Pseudoregalia Review: A Dream Platformer

Developed and published by rittzler Psedoregalia is a retro-inspired 3D Platformer that I have been looking forward to reviewing for quite some time. In this exciting indie title, you take on the role of Sybil as she battles to save a world of dreams from a sinister force. Travel around a large metroidvainia world as you collect new powers to defeat foes and reach new areas. All whilst solving some rather complex yet compelling platforming challenges.

With a great soundtrack and fantastic gameplay, Pseudoregalia ticks a lot of buttons for me. And is one I’ve wanted to review since September. Not just because I am an old school N64 era gamer (which this title really tips its cap to). But also because everything I have seen of the gameplay really appeals to me. The flow and feel of this one is quite honestly one of the best 3D platformers I have played here at KeenGamer. Yeah, there are a couple of things that don’t quite land for me. But quite honestly this is probably a contender for game of the year for me.

Pseudoregelia is available now on PC via Steam and Itch.io for around £4.99, prices vary per region.

Story – Dream Master

In a mysterious castle within the realm of dreams a dark and sinister force has taken hold. The once noble power that ruled there has been corrupted. And it now falls to Sybil to defeat this evil and liberate the innocent creatures that call it home. This is more or less the story of Pseudoregalia. I say “more or less” as, well, the story and how it is delivered is, well, enigmatic. I will be blunt dear reader. There isn’t much within the game itself to indicate what the story here actually is. With most of my knowledge of the story coming from the store page

There are hits to Pseudoregalia’s story hidden in the game world.

Which I will admit means I’m almost reviewing Pseudoregalia‘s story postmortem. Save for the ending cutscene there isn’t much within the game to indicate what the story actually is. There are short conversations you can have with NPCs which do hint at the core plot. And a few tablets and books hidden here and there to build on that. Some are easier to understand than others; some are rather ambiguous and cryptic, and some are just for fun. I will admit however that I am almost perfectly fine with this. As I feel that this makes sense with the core story for the most part.

Dream a little Dream for Me

The developer is going for an intentionally mysterious and dream-like feel to the story and game. And I feel that how the story is presented helps to play into that. However, I do wish that there was a little something more at the start to contextualise things. As the story synopsise I have ultimately come from the store page. And even that feels a tad ambiguous. Were it not for the end cutscene pretty much explaining what was happening I likely wouldn’t have known at all. But the story that we do get is decently written. The interactions with the NPCs are nice enough. However, I do feel that what makes Pseudoregalia so compelling is its gameplay and atmosphere more so than the story and its delivery. Don’t get it twisted. I don’t think the story is weak. I just feel it needed to be a tad clearer.

The game has a great atmosphere.

Maybe it is due to playing games like this back in the day. But there is an uncanny feeling to a great many things within Pseudoregalia. There is this sense of familiarity with so much. And yet everything is new and fresh. Like having a dream about a place you know, but there is something about the look of everything that feels rather off to you. The design of the monsters in the world, as well as the soundtrack and level design help to play into that feeling for me. Though I’ll talk about that in greater detail later. 

Gameplay – The G.O.A.T.

As explained in the intro to this review, Pseudoregalia is a 3D retro-inspired platformer. You jump, bounce, and slide throughout the game’s levels looking for power-ups and new skills that will allow you to reach new areas and regions of the game map. Along the way, you’ll find monsters that need to be defeated or avoided. As well as a couple of boss fights here and there. The combat system needed to defeat them feels rather Zelda-like. You can lock onto your target, flip, and smack them into next week.

It’s not all platforming in Pseudoregalia.

Platformers are made or broken on the strength of their controls and how the player character handles. The controls need to be intuitive and there needs to be a fluidity to the character’s movements. They need to be smooth enough to quickly move around their environment and yet not so fast that they feel slippy to control. And thankfully Pseudoregalia nails this almost perfectly. The controls are intuitive. And the new powers you unlock fit into the control scheme so seamlessly that in the latter half of the game, even the more complex actions can be done almost effortlessly.

There and Back Again

Whilst Pseduoregalia is a platformer it features a Metroidvainia-like loop. For those of you who don’t understand that term, it basically means games where you travel from area to area. Going as far as you can. Whilst searching for power-ups to use in previous areas to reach parts you couldn’t get to earlier. This gives you a great feeling of power growth as you go back to older areas to beat sequences you struggled with before. Especially when you return with a power that makes the sequences you struggled with earlier supremely easy. This makes exploring the world all the more exciting. You never know what you might find in the hidden regions of the game world.

There are hidden power-ups all over the place!

However, there is a part of me that feels the game world may be a tad too big. This makes navigating around and backtracking a tad harder as you need to have a far clearer memory of where everything is. And how to get back to those areas once you have the key or power to get further there. Which isn’t the worst feeling in the world; This title wishes to evoke the feeling of games of the N64 era. And few of them had built-in maps and required a fair bit of replay to understand where everything is. Half of me feels this makes it period-appropriate. Though the other does wish I could open a copy of N64 Magazine to find a map.

Where am I?

In all seriousness though, whilst individual areas have their own unique design and colour pallet finding your way around can be difficult. With some areas feeling a tad labyrinthian. Or sometimes just a tad redundant. There are times when you will clear a series of difficult platforming puzzles only to loop around to an area you’ve already been to and not find anything useful. Sure, some of those areas open up a little more with new abilities. But some just feel like a bit of a circuit. And it can be frustrating to realise that the past ten minutes that you spent navigating through a difficult section just brought you to the other side of a door passed hours ago. With nothing to show for it.

I’ve looped! I’ve looped!

The difficulty overall is fair I feel. I will admit there are times during my playthrough of Pseudoregalia for this review where it did spike rather sharply. However, when that happens it tends to be because I was missing a power to help deal with them. Sure, it is possible to clear some areas without the correct power-up. Though you’ll only make heavy weather out of it otherwise. And even then when you do have the correct power the timing and finess needed can be a tad much at times. However, I’d never categorise it as unfair. But how hard or not you’ll find it personally is a matter of your own skill.

Bed Time

The playthrough for my review of Pseudoregalia clocked in at around four or five hours. Well, closer to eight but I left it running for over three hours by accident. And with better planning and a clearer idea of how things go, it can be cleared in around three or four if you go out of your way to collect everything. So if you’re looking for a slice of retro platforming action that won’t demand the world then this is for you. I had a ton of fun with it. And I’m already planning a second run of it soon.

The wall sliding power is amazing.

Goodness, even after completing it there are still areas of it I have not explored. When doing a run to get an extra couple screenshots I was still finding locked areas even after defeating the final boss. And given how fantastic the powers you get by the end of the game are I’m more than looking forward to going back to them later. Psudoregalia has a ton of potential replay value. Whilst it can take a while to get some places. And the lack of a map can be hard to deal with at times. I can’t say that those are things that ruined my time with the title.

Graphics & Audio – Bleat It

I have played several retro-inspired titles here at KeenGamer. Some either tip their hand too much and create something that never quite looks or sounds like the gaming era they aspire to recreate (either by making it too crude-looking or too polished). And some nail every aspect of it so much that it feels like a lost game from that era or platform. And thankfully having played Pseudoregalia extensively for this review I can say it definitely feels like it falls into the latter category.

Pseudoregalia looks fresh off the N64.

Everything looks more or less exactly as it should. From the texture size to the level geometry and design of the characters. And even the soundtrack. It all nails the feel of a late 1990s/early 2000s N64 title. The level of care to detail is remarkable. And yet despite all of this the level of care never feels like it gets in the way of the gameplay. Nor does it make travelling the game world difficult. I do love the soundtrack. With it flowing from mysterious and fantasy-inspired to more poppy and Drum N Bass flavoured which adds to the period feel of the game. It is hard to put into words how much I love the look and feel of this one. It nails everything I could have wanted it to nearly perfectly.

Pseudoregalia was Reviewed on PC.