Forums > Submission Feedback > Masters's Castle in the Darkness review

Good review! I think the only "Metroidvania" games I'm willing to forgive for their lack of a map at this point are those that were designed in the 8-bit era, where a detailed map system might well have required more memory than the developers had available. I think Super Metroid and virtually every game in that vein to come along since have had one and been better for it. It's one of those quality of life things gamers have rightfully come to expect from the genre, so I can see how it would make the game a chore to play (especially since, as you noted, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into laying things out so they facilitate enjoyable exploration).

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Thanks dude. On the Steam game forum, someone cobbled together a map and to no one's surprise, it doesn't flow as you would hope, so it's just a series of connected (but NOT interconnected) threads of screens. Anyway, this is another game that looks like it should be a lot of fun (like Madelyn) that really isn't.

I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

I went and looked at that map. It doesn't look planned; it looks like it was just randomly spawned.

Anyway, I like this review. Even if it has no puns. You still manage to convey a lot of sense in few words.

For us. For them. For you.

Thanks, that was the idea! But yeah, that map speaks volumes about the game's design.

I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!