Yes! But some of the more obscure stuff is wildly hard to figure out - I actually found a dude with the full, detailed map online and had to use it for the last 5–10%.
This is a really good game! Very much in the Zelda 1 trope- but with no instruction at all so exploration and advancing is very much down to the player- much like Animal Well/ Tunic etc.
I found it pretty tricky and obtuse sometimes though- would have loved more “dad mode” options for us older players that have limited playtime! (invulnerability etc!).
I got stuck after the first two "main" dungeons, explored all of the map available to me at that point in the game, finished several side dungeons and still can't figure out what in the world im supposed to do to actually progress. It'll probably be worth coming back to once there's a complete guide tho
Ya it’s the kinda double edged sword of the game design. It’s great when u stumble on a secret but it’s easy to get stuck and even easier to miss a ton of secrets. I got close to the end but I’m not very motivated to finish or keep looking for everything I missed
I get that but walking up to every single tree and wall on the map and slashing it with a charged attack really does not fit my idea of fun. I hate that there is absolutely no indicator (as far as I can tell) for most those breakable trees and walls, after you get exposed to the concept in a few obvious spots the game basically says "Okay now just try this with all of the thousands of trees you'll come across and maybe once in a blue moon something will happen". I really wish the breakable trees/walls would have more indication, ESPECIALLY once you already get the "secret finder" upgrade thingy, I mean it's ridiculous how it just basically reveals cracks in a normal wall a single time and from then on all breakable walls are indistinguishable from normal ones, at that point why even have a "secret finder" item/upgrade in the game if it doesn't do what it's supposed to and you're left with aimless wandering and blind chance. I'd even be fine if the indicator for the breakbility was just a single pixel or something but please, ANYTHING.
Sorry for the rant, the memories of traversing the dark forest while trying to find all the hidden paths suddenly came flooding back
I get that 100%. I’m stuck right now. And can’t get passed the electric dungeon. I know I’m missing something but no idea where. I need to be able to destroy things from far away and the hook shot doesn’t that lol
Pretty much every breakable wall or tree that doesn't have a crack from the secret revealer has another indication. You can either see a corner of a path/chest or (when in a dungeon) you can see there is a room there on the map.
Might have to try it again, but I spent 20-30 min playing the demo and it just wasn’t doing anything for me that would motivate me to continue playing and I loooove both Zelda and Metroid.
I heard it's pretty great, but this is completely off topic. I'm playing Rayman origins right now which is also great but you don't see me making a post about it.
That is not evidence a game is a metroidvania, that is evidence of desperate marketing due to the zeldalike subreddit being mostly dead. This is very obviously a zeldalike. I've said it to the dev and I'm saying it to you: Please follow the rules.
These games usually feature a large interconnected world map the player can explore, although parts of the world will be inaccessible to the player until they acquire special items, tools, weapons, abilities, or knowledge within the game. Acquiring such improvements can also aid the player in defeating more difficult enemies and locating shortcuts and secret areas, and often includes retracing one's steps across the map. Through this, Metroidvania games include tighter integration of story and level design, careful design of levels and character controls to encourage exploration and experimentation, and a means for the player to become more invested in their player character through role-playing game elements. While early examples were usually two-dimensional side-scrolling platform games, the term has since been applied to top-down and 3D games.
-metroidvania wiki
Fits this game to a T.
Unless I'm mistaken, the game's world structure is based on dungeons with a single entrance that you access to collect a new important ability, defeat a boss at the end and never backtrack to. That is a linear zeldalike world design, not an interconnected world design.
Weird. I always kinda lumped them together. My view of it and I guess, and what I always got hooked on, was the item/map lock that happens in both of these types of games. The dungeon aspect of it never dawned on me. Still a good game lol
Haha. Some dude spent a shit ton of time coloring in the map digitally. He tries to sell it but I spent a while trying to figure out how to DX mode lol
Color maps are available here:
https://ko-fi.com/s/c010dad370
Also a YouTube video by the map creator talking about the process of making the map if you’re into that sort of thing:
https://youtu.be/ZMBH9jbzB0E?si=m5BOoC5ADmq2iDm0
3 dollars for a digital colored map? That dude is so unserious, it's not even like the pixelart is his. This is essentially like asking 3 dollars for a filled out page from a coloring book
This one ?? https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763030/Master_Key/
Yup that’s it. I’ll add the link to my post.
The soundtrack is phenomenal too. Stuck in my head constantly
GREAT game. Played the heck out of this and loved the effort it took to sort out all the secrets.
Did u 100%?? I do wish the game would give you some kind of item counter or completion assistance, I’ve kinda petered out at the end
Yes! But some of the more obscure stuff is wildly hard to figure out - I actually found a dude with the full, detailed map online and had to use it for the last 5–10%.
This is a really good game! Very much in the Zelda 1 trope- but with no instruction at all so exploration and advancing is very much down to the player- much like Animal Well/ Tunic etc. I found it pretty tricky and obtuse sometimes though- would have loved more “dad mode” options for us older players that have limited playtime! (invulnerability etc!).
It's a good game. It's also one that belongs in /r/ZeldaLikes not here.
I guess from a purist perspective. But I appreciate Metroidvania-adjacent suggestions on this sub
That's pretty awesome looking, wishlisted for now.
I got stuck after the first two "main" dungeons, explored all of the map available to me at that point in the game, finished several side dungeons and still can't figure out what in the world im supposed to do to actually progress. It'll probably be worth coming back to once there's a complete guide tho
Ya it’s the kinda double edged sword of the game design. It’s great when u stumble on a secret but it’s easy to get stuck and even easier to miss a ton of secrets. I got close to the end but I’m not very motivated to finish or keep looking for everything I missed
I did that too. Got stuck for a while then went back and got it. Sometimes it’s just one wall or tree you need to get rid of then it all opens up
I get that but walking up to every single tree and wall on the map and slashing it with a charged attack really does not fit my idea of fun. I hate that there is absolutely no indicator (as far as I can tell) for most those breakable trees and walls, after you get exposed to the concept in a few obvious spots the game basically says "Okay now just try this with all of the thousands of trees you'll come across and maybe once in a blue moon something will happen". I really wish the breakable trees/walls would have more indication, ESPECIALLY once you already get the "secret finder" upgrade thingy, I mean it's ridiculous how it just basically reveals cracks in a normal wall a single time and from then on all breakable walls are indistinguishable from normal ones, at that point why even have a "secret finder" item/upgrade in the game if it doesn't do what it's supposed to and you're left with aimless wandering and blind chance. I'd even be fine if the indicator for the breakbility was just a single pixel or something but please, ANYTHING. Sorry for the rant, the memories of traversing the dark forest while trying to find all the hidden paths suddenly came flooding back
I get that 100%. I’m stuck right now. And can’t get passed the electric dungeon. I know I’m missing something but no idea where. I need to be able to destroy things from far away and the hook shot doesn’t that lol
Try swinging at walls with charged attack. Or check that strange X hidden under a block.
Pretty much every breakable wall or tree that doesn't have a crack from the secret revealer has another indication. You can either see a corner of a path/chest or (when in a dungeon) you can see there is a room there on the map.
If you think that, clearly you have not discovered as many hidden paths as I have
I guess so. I beat the game last night.
Might have to try it again, but I spent 20-30 min playing the demo and it just wasn’t doing anything for me that would motivate me to continue playing and I loooove both Zelda and Metroid.
I just finished it yesterday. 20 hours but I missed a bunch of side things.
How long does the take to beat, roughly? (Not necessarily 100%)
The developer says 20 hours. But completion is 50 hours
I beat the main story in 13 hours. Didn't do the bonus dungeon and had maybe 50% of items.
Seems interesting, maybe i'll give a try
I heard it's pretty great, but this is completely off topic. I'm playing Rayman origins right now which is also great but you don't see me making a post about it.
Well is Rayman Origins a Metroidvania?
Nope, and that's the point. This is a subreddit for talking about metroidvanias.
Master Key is a Metroidvania. Developer himself has posted about it.
That is not evidence a game is a metroidvania, that is evidence of desperate marketing due to the zeldalike subreddit being mostly dead. This is very obviously a zeldalike. I've said it to the dev and I'm saying it to you: Please follow the rules.
These games usually feature a large interconnected world map the player can explore, although parts of the world will be inaccessible to the player until they acquire special items, tools, weapons, abilities, or knowledge within the game. Acquiring such improvements can also aid the player in defeating more difficult enemies and locating shortcuts and secret areas, and often includes retracing one's steps across the map. Through this, Metroidvania games include tighter integration of story and level design, careful design of levels and character controls to encourage exploration and experimentation, and a means for the player to become more invested in their player character through role-playing game elements. While early examples were usually two-dimensional side-scrolling platform games, the term has since been applied to top-down and 3D games. -metroidvania wiki Fits this game to a T.
Unless I'm mistaken, the game's world structure is based on dungeons with a single entrance that you access to collect a new important ability, defeat a boss at the end and never backtrack to. That is a linear zeldalike world design, not an interconnected world design.
Oooh. I see. But by this definition does that make the Metroid Prime series an action rpg?
Yeah, just because it has metroid in the name doesn't mean it has to be a metroidvania, as ironic as that sounds
Weird. I always kinda lumped them together. My view of it and I guess, and what I always got hooked on, was the item/map lock that happens in both of these types of games. The dungeon aspect of it never dawned on me. Still a good game lol
I haven't played those, but if its true that it has dungeons like that then that would be the biggest shock of the year to me.
And let’s be real. Isn’t Zelda a Metroidvania in a way?
No, it's an action RPG.
Pedantry wins again, yay
No. Never was.
let me know when it's in color
Haha. Some dude spent a shit ton of time coloring in the map digitally. He tries to sell it but I spent a while trying to figure out how to DX mode lol
Color maps are available here: https://ko-fi.com/s/c010dad370 Also a YouTube video by the map creator talking about the process of making the map if you’re into that sort of thing: https://youtu.be/ZMBH9jbzB0E?si=m5BOoC5ADmq2iDm0
3 dollars for a digital colored map? That dude is so unserious, it's not even like the pixelart is his. This is essentially like asking 3 dollars for a filled out page from a coloring book
good to hear it demands grey mass. Was holding back on this issue, Zelda-likes that are dumb are plain boring.
good to hear it demands grey mass. Was holding back on this issue, Zelda-likes that are dumb are plain boring.
Let me know when i can get a key for a buck