-- Ark 22 -- Adventure/rpg; Complete., Updated 08.11.07 Options

[Scooternew]

I saw this at ZFGC, and I know the hard work you put into this game. You truly deserve the high recognition you are already getting.

[BKO376]

This definately deserves staff's choice. Hear that staff!?!?!

[RetroVortex]

Right here's my review so listen up:

Graphics:
How I really like what you've doen with thew graphics they were not too complicated, but they weren't too simple so i really like it and I loved the space effect you really pulled it off...
I can tell you based this on zelda sprites but they are great sprites to use as a base:
Also love the menu and the cutscenes
Good Job!!
10/10

Sound and Music:
Now Usually this is where a game falters, but you haven't missed a detail, the music is nice and compliments the game really well, and there is a sound effect for everything
I don't think there is a game out thre with better sounds

9/10

Gameplay:
Now this is score may change because I'm not very far into the game, (i'm in the ice cave with all the puzzles and enemies) now I really think this is a quality gameplay; I like the sword and the pause menu and and the save functions I can't falter it ,(trust me I falter a lot of games)
and this is bug free!! perfect movement and the use of the keyboard is fatastic!! (the only way this can get better is joypad support, but i got joy2key so i can use a joypad for this game anyway!!) I can't wait to try out the minigames and keyboard..

9/10

I can see this game took you 2 and a half years.. It is of a great quality and i personnally think that this is better than Wubly!! (sorry wubly you may be unique but sometimes high quality beats origionality!!) and I look forward to a sequel or a new project.
You are one of the best here, Period!!

Total score: 28/30
My score: 9/10 (best game I've ever reviewed!!)

well actually there is one snag but it's not important and that is the resolution change but hey that's what you get for High quality

EDIT: I also have to say that this should be Staffs choice and Cage Match!!
It would pawn both!!

This post has been edited by RetroVortex: Oct 1 2005, 10:34 PM

[jaj]

I would like to say how much I like this and what exactly I like about it but I am out of words. So just to say you did a very good job!

[Pickaplex0]

By far one of the best games I have ever played. By the way, Congrats on your dedication. The longest I've ever worked on a game is about 7 months.

[fuse]

I can't find where to put the key card. Please someone help.

Anyway the game is good. I haven't found many problems yet.

[ru4iowahawkeyes]

fun but way to long!
I dont even know what i am doing!

im in chapter 1
(after the crash)

well great game!

10/10!

Steven

[Srehpog]

Wow. Thanks.

For all you people having trouble with the far-too-complicated ship section:

Ship FAQ:

- Talk to the NPC in the furthest south-east room, by the desk with a monitor on it. He'll ask you for a decrypted disk.
- Get the disk from the small table in the bottom-left corner of the main room.
- Press Enter on the glass of drink by the main desk to distract the guy standing there.
- Use the PC behind the main desk. The disk is now decrypted.
- Return to the first NPC and talk to him.
- Go to the bar and grab the tray of drinks waiting. Answer "Yes!".
- Go left to the front deck, and talk to the NPC on the platform, return to the main area and use the lift.
- Use the PC at the desk in the little room up here to launch a cutscene.
- After cutscene, use the lift to leave.
- On arrival in the main area, run RIGHT to leave the ship...

Also be sure to check the bug list in the first post. There is a way to lock yourself in a dungeon room, so be sure to avoid it.

This post has been edited by Srehpog: Oct 2 2005, 06:43 AM

[RetroVortex]

I think i may be the farthest in the game in the ice caves, but I don't know how to solve the second 3 in a row puzzle with the blocks

[Deadheat]

mmm well im into the cave. I killed that snake boss and he dropped that thing, i cant remember what it was. But now i have no idea what to do?!? And Retro im further then you:P

Some of those puzzles were hard, but im stupid so yeah XD

anyhelp of what to do next?

[RetroVortex]

You beat me!!
Oh well....
I'm stupider!!

[Srehpog]

Deadheat, you can always choose the 'directive' box in the Pause menu for hints. Right now though, you should have a crystal which fits into the pedestal in the entrance room and opens the way North. You can also save there.

Vortex, the solution to the second block puzzle in the room with 3 in is:
- left side, top
- underside, right
- left side, bottom
- topside, left

As of this afternoon I'll be away for a few days (going to university, takes a few days to register for a web connection, etc.), so if you need anything, just post it here or PM or email me or whatever. Don't let the topic sink!

[Deadheat]

ok i passed the first dungeon, now i just have to find the shrine to the east
wish me luck

This post has been edited by Deadheat: Oct 2 2005, 10:35 AM

[Carnivac]

Hmm.. I dunno. Theres stuff I like about this and stuff I don't.

The graphics are fairly nicely drawn though I don't like the sprites much. Everyone I've seen seems to be a Link To The Past main sprite edit and lack real character. The backgrounds are ok though a bit bland in color usage. The ship worried me slightly how there only seemed to be walls above and below but none to the side. Made it seem more like floating platforms whizzing through space than an actual craft. Ain't too keen on how small everything is, its double the resolution of most 16 bit games but its made everything half the size. Theres a couple of those cheap looking built in GM room transistions which make it look very amateur. The sketches in the cut scenes are alright.

Sound seems ok. Sound effects kinda typical but music seemed nice though the ship tune did start to get on my nerves.

Controls bothered me a lot. Using Space bar is fine if you ain't using many other keys but its clumsy when you have keys above it to you. Just ain't comfortable. And having to use Return to talk to people? And seems most people can only be spoken to from one side? Kinda awkward. Also the mouse pointer was annoying as hell, popping up whenever I needed to answer a multiple choice question. I don't see the need for the mouse at all. Is there any other way to select the options?

The whole ship bit was kinda boring as well. Always preferred it in games like Link To The Past where you were immediately drawn into the story and prepared to fight, it helping ya get the feel of the combat early on which to me is one of the most important things in games like these. Searching for a way to get coffee ain't quite got the same appeal for me. And why doesn't the machine offer me black coffee?


Anyways I listed all them negative things because other than those points I think this is a very good game with enough gameplay to last a while. I'll be playing again later though I'll set JoyToKey up to assign all the controls to joypad.... though the mouse pointers still gonna be an irritance.

Better than Zelda? Nah... but not a bad attempt at all and is probably way more deserving than some of the games in the Staff Choice (cannot stand that most recent one at all)

Nice work.

[Srehpog]

The entire ship section is worrying me quite a bit. It was the first thing I ever coded and it's caused so much trouble since, mainly by requiring a lot of updating and "why on earth did I do that" effect, but also by not actually being any good, and putting a lot of players off straight away. I may just delete it altogether. As you say, the ship effect isn't convincing, I used terrible transitions rather than just a simple scroll.....hmm. Might just cut the whole thing.

As for the controls, does ring finger on Z, middle on X, and index on Space not work? That's the way I imagine most people would play it, and it seems a little more comfortable than the usual straight-line ASD/ZXC/QWE systems. The multiple-choice messages are just the inbuilt response message system. I would have made my own text engine but didn't have the time, and I figured that could go on the "next time" list.

I do absolutely urge you to get past the initial boring, inelegant, amateurish bits though. I think you'd be pretty impressed with some of the later dungeons, particularly the fourth, or the boss of the first. I promise it shakes off the Zelda roots after a while.

[Carnivac]

As for the controls, does ring finger on Z, middle on X, and index on Space not work? That's the way I imagine most people would play it, and it seems a little more comfortable than the usual straight-line ASD/ZXC/QWE systems.

It's not even remotely comfortable for me. Maybe you got more desk space in front of your keyboard but if I try that I can't rest my wrist anywhere. Besides my Space bar is also a piece of crap and has to be hit pretty hard to work (which is why I always have to spend time editing my own posts and smacking down the space bar to break up the words). Before I got joypad USB converters I used to play all my SNES and Arcade games with QWE ASD as the 6 button lay out so I would be more used to that. No big deal though. Like I said I'm gonna set up a JoyToKey config like I have to do with so many GM games.

[TyR]

Seriously, a good game.

Amazing storyline, gameplay and feeling.

The only thing I dont like is that you change the screen res... makes it look blurry and stuff on big LCD monitors...

[kylethompson]

possibly the best game I've EVER played!

I love it!!!
11/10

[JJProductions]

possibly the best game I've EVER played!

I love it!!!
11/10

You havent played very many games, have you?

(Not trying to diss the game, I was talking about professional games. This is decent for a GM game)

[yami kazi]

i love this game a true gm classic 9.5/10

wonderful