Tevi is a metroidvania with bullet hell and RPG components. That straightforward description belies the true nature of this side-scrolling title, which options pretty graphics, chibi characters, Japanese dialogue, a deep menu system, and a powerful fight aspect. With a lot happening, does it hit the mark?
There’s an extended and detailed story right here, with the titular Tevi appearing as our protagonist. She’s additionally a beastskin, a species of human with animal qualities. She’s an outgoing gal who ventures into the wild to hunt legendary objects referred to as astral gears. These uncommon artifacts are launched by way of a cutscene set years earlier when the world was below assault. Unbeknownst to Tevi, others are additionally in search of these gears, triggering a race to seek out all of them.
Alongside the way in which, Tevi meets many fascinating characters. These embody all method of creatures, comparable to demons, angels, and different beastskins. Some are extra pleasant than others; you by no means know when Tevi’s powerful persona has offended the flawed particular person up to now, triggering a boss combat. Different conferences are extra fortuitous, together with her best allies even becoming a member of her quest. These get together members aren’t playable, as an alternative hiding inside Tevi’s spinning orbs to grant her further energy. The orbs function Tevi’s long-range assault, though she additionally has a melee choice that’s equally helpful.
Tevi carries a lethal sword that she wields with precision. Fight is fast-paced, with button-mashing combos proving to be very satisfying. Every time you encounter an enemy, your assault is scored by a letter within the high proper. I loved the sensation of accomplishment that got here with attaining an S as usually as attainable.
Enemies differ immensely. That is additionally the place the bullet-hell aspect comes into play, with sure enemies spawning projectiles that should be averted. Merging bullet-hell gameplay with platforming components presents a brand new problem in the event you’re used to the standard top-down model of the style. Avoiding bullets in a side-scrolling surroundings might be tough, but it surely works properly total. Fortunately, Tevi comes with six problem settings to cater for all ability ranges.
As with all metroidvania, exploration is an element and parcel of proceedings. There’s an unlimited world to discover, which may get sophisticated. A map helps make clear issues, but it surely wasn’t essentially the most intuitive instance I’ve seen. This participant discovered herself wandering round very often, not sure of the place to go subsequent. This could possibly be irritating for some gamers, but it surely appears typical of the style. Varied save factors and teleportation pods assist hold issues accessible, too.
One factor that took me without warning was the quantity of on-screen dialogue. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a text-heavy story, you’ll get pleasure from this outing. Initially, it interrupted the circulation fairly considerably. My suggestion is to keep it up, because the motion does choose up after the primary couple of hours, revealing a extra sturdy outing. It’s a disgrace the dialogue bogs issues down throughout the early a part of the sport.
Aside from exploring and combating (and speaking), there are just a few different targets to maintain you taking part in. Objects might be discovered hidden across the panorama or on the market within the city retailer. These improve your stats, permitting you to customise Tevi to some extent. It’s also possible to use recipes to organize meals, offering one other enhance to your stats. There’s so much happening within the menu, and it pays to examine again sometimes to ensure you’re as powered up as attainable.
The graphics are pretty. This side-scrolling journey options many diversified and colourful backdrops with a 16-bit look that’s merely charming. The background stands out whereas the foreground pops. The chibi-looking characters are additionally properly designed, oozing character. Apparently, these brief, cute characters are juxtaposed with taller, extra anime-esque variations of themselves throughout dialogue scenes. It creates an fascinating model and compliments the audio and voiceover work.
The soundtrack is equally great and a stand-out a part of this recreation. Upbeat tunes and dramatic beats accompany you in your journey, including to the ambiance. The audio blends a synth beat with an anime vibe to assist draw you additional into the motion. The voicework—which is fully in Japanese with subtitles—is superb, too.
General, Tevi is a beautiful-looking side-scrolling metroidvania with bullet hell and RPG components. A heavy load of dialogue slows issues down initially, however there’s a deep recreation hiding beneath the floor with satisfying motion and gameplay.