On his YouTube channel Konjak has a video of what seem like sensible if unconnected small ideas about accessibility and flow in Metroid-like games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIWGjyfXF4Mainly what I took away from the clips is that I prefer
Metroid Fusion’s aesthetic. Look at those movement animations, and some of those backgrounds, and those boss sprites. To my eye, it has the edge in atmosphere and polish. I like
The Iconoclasts's look, but it is a bit too cartoony, bright and unrestrained. Some of the perspective forms look a bit weird too. Still, overall nice to look at.
In the video he mentions using few buttons with multiple context sensitive uses, changing areas that are revisited, eschewing cutscenes, and he appreciates to some degree the importance of challenge (“the best parts are when I made it through something and
only just survived”).
Here are some notes from his website from when he released a demo:
http://www.konjak.org/index.php?pagen=4Hello, all you lovable nudists!
Swinging by to say I'm still working on the game, I just don't feel I have excuses often to make new posts on this site. But if you use Twitter I once again remind you all that I talk on there all the time, just click the blue "t" icon on the top of this website.
As for the game, I've had recent realisations lately of how much I feel I need this and that to be in the game for others to like it, or possibly to have them not complain. But it's all so much superficial things and features of a nostalgic past. If I can think of reasons I don't need something, I will embrace if from now on.
What I've decided on lately is fewer items in the game, because most of the ones I have are able to be dynamic enough to not warrant a large array of them, and I always thought this way, but felt "it's more fun to find new stuff". But that doesn't challenge me to be more clever with less. And having less makes a game much easier to understand, and fun. Quite a while ago (before the alpha) I even removed things like a dodge move, wall jumping and little hops when crouching because they didn't add anything I couldn't replace with other design elements.
- iconocoral.png (83.42 KiB) Viewed 23427 times
Something I decided on just today was to remove all the ability to upgrade health and power. I can scale enemy challenge on my own (much easier), and without relying on players being a certain "level" toward the end, asking them to go find stuff they might not want. And the enemies are mostly based on tactic, and being able to kill a weak point faster when you still need the tactic before feels superficial and pointless. I will still have the hidden items, but think of a much more meaningful use for them.
Making The Iconoclasts is very much a self-indulgent and derivative venture though. It's a desire to make a game in a genre I always wanted to, but things like its looks and platforms is just for an ease of creation. I'd make the whole game hand-drawn art if I felt it was realistic for me. But my main point is also that I don't have to settle for what games like Metroid did and instead try to come up with new approaches too, which I felt I did in the alpha already, but I can streamline it even more to make it a completely unique game.
That's enough rambling! Have a nice day!
Considering the above, what I’m hoping for is this: some complex but elegant and creative items to discover, tactical fights that you can’t tank with upgrades, and at worst non-frustrating level design with some challenge. Those things, plus the spritework, should make for a really nice Metroidvania.
According to
this PC Gamer preview, it also has “some surprisingly well-enunciated philosophies and a cast of caricatures that are more fully realised and intriguing than those of most RPGs” so, lol, we’ll see about that too.