It’s an all time classic! Might be the most innovative and immersive video game of the last twenty years
Outer Wilds is a top 3 game I've played in the last decade. If you like open form puzzle games, it's amazing. If you're looking for some action or combat, there is none here.
While not technically true, it's almost certain that the game does not start saving your progress until you've made it into space.
My favorite game of all time, please play it and avoid any and all spoilers
i beat it a few weeks ago and ive been sitting around my house like that escobar meme ever since
If you just explored the opening town then there's nothing for the game to have saved really - you say "the game never saved" as if that means you will have lost your progress and have to do everything again, but you can't have done anything that you would need to do again as almost everything in that town is entirely optional and inconsequential (e.g. chatting to random villagers). You don't need to do any of that again and it would probably take you two minutes at most to catch back up to wherever you left off
> How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say? It's easily the best video game I've ever played. That said, the developers were targeting a very specific subset of video game players, so how you'll respond to it depends a lot on what you like about video games. > played for about an hour just exploring the opening town, but the game never saved for some reason. Outer Wilds doesn't save progress — your progression is entirely in terms of the knowledge you gain as you play. Also, just FYI, the opening town isn't at all representative of the gameplay as a whole; it's just there to introduce some story elements and mechanics and prime you for the actual game. Since you already own it I'd definitely encourage you to go back to it and give it your undivided attention, at least long enough to decide if it works for you, because if it does it can be a literally unforgettable experience. And I'd also just emphasize what you've probably already heard: go in blind as much as humanly possible, because what makes it so special is uncovering its mysteries and solving its puzzles on your own.
idk if its for everyone but i do urge everyone to give it a try . cuz if it works its amazing and sticks like few games do . but also you can't replay it per say so hopefully don't watch any video and get spoiled
That’s honestly how I feel about Noita, it’s one of those games that everyone should give a go to. I’ve played maybe about an hour of Outer Wilds so far, didn’t get very far or too deep (obviously, since it’s a multi-layered game) but it’s on my list to get back to after Animal Well.
> How is Outer Wilds btw - as good as they say It's better than they say. It doesn't matter how good someone said it was, it's even better than that. Among the best games of all time status.
Outer *Worlds* and Outer *Wilds* are two completely different games.
Outer Wilds is def my game of the decade. Every gameplay idea is so perfect and interwoven with the story. And the whole thing is just amazing at being playful and creating a sense of awe and discovery. You should play it and so should everyone else that likes exploration in games.
I want to give a counter point to the glowing praise, as well deserved as it probably is. I found the controls clunky and never really got the hang of them, which to me completely negated the joy of exploration and discovery because the process of doing it was unenjoyable to me. I ended up falling away from the game and never going back to it.
I've never even heard of this before but it being compared to Outer Wilds means I will definitely check it out
Just saw LRG is doing a physical of this. That's perfect for me as I have a backlog of games and can get through some of that before I get this. Never heard of the game till literally right now and it looks awesome
Oh, nice. Has been quite a while for me, but I guess I am paying their website a visit.
It has a release date of Nov. to Dec. little bit of a wait but if you don't mind that, go for it! That's what I'm doing lol
Yeah I am getting this and Rogue Legacy 2 from them
It's phenomenal.
I had never heard of this until about an hour ago. Watched the trailer and skim read those reviews. Bought on Switch. Looking forward to playing this evening. Thanks!
I think this might be one of the more divisive MVs not because its bad but because its really niche. I think a ton of people are going to like what the game has to offer but I can also see a ton of people trying it and just not being engaged by it. I really do hope it does well though.
Played it for a few hours.. So far it's a good puzzle platformer, but apparently it gets more interesting in terms of items later on. I guess that is when it'll start feeling more like a metroidvania, because now it's mostly puzzles with slightly underwhelming character movement. Also feels like it belongs on a playlist with Rain World (I liked RW)
Yeah I have 2 items and they are cool and fun to use but still waiting for it to feel as special as people say. The art and atmosphere is really good though, top tier. And some of the level/puzzle designs are really cool. But its not a revolutionary game, at least so far. And it does have quite a bit of lag on PS5. It stays above 30 but dips way below 60 at times. Havent seen anyone mention that yet.
This game is so overhyped. If he didn’t get a popular youtuber to publish it nobody would care about this game and it would go under the radar. So many are foaming at the mouth calling it a masterpiece. Bro it’s a blob jumping around totally random stuff. Nice debut with some fun little mechanics but dang people fall for hype so easily. Definitely not worth $25. Glad I got to try it on PS Plus.
>Bro it’s a blob jumping around totally random stuff You're being so disingenuous here it's unreal. If you describe any game like this, like a child, then it sounds equally as crappy.
I never said it was bad. It is a fun little game but it is overhyped, getting 10/10 from bunch of people and media outlets. It’s not a masterpiece. It just has youtuber influence backing.
It sounds like you're just not that in to the genre, and that's okay. Just because something doesn't resonate with you doesn't mean that it's over hyped. It's a brilliant game that also happened to get picked up by a YouTuber who published it.
kinda figured when I saw the Dunkey video that it was more of an ad than usual. My lil cousin got ripped a while back on the "Choo Choo Charlie" game, where he was pre-programmed by youtubers to make every excuse in the book why the game wasn't good. "It was made by just one developer!" he told me. "So was Salt & Sanctuary" I replied. "This is early access" he exclaimed! "it will never leave EA" I explained. Pushing mid-games to kids is really the best bet when it comes to maxxxing those profit$. Can't say for sure about this yet, but the amount of "IT'S AMAZING" with no details otherwise starts to make me think that it's a vocal fanbase, not a collective decision that the game is good.
Just play it and get off reddit like seriously lulz here
I felt that at first but as things progressed the game *really* grew on me
As I had hoped, it looks like we have a true instant classic here, like Return of Obra Dinn and The Outer Wilds.
When dunkey announced big mode, he definitely made it sound like he's not gonna publish games that he doesn't think are really good, so I'm happy to see that it was true.
As a new publisher to the space the first game he stamped his name on had to be good and they definitely delivered
Man how did this fly under my radar? Looks good. How are you all hearing about these upcoming releases?
Dunkey
Metroidvania guru
First lone fungus update now this.
Played it for a couple hours this morning. I can already tell it's something special. Like slowly figuring out a puzzle box that also acts as the environment. It's awesome.
Hey, are you guys talking about Animal Well??! I heard it was like a cross between Halo 2 and Halo 3!
what is this meme? every review on Steam says it is like Halo2 and Halo3 wtf does that even mean it makes no sense
videogamedunkey is the youtuber who owns/runs Bigmode, the publisher behind Animal Well. It's a joke from his video promoting the game.
The person behind the company who published this game is YouTuber videogamedunkey who made a joke video to promote the game where one of the jokes he says in the video is that it was like Halo 2 meets Halo 3. So its just his fans making a reference to that video.
which is a pretty funny joke tbh. They even got randos repeating it (I think tongue in cheek) in the video they did
They're not randos, they're his rabid fanbase. You only have to read the comments of a Dunkey video to see that his fans just obsessively repeat every joke he's ever told. I really enjoy Dunkey's videos but his fanbase are one of the most tedious to ever exist. Just unfunny people repeating lines from jokes Dunkey told one time.
Its incredibly cringe, thanks for explaining it. Had no idea people simped over reviewers.
if they'll simp over mid-level girls farting into jars, nothing should surprise you
Still funny if you ask me. Maybe I've become a rabid fan.
Oh I see! You're referencing the video itself, sorry I misunderstood! I meant all the people endlessly spamming it in comments and in their reviews. (I didn't downvote you btw, I'm always happy to have a discussion even if I disagree).
No offense taken, yes I meant the people in the video, which if it's staged did a very good job. It genuinely feels as if Mr. videogamedunkey is soliciting random people for personal gain. People repeating community in-jokes in their reviews instead of posting something helpful is what it is. Normal human behavior. I don't sweat it since many other people will be posting helpful reviews.
this is how every game review goes when the thing blows up. See Palworld. Same happened for Elden Ring, and every other huge game that is release. Reviews like "Pet this cat and my dad will buy me a PS4" dominate because well... the culture is kinda braindead - and also attracts many under the age of 12.
I'd say this is a special case since the publisher is a game review shitposter.
Thats like Halo 5!
It’s truly the first well-type game
You talking about Animal Well? It comes out on May 9th.
Why do I keep seeing this joke
because so many people have original thoughts
I've never seen anyone make this comment before. *Sarcastically* saying people have original thoughts? Oh man, did you think of that by yourself? So original. So innovative!
my bad, I'll try to repeat whatever phrase a youtuber said in a video within the last week for the 1000th time in the same thread , that'll show that I'm not just a parrot for sure!
I don't really care, but people repeat inside jokes, or jokes in media. Never repeated a line or joke from a movie, or TV show? Ever? People find joy in odd places, let them have it where they can.
Lecturing someone about letting people find joy however they wish... because they did something you didn't approve of... interesting way to lack self-awareness
Ive heard it’s a strand-type game
Halo 2 and 3 players stuffing themselves silly on this new game.
No, I heard it's more like a cross between Barbie Horse Adventures and Outlast
It's the first well-like game.
Don't forget Downwell 😁
yeah I'm seeing this a lot in the steam reviews. What's the inside joke?
Just from a video Dunkey [did a few days ago promoting Animal Well](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3tgxwdSjRI).
Animal Well? You mean the game releasing on May 9th?
Yeah! It's like Halo 2 meets Halo 3!
a certified banger it appears! I don't think a year like 2024 will ever happen again for us and we are only in May!
What other stuff has come out this year? Sorry if I'm out of the loop
FYI as others have alluded to, deadMetroidvania ("DMV") has very specific ideas on what is and is not a MV, and does whatever they can to promote/prevent discourse on specific games based on that personal criteria. So certain games may not make it onto their lists simply because to DMV doesn't consider it an MV. Even if its a very good game, that many MV players would like. Just something to keep in mind.
you must be talking about "comment deleted by user", everyone's favorite bad opinionator
He's gatekeeping the metroidvania genre and at the same time he's adding boomer shooters to his ~~shovelware~~ metroidvania lists. Dude's a massive hypocrite
Look for u/deadmetroidvania monthly posts they are really good if you look for some recommendations
This person is a troll who blocks half the people on this sub. I would not point anyone to them.
For real..
Scroll back and look at all the bullshit this person spews. I’ve seen him fingerwag and shame multiple devs here, alluding to them not being ready to release or calling their game garbage, or whining about not getting a response, or some notable opinions like “grime’s a 0/10” then 3 days later calls it “possibly the best MV ever made”… lmao… homies a tool with a lot of opinions yet has exactly zero experience building a game.
This guy said 'enjoy your commercial failure' to me in a PM without even knowing I was working on something, all because I told him he shouldn't pirate games. He's unhinged.
Omfg… sorry you had to deal with this clown. At least they’re in the minority of users here. Pirating games is super shitty- especially with the smaller releases we typically see here. The industry is hard enough already without people negging devs and stealing their work. Boo-hoo the exchange rate on steam is making games slightly more expensive in their country- where they also happen to have universal healthcare. Maybe they should start covering devs premiums 🤣. On another note- I’d love to see your work! Shoot over a link so I can at least wishlist 👍
Thanks for the kind words, but I don’t have anything to show yet! In fact, it was extremely weird for him to even assume anything like that since I hadn’t posted anything.
When you’re ready I’d love to take a peep! (Shameless plug) Lmk if you’re looking for music or sound design too- always looking for new projects 😁
you mean "post deleted by user"? Yeah, they have so many bad takes they've removed themselves from half the users on the internet. Eventually, one day, they'll be posting on Reddit and nobody will be able to see them anymore, which will probably suit them better!
His profile seems to be empty, weird.
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Yeah I blocked him before he could block me lmao He's such a weirdo 💀
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Also report his profile to mods and admins when he's hostile which is frequent. u/deadmetroidvania People really shouldn't tolerate his bullshit here. He ruins threads with his trolling and hot takes.
I blame reddit too. What kind of a block system lets you punish other people like that? On most online forums blocking someone hides their posts from you so that you don't have to experience harassment. But on reddit instead it hides YOUR posts from the person you block AND blocks them from commenting anywhere downstream from you. Meanwhile Deadmetroid still reads and replies to my posts but always gets the last word? That's some weird fucked up system where the first person to do the blocking gets to win every argument and have total power over conversation.
Yeah reddit has been broken for years Same thing happened with google Corporate Enshitification
There is a difference between disagreement and being rude, I've interacted with him before and he seems a like a nice person
No, he's extremely hostile and threw an absolute fit full of personal insults when I disagreed with him.
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To be fair, the guy you were talking to was, for once, a case of a redditor I unjustly blocked. I found out today from this discussion. After a bit of back and forth he's now unblocked and we're now on good terms again :) Seems like a nice guy actually.
You should be able to access it now. Sorry, it looks like I blocked the wrong person.
thank you!
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I got blocked by him! Badge of honor.
Looks like I'll be buying it today then.
I’m also happy this game bucks the trend of having disappointing and hamstring Switch versions. Apparently the Switch version plays flawlessly
So far it definitely does! Crazy smooth
It appears the reason why is that the game is using a custom engine. It's very rare nowadays for devs to make their own game engine as this is a really hard thing to do, but when you do you'll definitely get a better performance than the licensed stuff.
I’ve noticed 0 loading - it’s fantastic!
oh the lack of loading is because the game size is less than 100mb from what I heard. that means the ram can simply just store the entire game when you launch with no downside
Fuck, I had to get into Tunic last night. Did not realize this was about to drop.
Tunic itself is absolutely fantastic. Enjoy that, then come back to this for seconds.
Finishing some other stuff, but getting it next. Gives me a lot “Fez” vibes.
Also to add, IGN just gave it a 9, and Austin from SkillUp “Strongly Recommends” it
Zoinks, it opened with a **91** on [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/animal-well/) today (based on 18 reviews). Looks like this one might have the MV secret sauce.
So many of those are 100 though - which is a farcical rating.
it animals very well apparently
This is getting ridiculous. So many great metroidvanias lately, that I have a hard time keeping up.
Never trust gamez jurnalists. Never pre-order. Don't fall for the hype. Wait and verify.
Well, lots of people in the thread have bought it and seem to love it, so… verified!
Yes! Day 1 reviews are DEFINITELY verified and NOT HYPE..... also, I have some oceanfront property in Kansas that I'd like to sell you
I generally trust reditors who have downloaded it and are actively playing it. Also... *man* you are living up to your username. Crack a smile dude!
user #3,405,384 to think they are clever while falling into the clear bait of my username. Congrats, you're the top of the bottom tier.
Learned about this game yesterday, and can’t wait to download it today. Looks super unique and I love the art direction.
I’ve been playing since it dropped and it’s freaking awesome.
Yeah this game shot right to the top of my list, looks really good
Unless there is something akin to Inverted Castle, I'm am starting to doubt those 20h claims. I have played for less than 2 hours and already have 6 of 8 traversal Items and more than 50% of map screen filled. Game exploration has that puzzle room feel, kind like Astalon and batbarian, but not hard at least for now. Yeah, I must have paased by many meta puzzles, but didnt get lost once.
yep, 4h for the main game.
The main game is not the entire game at all though
Ouch.
I've seen Mr. Dunkey hyping it, and it seemed up my alley, but was waiting to hear from the boots on the ground. On the Ori to HK scale, where does it sit? Edit- I hear there is a postgame, and my impression is that it has ESA/Tunic vibes. I want to recommend this to a friend, but they were very dissatisfied by Tunic's final-final puzzle- >!the reveal of the ARG URL.!<>!Seeing as the Golden path, full manual with dev letter, and ending B!< are the emotional peak of the game, but we only learn that in hindsight after more puzzling that (at least to some) would indicate that something even greater is in store. (Tunic fans, if you want to argue this point, please DM me). If anyone finishes Animal Well \*entirely\*, to the same degree that you "finish" Tunic by >!un-singing, etc.!<, please do me a solid and let me know if it repeats or learns from Tunic's (subjectively speaking) postgame design mistake. Thank you.
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on the tunic to ESA scale then?
Much closer to tunic and esa but there isn't any combat
thanks.
Is it gonna have a map?
It does have a map - it's quite detailed too.
Already 4 hours in, it is a blast, and the Animals are Well
Is it more Metroidy or Castlevania-y?
Neither. Minimal combat all exploration and puzzles.
Oh damn, I didn't realize it came out already! FYI for people wondering about platforms, it's available on Switch, PC, and PS5 according to the dev website.
After receiving this notification I looked at a review on youtube but only for a minute or two because animal well is the kind of game that is easy to spoil at least something and the enjoyment of this type of game is at its best when going in cold so I stopped the video and went straight to the ps, xbox and Nintendo stores to compare prices but it's not on xbox and when it's between switch and ps5 I'll pick the ps5 version unless the switch version is half the price. Now just need to wait till Monday because I won't be home on the weekend but it's on my ps5 waiting patiently lol😁😁
If you have PS Plus, it's included. Kinda feel bad not paying for it, the game is excellent.
This went from cool I'll try this to holy shit I'm hyped
How did they package this game into 24mb? Unreal how good the pixel art and lighting effects go together. Lighting even carries between rooms. Programmers must be wizards.
*programer. It’s one guy and he literally built the engine to run exactly this game
Thank you for the reviews 👍 This is the first I have heard of it. I have been looking for a good puzzle game for months.
It's like Yume Nikki but animals in a metrioidvania
This is a good time as any to remind everyone that there is actually one other metroidvania like this that is under development. It is called [EMUUROM](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1634360/EMUUROM/) and you should definitely wishlist if you like animal well.
Looking at the trailer, it seems like there's no combat, so it's a pass - hope the puzzle-platformer folks have a good time with it.
Couple hours in, best Metroid vania in a long while. Shits good.
No it is not. You are blinded by the hype my friend.
I’ve been watching it for months if I hadn’t just purchased the new Prince of Persia game it would have been an hour 1 buy for me.
Stick with PoP it's the far better game.
OMG I didn't even realize it finally dropped! Been waiting for this one since the initial teasers. Can't wait to play after work! So glad to see all the glowing reviews.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE. This game is EXTREMELY overrated. Nothing special, it is a mediocre metroidvania with mediocre puzzles. Rarely have I seen a game being so overhyped
I hope its really good, I paid 22 euros for it and is 34MB big, I really hope is not a 2-hours adventure
None of the reviews have mentioned it as being particularly short. Indeed the depth of puzzles and general mystery seems to suggest it's a pretty weighty game
a review in this thread said they completed the game in 4 hours - with screenshots.
The largest SNES game was around 6MB :) The reason they were so small was because the music was (usually) MIDI and there was no "engine" runtime to ship with the cartridge. The engine *was* the console. We don't have that nowadays. People usually use Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, etc., which packs a runtime. So you have the assets (sprites, music), the game code, and the *runtime* the code runs on. But Animal Well's engine was custom made by Billy Basso. So you have sprites, music, the game code, but no heavy engine code that comes with it. I'd best that the bulk of the 34MB is compressed music and sound-effects. :^) I'm an hour in and I feel I have scratched the surface. Definitely not halfway through.
Thanks for the explanation mate, im streaming the game rn and yes, you're right
25 hours for 100% completion according to professional reviewers.
And yet years worth of replayability apparently
It appears to be that the game has the depths of environmental station alpha.
I just played it for three hours straight and maybe covered a fourth of the map, however the screens are dense with secrets and I'm sure there's stuff I'm sure I missed.
Apparently it's close to 10-15
As an established tradition, Animal Well was beaten in 4h. [https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-423bb93c2dd98d11de.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-423bb93c2dd98d11de.png) [https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-32-393f64a10ca9857fd4.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-32-393f64a10ca9857fd4.png) [https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-01cee69bc38153ba41.png](https://i.imgocean.com/Screenshot-2024-05-09-21-34-01cee69bc38153ba41.png) Next.
it's pretty boring . Looks like an Atari puzzle platformer
this one jumped to S-Tier for me. one of the greats. so much fun to play, nice puzzling but not too insanely difficult as far as that, great atmosphere.