Timespinner

1. Retro_indepecat

   Feb 28, 2020

   10

   It's the perfect metroidvania. I liked everything of this game, the soundtrack, the pixelart, the history, the gameplay... I need more like this!

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
2. lilflipz80

   Jun 26, 2020

   9

   The gameplay was cool and so was the story. I also loved how the game looked.

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. MindWanderer

   Jul 12, 2021

   9

   A terrific Metroidvania, but terrifically short.
   
   Clearly a lot of love went into the look and feel. Lunais controls exactly like aA terrific Metroidvania, but terrifically short.
   
   Clearly a lot of love went into the look and feel. Lunais controls exactly like a Castlevania character, especially Soma from Aria/Dawn of Sorrow once you have all the movement abilities. The graphics, while done in a colorful 16-bit style, still capture the ambience of a war-torn world (unlike Iconoclasts, where the bright aesthetics and the grimdark story are jarring). You get upgrades in the form of "orbs," each of which can be equipped to a melee, a spell, or a passive slot for different effects. The variety of combinations you can get makes switching things up a lot of fun. It's a joy to look at and to play.
   
   On the other hand, the game is quite short and easy. If you've played Hollow Knight or even Guacamelee, I recommend starting at the hardest difficulty even on your first playthrough. You can easily beat the game in about four hours, and 100% it in six. Also all those orbs are not very well balanced, with the Iron Orb and its Colossal Hammer spell being notably overpowered for how early you get them. And since you gain experience points with each orb, you're rewarded for sticking to the "best" one.
   
   The "time" mechanic isn't much of a mechanic. You have a limited ability to stop time and use enemies as platforms, but it's not that useful outside of puzzles. In practice it's more like Samus's Ice Beam. And changing the past to affect the present is really only used to remove one specific obstacle.
   
   As for the "progressive agenda" other users complained about: most of the characters are gay or bi, and the protagonist's people are polyamorous. Nothing more is said about it--there's no value statements or contrast. The villains are all male, with one sympathetic exception, and one is a caricature of toxic masculinity. I didn't even notice at the time, though; that kind of character is a villain in all kinds of works.
   
   So the game isn't perfect, but it is a lot of fun, and easily worth a purchase. I'll be looking forward to a sequel with a little more depth and balance.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. tjsanders

   Jan 12, 2021

   7

   Timespinner is a charming Metroidvania with a dash of classic JRPG storytelling that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat with itsTimespinner is a charming Metroidvania with a dash of classic JRPG storytelling that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat with its twists and turns as you travel through time in your effort to change the very outcome of your world.
   
   You take on the role of Lanais, a time traveling messenger with a vendetta against the intergalactic empire that killed her family. The mainline story sets a quick pace, which affords you a small but compelling glimpse into a beautifully imagined world filled with morally grey characters and factions. However, the character writing is bland and filled with clumsy attempts at inclusivity that fail to complement the more compelling conflict at hand.
   
   The game has a much heavier emphasis on the Castlevania side of its heritage, as you pick up new weapons and abilities that can be combined and empowered in different combinatory ways throughout your journey. Sadly, this system only really comes into its own near the end of the journey, when you have the least incentive to experiment with it. While the weapons themselves are fun, the more complex combat systems (combining weapons, damage types) are relics of past games that Timespinner could do without.
   
   The subdued color palette used throughout never quite grew on me as I traveled back and forth the time, and the environmental art could have done more to remind me where (and when) I was - a lesson that some of Timespinner's cotemporaneous Metroidvania cousins have learned well.
   
   All in all however, Timespinner still manages to be more than the sum of its parts. Alternative endings and a unique endgame kept me enjoying the game at a peak for a few hours beyond the credits rolling. Ultimately, Timespinner is a solid entry into the revitalized modern Metroidvania genre.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. jeffbizloc

   Sep 11, 2019

   5

   Timespinner was a game I thought I would enjoy but didn't end up finishing.
   
   Game(s) like: The Messenger, Hollow Knight Pros: - TheTimespinner was a game I thought I would enjoy but didn't end up finishing.
   
   Game(s) like: The Messenger, Hollow Knight
   
   Pros:
   - The general gameplay was fairly fun as it was a metrovania type game
   - Any game with a timestop mechanic (or timetravel story) I enjoy
   
   Cons:
   - I put this down for a couple days and had a hard time figuring out where to go next. Not necessarily Timespinner's fault but enabling waypoints would be nice.
   - The drab environments didn't really bring me into the world.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
7. JustJohnB

   Jan 6, 2020

   4

   It seemed like it would be a good game (if you enjoy the Castlevania/platformer genre) but unfortunately the story quickly devolves intoIt seemed like it would be a good game (if you enjoy the Castlevania/platformer genre) but unfortunately the story quickly devolves into feminist agenda and progressism jammed into your face every 5 minutes (effectively ruining the decent gamelay). If they had just correctly labelled it as propaganda, unsuspecting gamers like me wouldn't have had to waste our time and money on it.
   
   If you have any self respect or any respect for the gaming industry at all, you'll have to pass on this social and political statement disguised as a game,… Expand

   • 1 of 7 users found this helpful
8. Xzeros

   Sep 22, 2020

   3

   Feminist propaganda in every step ruins the story and gameplay..., not recommended unless you wanna be reminded feminism in every dialogue inFeminist propaganda in every step ruins the story and gameplay..., not recommended unless you wanna be reminded feminism in every dialogue in the game...… Expand

   • 0 of 6 users found this helpful

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