The secret society Animalia is building a planet-destroying super weapon. Humanity's last hope is a super elite combat unit known as a Hero, but you can call her Tomomi. Take control of an awkward pervert with a wicked katana and crush evil under the immeasurable weight of love & justice! Although, just to clarify, this game is still at least a tier below the Shantae series in terms of lewd content. We try to keep it PG here, provided you ignore all of the coarse language and ultra-violent game coverage. Anyway, this is a Metroidvania, an extremely lean one at that. If you have five hours to spare, then you can 100% complete it... twice!
I complain a lot about slow-paced games, so it's only right that I show a little appreciation for one that moves lightning quick. Animalia headquarters is by no means tiny, but the developer avoided the common pitfall of creating several empty rooms that serve no purpose. Riko is Tomomi's partner on the inside. She provides advice about upcoming obstacles. Conversations between the two make up the bulk of the game's narrative. Thankfully, nothing close to a lore dump is dropped in your lap. Pretty much all of the dialogue could fit on a single piece of paper. This game is designed around momentum and hanging onto it for as long as possible. Fans of "world-building" aka screen-after-screen where nothing happens should seek something else.
Naturally, the heroine moves like the wind, or rather... the storm. What I mean to say is that she's fast, fluid, and quick to rain hell on everything that accosts her. You'll pick up the basics instantly. The controls are nice and loose, with an attack speed that's satisfyingly speedy. Tomomi has a standard three-hit combo, and the delay after the third hit can be jump or shuriken-canceled. This is an important incentive to utilize all of her tools at once. The double-jump and dodge are unlocked pretty quickly as well, and they contribute to a very input-intensive game. You're always going to be pressing *something* even in those rare moments where there isn't any opposition. Any sort of contact with enemies is dangerous, but you'll slay most everything in 0 to 3 seconds, so it balances out.
The protagonist can throw shuriken, as long as she has the MP for it. This is a system that likely won't make itself apparent until the late-game and beyond, simply because MP and recharge speed start off very low. Once you start upgrading Tomomi's ability to replenish MP with ranged attacks, you'll have a reliable side-arm for when you need to take a step back but don't want to give up the assault. Other essential upgrades include HP restoration when an enemy is destroyed. Cheap vending machines dot Animalia, and they're your only other healing source. If you need a pick-me-up during a boss, then try killing any adds that show up. Again, this is in service to the game's momentum. It provides immediate sustenance as long as you feed it destruction. I think this system they've devised is engaging, not to mention entertaining.
Next up is the enemy discussion. To reiterate, everything dies quickly. The tricky part is getting around their offenses, as their distance from the heroine and propensity for ranged attacks are all it has to keep from being mashed instantly. With each passing area, adversity gets a little stronger and slightly more durable, but never to the extent that it slows the game down. Thorough players will discover that Tomomi is always leveling up or acquiring attack/health upgrades, so gaps close pretty quickly. Keep in mind though that the difficulty still maintains a steady upward curve. Enemies devise new attack methods and increase their numbers. To counter the increasing odds, your best strategy is to use every tool at your disposable. This only becomes more apparent as you unlock the more expensive abilities, which are designed specifically to enhance one's playstyle. One such ability allows the heroine to reflect projectiles, an amazing counter to the bullet-hell that some foes are capable of. A completely optional but no-less important ability is the bomb. It's slow and has poor range but does incredible damage that'll erase giant mechs.
What works on the fodder isn't nearly as effective against bosses. Tomomi implies as much with its first encounter. In order to defeat this enormous titan, Tomomi has to dash under its crushing feet and enter a rear hatch to slash at its core. Get used to the indirect approach, because it makes all the difference between winning and redoing. Subsequent boss battles expect players to analyze patterns and exploit openings. There's almost always a gimmick involved as well, such as the fifth boss having a core that can only be reached by freezing and hacking through slime and then escaping before the slime reforms and crushes the heroine. I don't think that there's a bad fight in the game. They're all unique and have purpose beyond being a larger target with a lot of HP to chew through. You might not even struggle to defeat them the first time through, but that'll change in the second loop.
I want to make it clear that you have to give this game at least two playthroughs. The second loop is a really fascinating and exhilarating take on New Game+. This time around, Tomomi starts with all of her powers. Yes, there's no need to pick up the double-jump, or the high-jump, or the grappling hook - which kicks ass btw - again. Instead, you just grab keys at the end of each area in order to unlock the next. This is what makes the game such a clever take on Metroidvania. Exploration is still limited to occasional secret rooms and the odd optional challenge, but the traversal powers make getting around even faster than before. Grappling and spin-attacking through hallways, high-jumping out of danger, everything has usefulness beyond accessing the next area. You'll have most likely purchased all of the combat-specific abilities by now, turning what was once a storm into a typhoon. It's extremely satisfying to unleash a half-dozen flavors of hell onto hapless foes. Bosses getting new attacks is also quite welcome.
The adventure doesn't have to end after two loops either. You're more than welcome to try for a third and beyond. Enemies will continue to get stronger. In fact, they're capable of defeating the heroine in three hits or less. It's a significant damage boost... that you might not even notice most of the time. I imagine there will be a point when Tomomi will have as much durability as the average STG protagonist, but you'll be so skilled at evasion and opposition-crushing that it won't even matter.
I just can't emphasize enough how so much of this game works because of its pacing. There are no delays, and the most waiting you'll ever do are a few elevator rides. Tomomi is lean, treating any screens where there's no action as unnecessary fluff. Tomomi is sweet, throwing its players into a constantly satisfying loop where every action gets neuron-activating results. What I thought was going to be just another Metroidvania turned out to be Character-action with a twist, and it's really quite special.
Earlier this year, NUL2 STUDIO (the developer) released a follow-up titled Rolling Star. Everything about it looks amazing. It's just... oh... the heroine has a gun this time. A gun! I won't be able to play this until at least the 2028 Special.
Dammit...
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