rittzler

Published: 29 Jul, 2023

Genres: Metroidvania, 3D Platformer, Exploration, Souls-like, Fantasy

Estimated Game Length: 5 hours

The game

Pseudoregalia is one of the few games that I can call a wonder and suffering to experience and frustrating to navigate.

Already on the previews, it is clear that this game was made with love and passion. This fact only becomes more apparent as you adventure through the distorted castle of Sansa. It is undoubtedly beautifully crafted and takes inspiration from retro video games, naming Super Mario 64 in particular.

The Positives

The design. It isn't only the environment that is beautiful. It's also the music and the overall character design of both friends and foes. So far, I can't think of a single game environment that is unoriginal or plain in contrast to the rest of the levels. They all perfectly capture the nostalgic experience of retro video games, which shows how well the developer studied their resources.

The layout. It is rare for me to come across a 3D platformer metroidvania. As my second experience with this specific genre, I am pleased to say the layout was perfectly crafted for any platformer enjoyers of every level. It is both challenging for newcomers and adventurous for experienced. There are all kinds of routes and secrets hidden across the maps and it makes me appreciate all the effort the developer poured into this game.

The abilities. The developer proved time and time again their creativity and their abilities are no exception. Similar to other metroidvanias, the abilities focus on physical upgrades to help navigate areas. Unlike the 2D stylised games of this genre, this game takes advantage of the 3D environment to enable wall running and jumping. It is incredibly rewarding to obtain an ability that will assist in my journey, though I like how it isn't required to obtain abilities to explore areas. You can decide whether you'd like to challenge yourself or not.

The Negatives

Underdeveloped map. As you may have noticed, I previously stated that it is frustrating to navigate. There is no exaggeration in these words. There are no marks for the items or yourself, leaving you having to figure out what you missed. It becomes an unnecessary chore in the game having to figure out where is your position in the room, in case you enter the wrong door. At times, I am left unsure where to go because there is no world map, unlike metroidvanias like Hollow Knight.

Meaningless battles. I loved the enemy designs, the combat animations, and the battle system. Sadly, this all falls short when there are no rewards to these battles. I end up running away from the enemies since I am not motivated to battle. Even for boss battles, I am left empty once I kill the enemies. It becomes tedious for bosses because there is no HP bar.

Overall

In full honesty, I have considered giving this game a lower rating due to these two negative points alone since it was a significant aspect of the game. I won't also deny that I have considered dropping the game. Despite my frustration, as I roamed the map thoughtlessly, I was reminded of why I originally loved the game—the adventure. I truly believe this game was made to be enjoyed by lovers of platformers and retro games. It was satisfying to play, in the sense of exploring newly discovered areas and finding new techniques. Add the environmental design and music to it and Pseudoregalia becomes a wonderfully wrapped gift of nostalgia.