The demo version of the game ReSetna pleasantly surprised us. Although we noticed a few bugs and some awkwardness in the gameplay, what we saw seemed promising. For a Croatian studio, this is quite an ambitious project, and we believe that the team from Today’s Games will improve the game in certain aspects.
This game boasts a dark and mysterious atmosphere, attractive graphics, and well-coordinated sound and music. As a metroidvania and platformer, ReSetna brings typical genre elements, such as fast travel, diverse boss fights, and the constant appearance of enemies when entering the same areas.
The gameplay is somewhat clumsy and not very well executed. The game offers various types of attacks, including regular attacks, jumping attacks, charged attacks, and even ground slams. The biggest challenge is the parry mechanic, whose animation is extremely short, so you have to anticipate attacks several seconds in advance, as perfectly timed parries are almost impossible. On the other hand, it's positive that enemies don't feel like they have too much health, meaning the amount of damage you deal to them is satisfying. However, you will definitely encounter opponents that will frustrate you more than others.
For example, ground battles against robots are quite entertaining – whether they are sword-wielding ones or robots charging at you. On the other hand, flying robots are rather unusual because they have unpredictable movements. They often appear above you and attack alongside other enemies, forcing you to fight on two fronts.
However, flying robots often pass through walls (probably a bug in the game) and will constantly fly higher into the air, making them difficult to defeat. You will also encounter various elite enemies, such as worms that dig underground. The boss fight was interesting, but we won’t reveal too much to avoid spoilers.
Essentially, the problem lies not so much in the design of the robots as in the gameplay itself, which occasionally "stutters." Robots can block your attacks, and when that happens, the only option is to try to execute a parry, which, as we mentioned before, is quite challenging. Additionally, the dash mechanic often becomes non-functional after a blocked attack, allowing enemies to literally attack you however they want during those moments. Nevertheless, dashing has otherwise been extremely useful for avoiding enemy attacks and outsmarting opponents.
As you progress in the game, you will unlock additional platforming mechanics, such as double jumping or sliding along walls. Platforming is mostly straightforward and without major challenges – you will jump up, down, left, or right, and most platforms are accessible at any time. Special praise should be given to the map used for navigation. Everything is clearly marked, with no need for random exploration; as you progress through quests, essential elements will automatically appear on the map legend.
Fast travel points are located in multiple places, and you can also save your game progress there. Currency is easy to collect – practically every time you enter a new room, you can fight enemies or simply skip them, although they will persistently follow you until the end. Additionally, you can always visit the main zone where you take on key quests and various upgrades. Although the demo did not showcase these upgrades well, the option to purchase them exists, but for now, we don't have many details about them.
The story is often in the background in such games, and the same is true for ReSetna. Most of the time, the actual plot is forgotten as the game rarely reminds us of the story. On the other hand, the graphics are very good, and it is interesting to follow what is happening in the background, as well as to explore the diverse characters that appear throughout the game world. The world is not too large, so traveling from one end to the other is quick and easy. The side-scrolling aspect adds a special charm to the game and fits perfectly with the rest of the design.
The demo offers a lot of content, so it is not surprising if you find yourself completely immersed in this version of the game. Of course, you may encounter a few bugs, such as being unable to climb ladders, falling through the ground, or using jump attacks while on the ground. These minor issues did not significantly affect the overall experience, but they are certainly noticeable.
If ReSetna improves certain aspects and adds a bit more "polishing," this game could be very good and will definitely find its audience. Given the quality of the studio, we are not disappointed with what we've seen, and we believe you won't be either. You can play the demo version on Steam, and the game is also part of the Steam Next Fest event.
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