Nicolas Graf

Fantastic show, it has its flaws but literally what Star Wars doesn’t??? I WILL be binging it again and again, and just like the rest of Star Wars, u notice new details on every watch!

Angel's Punishment is an all-around short and fun metroidvania. It's got several weapon types, each of them having separate playstyles, so one is sure to suit any player's. Its story is told through short, but surprisingly effective, conversations between characters, and dialogue that doesn't advance the story give personality to those characters. The gameplay and combat is quick and responsive, and paired with the dodge had me try to figure out the best and optimal way to defeat enemies while taking as little damage as possible. Upgrading your weapons using the gold you collect from enemies gives you a reason to fight rather than rush to the exit, and the power boost from said upgrades often changes how I approach certain enemies, most often more aggressive because of the higher damage. One main issue that I don't have a problem with but others might, is that one of the weapons is almost objectively better than every other weapon, dealing crazy amounts of damage (when upgraded) with a wide range of attack and at the same speed as the starting weapon, which just makes it hard to choose any other weapon over this one. I have no trouble with it though, I had a blast demolishing every enemy in front of me, and sometimes even the bosses. The music on the other hand was a little bit of an disappointment for me, as it never changed during any boss fights, not even for the final boss, which made the fight seem a little anticlimactic. Speaking of bosses, I found that they were very well designed with cool gimmicks and fighting styles, and figuring out when I should attack and when I should stay back and dodge was quite the challenge. The skills you learn in the game are quite a treat, and very on-brand for an angel, though I did wish there were more areas where you could take full advantage with them, as for each, there are mostly 1 or 2 rooms that require each skill and after that it's mostly used for moving around in an easier manner. Which brings in another flaw I find, there's very little secrets (as in, rooms inaccessible without a specific skill or weapon) in stage sections other than the first, so I never really had the incentive to go back to earlier areas to search for places I haven't been before, although I must admit that the secrets that are there are very convenient and helpful. The game is a little short, as I was able to beat it in around 3-ish hours, and it sort of ends abruptly, but I'd count it as a positive and negative comment, because once I finished the game, I wanted to play more of it. Though I feel now is where I address the elephant in the room, the price. I do not believe this game is worth the 30$ CAD (25$ USD) it costs, I was able to purchase the game at a discount and I encourage you to do the same if you see that it's on sale, but the game is far too short and does not have enough content to warrant the high price point in my opinion. TL;DR: Angel's Punishment is a good game that I had a lot fun playing, it's got cool weapons, fun skills, the combat is responsive and fluid, dungeon design is good. Music doesn't change in boss fights, and sometimes doesn't fit the environment, one weapon is way better than all the others, there's no reason to go back to previous areas, it's unfortunately quite short, and it's far too expensive for what it is, but if it's on sale and it's an appropriate price for you, I recommend it.