Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is the first game to come from indie development studio Metamorphosis Games. With them saying this is the game they’ve always wanted to play. And decided to stop waiting for someone else to make it. Certainly a respectable motivation for creating a game. Much more so than most modern AAA game development studios’ greed-filled aspirations to drain players’ wallets.
Gestalt is worth every penny of its modest $20 asking price. Especially for fans of steampunk or Metroidvanias. This is the kind of game that makes the indie game scene exciting. You can clearly feel the passion in every corner of the presentation and gameplay. And, given that it’s only their first game, the small issues here and there can be easily forgiven. The game isn’t perfect, but it feels like the perfect version of what they wanted. And they successfully created a world and characters that I want to see more of in the future.
As I said, the game isn’t perfect. The traversal and combat could both use a little more work and some new additions, and certain aspects of the presentation let down what is otherwise a very strong game that creates a great foundation for Metamorphosis Games going forward. I imagine this will really help them make a name for themselves in the indie gaming market.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is available on Steam for $19.99.
This review contains minor spoilers for Gestalt: Steam & Cinder.
Story – Boiling Point
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder follows Aletheia, a rogue swordswoman exploring the Steam City of Canaan to uncover the hidden truths behind the incoming demise of the city. There are several twists in the narrative, conspiracies, coverups, and side characters that flesh out the story of the world. Including the backstory behind the opening of the Abyss and the struggles humans faced trying to defeat and then harness the power within.
The LORE
The game does a good job dropping you into the story and the world immediately. And they build up the story well as the game goes on, giving it little chance to get stale. That being said, it’s not really the focus here. The game is way more about the gameplay than the story, but they clearly didn’t phone it in either.
However, there are a significant number of long cutscenes that are little more than looking at two unchanging character sprites and reading text, which can easily interrupt the flow of the game. These cutscenes would’ve been better with some more character sprites to reflect their emotions and/or voice acting to help with immersion. Something to get players more immersed in these exposition-heavy scenes. Especially the opening cutscene.
Gameplay – Hot & Steamy
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a fast-paced 2D hack & slash Metroidvania platformer. But I should probably explain what that means in layman’s terms. Basically, you run and jump around while bringing a swift end to robots, bugs, monsters, and the occasional human. Utilizing Aletheia’s blade and gun to slay your way through the city. And learning new traversal skills throughout the game to explore previously inaccessible areas.
Do a…roll!
There’s also an upgrade system that contributes to this game having a sort of Kid Icarus feel, in that it goes from hard to easy. The later bosses are much easier than the first few bosses. Because you have way more moves and do a lot more damage. Especially if you’re doing all the side quests to get their rewards. Most of which are tied to exploration or combat. Though none of the bosses are too challenging. They mostly all come down to learning their moves and when they’re vulnerable.
The combat is fast and fun, but has its problems. I think a block or parry move in addition to the dodge roll would be a good addition. Because some enemy attacks are nearly impossible to dodge. And there’s no cancelling your attack animation to do a dodge, so you have to be very precise with your timing against certain enemies. Which can get annoying while backtracking to explore more areas. As all enemies respawn once you leave a room.
Graphics & Sound – High Pixels
As the name implies, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has a heavy Steampunk style. From the outfits to the settings, and even the enemies. Everything has that distinct mechanical feeling. And it’s not just a stylistic choice. They explain pretty early on why this world looks the way it does, and it helps create one of the most complete and visually satisfying steampunk settings in a game. Even with the overdone pixel art style, they create some beautiful backdrops and characters.
All of the sound effects are crisp and clean, and the music fits perfectly with the setting. It really captures the cold and oppressive feeling of being surrounded by so much machinery while also never being too far from something looking to kill you. There aren’t any tracks that stick out to me as especially amazing, but they all work together to complete the game’s distinct style.
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- A valuable ally
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- Is it getting hot in here?
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- My grades are going up
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- Cassandra of the Comitium
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder was reviewed on PC with a code from the71.net
