Latest Reviews
popop614
For: The Farewell Medley
For: The Farewell Medley
rating based off of any% clear
as per expectation, this game is a mixed bag; there's some big hits and some big misses
the final bit of any% slapped hard though and i love it
[1] Like
as per expectation, this game is a mixed bag; there's some big hits and some big misses
the final bit of any% slapped hard though and i love it
Rating: 8.5 85
Difficulty: 70 70
Jul 16, 2022
Loptr
For: I wanna be the Math Major
For: I wanna be the Math Major
I wanted to like this but it's literally impossible to answer some of these because of how some questions can have a bazillion equivalent answers and the game expects a specific one, sometimes with random parantheses
[1] Like
Rating: 3.0 30
Difficulty: 20 20
Jul 16, 2022
kurath
For: I Wanna Be The Senor Roulette 1.5
For: I Wanna Be The Senor Roulette 1.5
Its an amusing concept, but the end result really is just a lot of mediocre needle in a wild configuration. There's definitely some mystery to be had here, and not knowing whats around any corner is amusing but at some point, its just 'probably more needle'. He put in the work to balance out the expected difficulty bumps in many situations though, but the format itself wasn't going to lend itself to a stellar result.
[0] Likes
Rating: 4.0 40
Difficulty: 61 61
Jul 16, 2022
Renko97
For: Fha Needle 0
For: Fha Needle 0
A X_Floor game very fun and balanced.
[0] Likes
Rating: 8.6 86
Difficulty: 55 55
Jul 16, 2022
Jopagu
For: I Wanna be the AIW
For: I Wanna be the AIW
What a phenomenal game. PhgQED set out to imitate Tethys, and did so really well. AIW is the best kind of "x-like" game, where it uses much of the style from the original, but deviates in significant ways that create a unique feel. AIW is very much its own game, and it's very much a Phg game. One of the places this is most prominent is in the incorporation of apples. They're used as decorative elements, in one notable screen dividing the screen into regions, and they're also used to create interesting jumps, that make this game stand out from other pure needle. The inclusion of rarely seen elements like apple walks definitely contributes to the uniquity of this game. Other aspects feel like Phg needle, but they're more nebulous so I'll just let you see for yourself. One final note here, Phg composed the music for this game themself, which is an incredible achievement, and he displays mastery of composition by creating very Dopamine feeling music that contributes to the themes of the game, something that's super hard to do.
The game itself is really fun. I personally found that this is a more enjoyable game than Tethys, which contributes to its higher rating, even though I think there are other things Tethys did better. The needle is more distinct, and there are fewer annoying tight jumps. This connects to my interpretation of the themes, but it also just makes for a better flowing experience. There is some imbalance between saves, but it's frankly not very egregious, and nothing felt significantly different from its surroundings. The screens use a lot of different layouts and block/spike designs, creating diverse and memorable screens. The jumps also flow really well, and saves are good lengths. The game isn't afraid to have a longer save followed by a single jump save, and that works well for avoiding awkward saves.
That's it on the gameplay, but I want to spend some time analyzing the themes. According to the readme, AIW is a word referring to life force, and eternity. To me, this is immediately evocative of divinity. And given that it is a proto-Indo-European word, this is an ancient divinity. A God that's watched over this world as since the first amoeba emerged from the primordial sludge. A god to whom the life of a human is but a fleeting moment. The first stage approaches one way of reaching this god, through death and bloodshed. It's hidden behind the blocks and the spotlight, but the background here is a bloody scene, with swords impaled into vague gore. Death is the end of vitality, and the beginning of eternity. So it's no surprise it's used to evoke AIW, while giving a nod to the liminality that's so heavy in Tethys. There's a lot of cool stuff in this stage, but I want to mention one specific screen, that has you travelling between pillars of blocks. To me, this conjured images of trees. Specifically ancient trees, like great redwoods. These trees tower over mankind, and care not for our passing. Our blood spills on their roots and it matters not. In a lot of modern fantasy media, and classical mythology, trees have a place as divine beings, notably the World Tree Yggdrasil. The image I had of these massive tree very much felt like a meeting with the divine.
The second stage is another way to approach a god, through altered states of consciousness. Many cultures throughout history used these to commune with divinity, through drugs, starvation, lack of sleep, and more. The second stage's tileset uses rainbow spinning visuals to create a trippy drug-like feeling, like you're using an altered state of consciousness to commune with the eternal. The background is a barely there image, fading in and out of view. It creates the feeling like you're seeing God at the edge of your vision. It's a transcendent experience, but one that you can't fully see, and that can't be put into words. The game captures this feeling really well, and it was something special to play through.
As for the things Tethys does a bit better, the first is the mid screen. The one in AIW isn't very memorable, and just uses an apple jump that's not very unique. It's still a thematic experience, but the one in Tethys feels very special, and resonates much more. Secondly, the clear screen. AIW's clear screen is very good, but the visuals are a bit lacking. I love the music, and how there's a haunting melody that kicks in only if you linger on the clear screen, which I was motivated to do by how thought provoking the game was. However, Tethys uses a specific image, that's one of the single most memorable images I've seen in fangames. It's legitimately haunting, emotionally evocative, and thematically resonant. I don't think AIW does a bad job here, but the one in Tethys is just such an incredible thing, it's impossible to beat.
[2] Likes
The game itself is really fun. I personally found that this is a more enjoyable game than Tethys, which contributes to its higher rating, even though I think there are other things Tethys did better. The needle is more distinct, and there are fewer annoying tight jumps. This connects to my interpretation of the themes, but it also just makes for a better flowing experience. There is some imbalance between saves, but it's frankly not very egregious, and nothing felt significantly different from its surroundings. The screens use a lot of different layouts and block/spike designs, creating diverse and memorable screens. The jumps also flow really well, and saves are good lengths. The game isn't afraid to have a longer save followed by a single jump save, and that works well for avoiding awkward saves.
That's it on the gameplay, but I want to spend some time analyzing the themes. According to the readme, AIW is a word referring to life force, and eternity. To me, this is immediately evocative of divinity. And given that it is a proto-Indo-European word, this is an ancient divinity. A God that's watched over this world as since the first amoeba emerged from the primordial sludge. A god to whom the life of a human is but a fleeting moment. The first stage approaches one way of reaching this god, through death and bloodshed. It's hidden behind the blocks and the spotlight, but the background here is a bloody scene, with swords impaled into vague gore. Death is the end of vitality, and the beginning of eternity. So it's no surprise it's used to evoke AIW, while giving a nod to the liminality that's so heavy in Tethys. There's a lot of cool stuff in this stage, but I want to mention one specific screen, that has you travelling between pillars of blocks. To me, this conjured images of trees. Specifically ancient trees, like great redwoods. These trees tower over mankind, and care not for our passing. Our blood spills on their roots and it matters not. In a lot of modern fantasy media, and classical mythology, trees have a place as divine beings, notably the World Tree Yggdrasil. The image I had of these massive tree very much felt like a meeting with the divine.
The second stage is another way to approach a god, through altered states of consciousness. Many cultures throughout history used these to commune with divinity, through drugs, starvation, lack of sleep, and more. The second stage's tileset uses rainbow spinning visuals to create a trippy drug-like feeling, like you're using an altered state of consciousness to commune with the eternal. The background is a barely there image, fading in and out of view. It creates the feeling like you're seeing God at the edge of your vision. It's a transcendent experience, but one that you can't fully see, and that can't be put into words. The game captures this feeling really well, and it was something special to play through.
As for the things Tethys does a bit better, the first is the mid screen. The one in AIW isn't very memorable, and just uses an apple jump that's not very unique. It's still a thematic experience, but the one in Tethys feels very special, and resonates much more. Secondly, the clear screen. AIW's clear screen is very good, but the visuals are a bit lacking. I love the music, and how there's a haunting melody that kicks in only if you linger on the clear screen, which I was motivated to do by how thought provoking the game was. However, Tethys uses a specific image, that's one of the single most memorable images I've seen in fangames. It's legitimately haunting, emotionally evocative, and thematically resonant. I don't think AIW does a bad job here, but the one in Tethys is just such an incredible thing, it's impossible to beat.
Rating: 9.1 91
Difficulty: 56 56
Jul 15, 2022