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Valfaris - Heavy metal-inspired sci-fi action-platformer from the creator of Slain. Out now for Switch/PC! (PS4 Nov. 5-6th, XB1 Nov. 8th)

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KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
Bought it, so far the music seems quite subdued for something that's supposed to be so metal. In regular areas it's so quiet I can barely hear it, during boss fights or kill rooms it does pipe up but doesn't get particularly heavy, sounding more like a holding pattern, like when a song just finished an intense bit and calms down a bit before the next verse begins. Sadly the volume doesn't go to 11 either.
 
Tendo

Tendo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
10,380
Rhaknar said:
is the performance bad or you mean burned because you didnt like the game?
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Performance was bad. Game was "fine" but the frame rate on switch even post patch was headache inducing for me. Eventually snagged and played on pc where it was fine. So I'd love to get this on switch but I want to make sure the frame rate is ok first.
 
Magnus

Magnus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,356
Oh man this is out today? Would love impressions. Wonder if the PS4 version will support 4K and be worth waiting for.
 
hussien-11

hussien-11

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,315
Jordan
I knew that some will be harsh on this game because of enemies respawn. however, this has been a fantastic game and my review will be much more positive than Nintendo Life. I'm loving this game a lot, one of the better indies this year for me:

- Excellent level design for an action game, and smart enemy replacement which is very important for this type of game.

- 2D art/graphics are gorgeous and effects are superb, this is hands down one of the best looking "pixel-art" games out there, if not actually the best.

- Story is just an excuse to play :P

- I don't listen to this type of music (metal) so I can't judge it.

- Good old school action! a variety of weapons (2 fire weapons and one melee weapon) which are upgrade-able but without complexity of modern games like exp systems... etc.

- The game feels like a mix of Contra (less bullets though) and Metal Slug with Metroid/Doom aesthetics.

- Game is not a bullet-hell game.

- Difficulty: not very hard compared to other action games, but a bit more difficult than your usual indie game. it requires some practice, but I don't think you will get stuck in any area for too long.
 
rsfour

rsfour

Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,737
Weird pc performance for me. Doesn't feel smooth to me. Noticing frame drops and such. Maybe because I was playing windowed Gsync, which wasn't working properly in windowed
 
hussien-11

hussien-11

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,315
Jordan
Don't sleep on this game if you want a classic action game with gorgeous pixel-art. it is one of my favorite indie games this year. I hope more people pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did.
 

Deleted member 4494

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,798
Got this the other day on PC. It's fun as hell; well designed bosses, environments, encounters -- you have to be a lot more careful playing it than you'd think; it's pretty easy to die if you aren't careful.
 
wafflebrain

wafflebrain

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,189
This looks really good, missed out on Slain but hard to say no to a modern run n gun with pixel art this good. Seeing comparisons to Metal Slug and Contra is wonderful.
 
correojon

correojon

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,410
I loved Slain and was very surprised that the game got such a timid reception, so I´ll be getting this as soon as I make room in my gaming-schedule.

hussien-11 said:
I knew that some will be harsh on this game because of enemies respawn. however, this has been a fantastic game and my review will be much more positive than Nintendo Life. I'm loving this game a lot, one of the better indies this year for me:

- Excellent level design for an action game, and smart enemy replacement which is very important for this type of game.

- 2D art/graphics are gorgeous and effects are superb, this is hands down one of the best looking "pixel-art" games out there, if not actually the best.

- Story is just an excuse to play :P

- I don't listen to this type of music (metal) so I can't judge it.

- Good old school action! a variety of weapons (2 fire weapons and one melee weapon) which are upgrade-able but without complexity of modern games like exp systems... etc.

- The game feels like a mix of Contra (less bullets though) and Metal Slug with Metroid/Doom aesthetics.

- Game is not a bullet-hell game.

- Difficulty: not very hard compared to other action games, but a bit more difficult than your usual indie game. it requires some practice, but I don't think you will get stuck in any area for too long.
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Thanks for this mini-review, what do you think about the combat system? Even though Slain´s one was pretty simple I liked it a lot and it got "some" depth allowing you to make some choices here and there, is this anything like it?
 
hussien-11

hussien-11

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,315
Jordan
correojon said:
Thanks for this mini-review, what do you think about the combat system? Even though Slain´s one was pretty simple I liked it a lot and it got "some" depth allowing you to make some choices here and there, is this anything like it?
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I didn't play Slain so I don't really know how it compares (though I'm certainly going to get it in the future). However it is a simple game at heart. you have 3 categories of weapons, one of them has infinite ammo which will be your main weapon, while the other consumes an energy meter which can be refilled.

Some weapons are more suited to certain situations but you can manage with any combinations. you run and shoot but you also can hold and shoot in 8 different directions Samus Aran style. and the same button used to hold can be used to defend and using the armor to deflect projectiles and certain attacks but it will consume your meter.

The interesting risk/reward system in the game is the checkpoint system. when you reach a point you can use an item to activate the checkpoint. however, clinging to this items you collect will increase the MC's health bar so this is something you think about everytime you reach a checkpoint in the game. should I use the item? or risk replaying more but keep my health bar larger?

The rest depends on how the game and encounters are designed and I think it is very well done and smart. shooting is satisfying especially with the "shake screen" effect. it is a simple game but pure fun in my opinion.

carlosrox said:
Is this as annoyingly difficult as Slain? I tried to like that game but just found it tediously difficult.
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I didn't play Slain unfortunately so I can't compare. I will say that the game is difficult, but I didn't find it to be frustrating or annoying personally. certainly it is not as difficult as many other 2D action games.
 
Duncan

Duncan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,939
No one's playing this game so I'm not even gonna care about spoilers but whoever decided to have TWO Tomb Keepers in one fight in that cramped ass area; should be ashamed of themselves you garbage misery people.

Otherwise this game is pretty rad. It's like if you combined the Centaur pinball machine and Mega Man.
 
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Duncan

Duncan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,939
Absolute GARBAGE.

gOYHdzi.gif


oAZnm48.gif
 
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Deleted member 4494

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,798
I like that bosses in this game aren't damage sponges; if you know what you're doing, they can be dead quick -- but they do have mechanics that really test that you know what they can do and you've studied them out a bit.
 
AnimeJesus

AnimeJesus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,169
Probably won't touch this on Switch after how Slain turned out performance wise. Will likely get it on PC at some point.
 
Magnus

Magnus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,356
Duncan said:
Just refer to the gif I posted previously as my general sentiments of the game. It performs fine, I just don't think I can go on if the game just keeps it rhythm of frustration.
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This implies shitty hitboxes (and/or other technical issues) are common, but you're also saying it performs fine... haha. But I gather you that your advice overall is to stay away.
 
Portmanteau

Portmanteau

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,499
I'm not having too many issues with hitboxes, but yeah those gifs aren't great. I'm enjoying this game a lot still.
 
Duncan

Duncan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,939
Magnus said:
Yikes. Super common, or just with that particular enemy/obstacle?
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i meant it as performance wise like frame rate and stability. There are a couple of hitches, otherwise it's good. I enjoy the stages more than the boss fights. The look of the game is phenomenal, but I dread the next boss fight. Also, if you care about time, on the Switch, even on sleep mode the timer still goes. So I have like 47 hours of game time according to the in-game clock.
 
Crissaegrim

Crissaegrim

Member
May 23, 2018
1,009
I liked Slain, didn't love it. It had some unforgiving moments but I loved the art style (Valfaris looks even better!)

However, I think I'll wait for a sale on this one, $25? I was a bit shocked by that. Indie games are rising in price lately. Not an argument, I just can't afford this price point for such short games. That's literally half the price of a full fledged retail switch game from Walmart (games are $50, not $60)
 
neon_dream

neon_dream

Member
Dec 18, 2017
3,644
EricOfSeattle said:
Probably won't touch this on Switch after how Slain turned out performance wise. Will likely get it on PC at some point.
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Dead Cells plays great on Switch. So does Blasphemous. So do most other indie games.

A few bad eggs shouldn't steer you away from indie games that are good fits for a portable system, or even if you use it docked.
 
AnimeJesus

AnimeJesus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,169
neon_dream said:
Dead Cells plays great on Switch. So does Blasphemous. So do most other indie games.

A few bad eggs shouldn't steer you away from indie games that are good fits for a portable system, or even if you use it docked.
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But this is by the same dev as Slain...which is why I'm avoiding their games on Switch.

I don't avoid indie games on switch...it's actually my primary platform for indies, unless it's a terrible port (ie. Bloodstained).
 
Directed by Fulci

Directed by Fulci

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,439
Put in a couple hours and this is exactly my shit. Fast-paced, challenging (but with frequent check points), visceral as fuck, and just throws a whirlwind of set pieces and boss fights at you. The presentation is incredible and the whole thing is absurdly metal. Highly recommended!
 

Danteyke223

Banned
Oct 24, 2018
937
Lord of Ostia said:
Those hitboxes seem really wonky.
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That's just one boss, and all the other hit boxes are okay as much as I played. The game actually is rather lenient on which weapons you use to tackle the bosses. I'm enjoying it, shame it will probably bomb.

Simple 9/10 for me, never played Slain, but this game is just super well done. The OST, the gameplay, the bosses are especially fun, none of them are annoying. Maybe the Tomb Keeper where there is two of them, but they can be insta killed with rockets and melee.

Performance on the switch is fine. It is a fast paced game, with some really unique boss fights, and environments. I also like the resurrection system.
 
Megasoum

Megasoum

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,562
I bought the game after watching Giant Bomb play a bit of it on friday night.

Enjoying it so far but I know that I have missed a blood medal because the GB guys already had 3 when they stopped playing and I only have 2 after getting further into the game...

Can I go back to pick up what I've missed or am I screwed?
 
RedOnePunch

RedOnePunch

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,628
This game doesn't look like it would run smoothly on the switch. Also is the screen too small for the amount of detail in the game?
 
Nicolas Rage

Nicolas Rage

Member
Jul 25, 2018
41
Tendo said:
Waiting on switch performance before buying. Got burned hard on slain.
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Switch performance has had positive reports thus far, I didn't personally play through the Switch version (I tend to opt for PC for gaming), but as far as feedback goes you shouldn't have fears of performance!
hussien-11 said:
I knew that some will be harsh on this game because of enemies respawn. however, this has been a fantastic game and my review will be much more positive than Nintendo Life. I'm loving this game a lot, one of the better indies this year for me:
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Thanks for the detailed review - I'm glad you've enjoyed playing through it!
rsfour said:
Weird pc performance for me. Doesn't feel smooth to me. Noticing frame drops and such. Maybe because I was playing windowed Gsync, which wasn't working properly in windowed
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Could I grab your system details if possible? I'll see if I can help out!
carlosrox said:
Is this as annoyingly difficult as Slain? I tried to like that game but just found it tediously difficult.
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It's definitely difficult, but I didn't find it annoyingly so. Some fights are obviously harder than others, but once you work out the mechanics for each boss fight, it's not too bad.
Spoo said:
I like that bosses in this game aren't damage sponges; if you know what you're doing, they can be dead quick -- but they do have mechanics that really test that you know what they can do and you've studied them out a bit.
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For sure, once you've figured out each bosses mechanics it's just a question of executing correctly!
EricOfSeattle said:
But this is by the same dev as Slain...which is why I'm avoiding their games on Switch.

I don't avoid indie games on switch...it's actually my primary platform for indies, unless it's a terrible port (ie. Bloodstained).
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As I mentioned above, we've had positive feedback regarding Switch performance. There's a fair amount of content out on YouTube where you can see how it handles, alongside a plethora of reviews.
Directed by Fulci said:
Put in a couple hours and this is exactly my shit. Fast-paced, challenging (but with frequent check points), visceral as fuck, and just throws a whirlwind of set pieces and boss fights at you. The presentation is incredible and the whole thing is absurdly metal. Highly recommended!
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Glad it's up your street! Have you managed to finish the game as yet?
Danteyke223 said:
That's just one boss, and all the other hit boxes are okay as much as I played. The game actually is rather lenient on which weapons you use to tackle the bosses. I'm enjoying it, shame it will probably bomb.

Simple 9/10 for me, never played Slain, but this game is just super well done. The OST, the gameplay, the bosses are especially fun, none of them are annoying. Maybe the Tomb Keeper where there is two of them, but they can be insta killed with rockets and melee.

Performance on the switch is fine. It is a fast paced game, with some really unique boss fights, and environments. I also like the resurrection system.
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Yeah, I personally didn't have any issues with hit boxes when playing through the game - I am on PC though. Happy to hear you enjoyed the game though, and thanks for the mini-review!
 
rsfour

rsfour

Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,737
Nicolas Rage ryzen 3600, gtx 1070, 16gb ram.
Out of town atm, so I can't check how it feels on full screen, and uhh exclusive full screen? With gsync.
Didn't check how it ran on a normal monitor either.
Pretty sure it's just how inconsistent windowed mode gsync is, and if it'd work or not
 
Nicolas Rage

Nicolas Rage

Member
Jul 25, 2018
41
rsfour said:
Nicolas Rage ryzen 3600, gtx 1070, 16gb ram.
Out of town atm, so I can't check how it feels on full screen, and uhh exclusive full screen? With gsync.
Didn't check how it ran on a normal monitor either.
Pretty sure it's just how inconsistent windowed mode gsync is, and if it'd work or not
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If you could let me know how it runs with the other scenarios (full screen/different monitors, etc) it'd be hugely helpful.

Either way I'll pass the feedback on!
 
bytesized

bytesized

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,882
Amsterdam
Dad_and_Videogames

Dad_and_Videogames

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,997
I know Slain got a lot of guff for being too hard, and then got a big patch supposedly fixing the difficulty. It was weird. I am far from an expert gamer but I beat it with a bit of difficulty pre-patch, but couldn't do crap post-patch.

If this game manages the difficulty better, I'm all in. I LOVED the atmosphere of Slain, and this looks rad as well.
 
dbcyber

dbcyber

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,399
UK
This game is amazing! Surprised it's not getting more recognition. Plays well, difficulty is just right and of course the art style and music is Metal as fuck. Really happy I bought this game and appreciate the PS1 style graphics, stands out from the usual indie affair.
 

Maso

Member
Sep 6, 2018
909
I had a really good time with Valfaris. Would highly recommend.
Horseticuffs said:
I know Slain got a lot of guff for being too hard, and then got a big patch supposedly fixing the difficulty. It was weird. I am far from an expert gamer but I beat it with a bit of difficulty pre-patch, but couldn't do crap post-patch.

If this game manages the difficulty better, I'm all in. I LOVED the atmosphere of Slain, and this looks rad as well.
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"Slain!" was the biggest steaming garbage pile of a video game before it got relaunched as Slain: Back from Hell. Any sort of difficulty was the least of its issues. No hyperbole on that all.
 
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