State of the game (Probably the last)
Absolver had its run but as with all good things it appears to have come to an end. That is not to say the game is dead, there are still plenty of players around still and 1v1's are still about as diverse as before.
But. And it kills me to add a but. Issues still exist. The story mode can be finished in 15 minutes to 2 hours and hasn't really been expanded upon, and likely won't now that the devs have walked away. The procedurely generated dungeon which was supposed to expand upon the solo experience isn't all that procedural and leaves much to be desired, whats more after a certain point the rewards are no longer worth the time invested. In general the solo experience is very lacking, so if you were looking for a non pvp experience, this simply isn't gonna be your bag.Staffs were never implemented despite being heavily implied and waited upon, and I think we are all sad that we will likely never see them in the game.
And then pvp still has some issues as well. Walls still block your vision as the transparency effect that was put in doesn't jive well with the environment collision on the camera. There is an easiest style to use and that is still stagger, which although is not the highest skill ceiling has the most reward for the least effort. There are still problems with the chracter being able to block consistently (although that isn't a mechanic you rely on too heavily in the higher levels of play). High guard impact moves do too much stamina damage and have too much stun time so you can easily get locked in a heavy move vortex where you don't have time to respond and since these moves also have really hogh damage a player with one of these chains can easily kill you in five or six moves if yo u aren't very careful. There are not nearly enough effective jump attacks, and quite a lot of low attacks so a player must be especially careful against these moves. Players can easily run around an arena with no hope of getting caught up to just to waste your time. This is especially prevalent in the aviary map.
So yeah the game has unresolved issues.
However, and I'm very happy to add this however. None of them are game breaking. They all have means of avoiding the problem (with the exception of the aviary map) even if its difficult.
The game as a whole shines in so many ways its incredible to think it was made by only six developers. It completely turns around how one thinks about a fighting game. One of the first of its kind in so many ways.
The ability to choose your own moveset in a cohesive and funcional way, that fact that most moves and move combos are viable if you manage them well, the synergy of the core mechanics with the different kind of moves.
The fact that where your attack lands on your opponent effects how they should respond (the likes of which is inferiorly available in only one other fighting game to date). The way stances flow perfectly with the animations. The use of timing to perfect your speed or choke up a particularly defensive opponent. The incredible dance of death as you and your opponent trade blows as you slowly figure eachother out, grow and get better together.
The art style, simplistic yet gorgeous in every aspect and detail. The fashion, with literally millions of customization options across nine different equipment slots, including choice of color.
The feeling of becoming a master, and gaining the praise and adoration of newer players who can learn from you as a master and train themselves in your style with your deck.
This game. Truly. Is an experience unlike any other. I have never played anything so cohesively built, or fun. I have poured hundreds of hours into it now, barebones as the content is, as annoying as some of the continuing issues can be, the game is so rewarding to play that its difficult to get bored of. And even when you do, eventually, we all come back. That is how I know this game will continue to stay alive as long as there are servers to support it. Because players new and old will always have something incredible to come back to.
Thank you Sloclap for all of the time and love you put into this game. I wish I could shake the hands of all six of you, look you in the eye, and express how much enjoyment you brought to a gaming marketplace that has for so long been plagued by dissappointment. You have made something truly incredible, and I hope you go on to make even more amazing things for usnin the future.
"I always come back, and as whenever you return here, we shall fight under the eternal sunset."
But. And it kills me to add a but. Issues still exist. The story mode can be finished in 15 minutes to 2 hours and hasn't really been expanded upon, and likely won't now that the devs have walked away. The procedurely generated dungeon which was supposed to expand upon the solo experience isn't all that procedural and leaves much to be desired, whats more after a certain point the rewards are no longer worth the time invested. In general the solo experience is very lacking, so if you were looking for a non pvp experience, this simply isn't gonna be your bag.Staffs were never implemented despite being heavily implied and waited upon, and I think we are all sad that we will likely never see them in the game.
And then pvp still has some issues as well. Walls still block your vision as the transparency effect that was put in doesn't jive well with the environment collision on the camera. There is an easiest style to use and that is still stagger, which although is not the highest skill ceiling has the most reward for the least effort. There are still problems with the chracter being able to block consistently (although that isn't a mechanic you rely on too heavily in the higher levels of play). High guard impact moves do too much stamina damage and have too much stun time so you can easily get locked in a heavy move vortex where you don't have time to respond and since these moves also have really hogh damage a player with one of these chains can easily kill you in five or six moves if yo u aren't very careful. There are not nearly enough effective jump attacks, and quite a lot of low attacks so a player must be especially careful against these moves. Players can easily run around an arena with no hope of getting caught up to just to waste your time. This is especially prevalent in the aviary map.
So yeah the game has unresolved issues.
However, and I'm very happy to add this however. None of them are game breaking. They all have means of avoiding the problem (with the exception of the aviary map) even if its difficult.
The game as a whole shines in so many ways its incredible to think it was made by only six developers. It completely turns around how one thinks about a fighting game. One of the first of its kind in so many ways.
The ability to choose your own moveset in a cohesive and funcional way, that fact that most moves and move combos are viable if you manage them well, the synergy of the core mechanics with the different kind of moves.
The fact that where your attack lands on your opponent effects how they should respond (the likes of which is inferiorly available in only one other fighting game to date). The way stances flow perfectly with the animations. The use of timing to perfect your speed or choke up a particularly defensive opponent. The incredible dance of death as you and your opponent trade blows as you slowly figure eachother out, grow and get better together.
The art style, simplistic yet gorgeous in every aspect and detail. The fashion, with literally millions of customization options across nine different equipment slots, including choice of color.
The feeling of becoming a master, and gaining the praise and adoration of newer players who can learn from you as a master and train themselves in your style with your deck.
This game. Truly. Is an experience unlike any other. I have never played anything so cohesively built, or fun. I have poured hundreds of hours into it now, barebones as the content is, as annoying as some of the continuing issues can be, the game is so rewarding to play that its difficult to get bored of. And even when you do, eventually, we all come back. That is how I know this game will continue to stay alive as long as there are servers to support it. Because players new and old will always have something incredible to come back to.
Thank you Sloclap for all of the time and love you put into this game. I wish I could shake the hands of all six of you, look you in the eye, and express how much enjoyment you brought to a gaming marketplace that has for so long been plagued by dissappointment. You have made something truly incredible, and I hope you go on to make even more amazing things for usnin the future.
"I always come back, and as whenever you return here, we shall fight under the eternal sunset."