TONIGHT WE HUNT

I know I am very late to writing a review for this game, but overall, I enjoyed this game for how short it is. There are a few gripes I had about the game - which I have listed below - along with what I liked.

Pros:

1. I thought the art for this game was great. Every character had unique that designs that are recognizable even as silhouettes, and the overall visuals perfectly set the tone for the game's areas, and it's atmosphere in general.

2. I found it interesting how the different weapons in game corresponded to the different arrow keys. Although I would've preferred that the scythe, daggers and sword have their own moveset - rather than corresponding to certain keys - it was a unique way to incorporate the game's combat system.

3. I appreciate the fact that the majority of the game's story - including the bosses' pasts - were told through visuals, and even the gameplay. For example (SPOILERS FOR THE GAME'S STORY) when the hunter is tricked into fighting his brother by the Hoarsing Box Devil, he is treated as a boss in the game because the hunter assumed it was one of the Devil's minions. However, when the same happens in the third fight he and his companion have with the HBD, the hunter chooses to avoid the boy's attacks when the Devil's casts his illusion spell - showing how he has grown from his first counter with the HBD. The only problems I had with the game's story were pretty minor. Such as how Jael and Neuron's reason for expressing their anger wasn't explained, and that the Barnevelder's owner didn't seem to like him - despite the Barnevelder seemingly caring for him.

4. Aside from the dame's running attack, I thought that the bosses were fair, and their attacks were reasonably avoidable. I wish that - apart from Jael and the HBD - the bosses either had more attacks, or more difficult to avoid ones. Since even in their second phases, I didn't struggle much on my third playthrough and onwards when dealing with them.

Cons:

1. When Nina's scythe is paired with Neron's mask and the twin daggers, you get a very overpowered set up. To provide a brief example of this, in Jael's fight I managed to skip his second phase and the tower by using these two weapons and mask alone. The only time these three tools didn't work as well in my opinion was during the HBD's first and second phases - mainly because it was risky to use the scythe on the edge of the train.

2. The fear mechanic was an interesting addition to the game, but in my opinion it's execution was mediocre. The only consequence for losing your weapons - from what I've seen - when your fear meter fills up is that the player loses one of their weapons every time they get hid. This does sound consequential at first, but once you get all the weapons, losing any just becomes a mild inconvenience. Besides, once a boss is done their attack, they pause for long enough to allow you to grab your dropped weapons anyways. The biggest problem I have with this weapon losing mechanic is that the gun is taken away from you last. Since it is basically the best weapon for attacking enemies while preventing yourself was building your fear meter. Speaking of bosses, I don't like how the majority of them have basically the same way of using it. As in, they have this fear aura that only appears around them, which only appears just before they're about to do an attack. The only exception to this was the barnevelder, whose fear aura is incorporated in an attack, actually moves around with him, and is difficult to avoid due to the spikes that come out from the ground. Consequently, the most I've ever liked seeing the fear mechanic was during the barnevelder fight.

3. I noticed that you can beat the game even without beating half of the bosses - barnevelder, the dame, unaguile and (SPOILERS FOR THE GAME) your brother. All you have to do to face the final boss is to kill jael and neron - as they give the boy the guns needed to kill the demon preventing you from escaping. In my opinion, the only motivation the player would have for killing the other bosses is to get the gun. As it makes the final boss' first and second phases a lot easier

4. The gun makes the final boss, and a few other bosses really easy to beat. In fact, my main strategy for the final boss was to equip the barnevelder mask and shoot them to death in all three of his phases. In my opinion, since it is a ranged weapon, it should've been given to the boy to add to his arsenal of guns. One of my solutions to this are to either make it so that some bosses have a projectile shield of sorts - one that only breaks after being shot at enough times, or when they are about to use an attack. Thus, making it more risky to rely on the gun as opposed to any other weapon. Alternatively, the gun of valore could've been given to the boy instead - as he appears to be a gunman of sorts - and the hunter could've been given a fourth melee weapon instead.

Here are some lore questions I had about the game that you don't have to answer if you don't want to:

1. I noticed that the scythe's official name is "Nina's scythe." Who is Nina? Was she a former hunter, and possibly the woman in the statues where every weapon is found?

2. Will we get to learn more about the boy, the mask holder and meep's past in a future sequel to the game?

3. Do the demon hunters have an organization of sorts, or are they mainly independent? The hunter's brother implied that demon hunters share common values - such as killing any demon on sight, regardless of how moral they are.

4. Why do the people of valore - and the hunters - wear some kind of mask or hood? Is it because it grants them special powers, or is done to conceal their identity for some reason?

5. How long have the hunter and his brother been demon hunting for? Given the conversation they both had with each other before they fought the unaguile, I'm assuming that the events of valore were not their first job.

6. What happens to the servants of the HBD after they die? Do they get sent to an afterlife, or do they die permanently.

7. Who did the guns and twin daggers belong to? Former hunters I'm guessing?

The combat is good but the slow movement tripped me up lol. Had a good time playing the first level so I'm excited for the other levels. Did a two gameplay vid and your the second vid