Axle-B Release

[willevolve]

Hey! Thanks for all the feedback so far.

I have just updated Axle-B to version 1.03.4 and have reduced the download size a bit. It is now only a installer of (10.7)MB

If anybody cares to give it a go, please drop me a note if you have any thoughts on the game.

I would love to make version 1.04 a lot better.

Best,

Will.


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Hi, this is my first post on Indiegamer.

This game has a very easy to use editor, where you can create special FX like snow, rain, rainbows, mist, lightning, but to mention a few.

Please have a look at our New fantasy Breakout game, and if there are any thoughts, please post a reply or two!

Thanks,

Will.

Axlebox Games

http://www.axlebox.com/

Download Link1- Fast:
http://www.axlebox.com/axleb/download/AXLE-B.exe

Download Link2 - Slower:
http://d.trymedia.com/d/willem/1h_pk...lem/AXLE-B.exe

Video Link (Youtube):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p_sO6j8zoM

[Dyno Kid]

Just spent the last hour playing the demo over at gametrove and was a little sorry to see the screen go "your trial has expired"

I have to say i really enjoyed fizzball but for me this game is a better buy for breakout fans, its very deep and feels much bigger, the effects are very well done from the rainbows to the lightning to the wisp type glows the many many power ups and extra features are simply amazing.

The editor was a real treat as there's nothing like designing your own levels and it was very easy to use so a big plus for the editor.

I did get a little stuck in the weapons room but soon realised you have to wait in the centre for the time to count down.

Great game.

Well done,

Darren.

Ps Nice story btw.

[willevolve]

Thank you for the nice review, I thought that the treasure room and shop system was intuitive, but will have to find a better way next time.

Thanks.

[papillon]

http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=5261

[willevolve]

Another Screen Shot:

[redito]

This is a beautiful looking game and it's obvious you have spent a lot of time on the story and on the graphics.

But it took forever for it to load - around 30 secs just to get to the first title screen. Then there is more loading time before it gets to the menu and then again within the game. And each level has several screens in between it before you can actually play the game. It just too way too long for my patience level and I could see casual gamers thinking it wasn't worth the wait time.

The story in the beginning is a nice touch but the printing runs right over the graphics and is very hard to read in places. The ability to choose your ship (bat) is nice but the graphics in the choice of faces look pixelated and don't match the quality of the rest of the game. The map seems washed out and doesn't clearly (at least to me) indicate where you are supposed to go and why.

I usually love games with lots of things falling but in this one practically every brick unleashed a gem or something. I had no idea what I was catching or why. I didn't read any help screens (didn't notice any) so I didn't know how many lives I had, why things helped or hurt me or what the screens were after 5 levels that seemed to allow me to buy gems or something. No clue there.

You have a great game here with some absolutely beautiful artwork but it's bogged down by trying to have too much all at once. You don't have to put every trick in the book into your game to make it a hit.

For me, a pop-up screen at the beginning of the first few levels introducing the main bonuses would be helpful. As would one when you get to the buying gems thing (or whatever that was).

As a breakout fan I love to see new creations in this genre but this one was just too slow, too busy and too confusing.

Just my $.02

[willevolve]

Thank You for that great honest review, I will update my game where possible...

The place with the gems was actually your treasure room, and if you click on the gems you sell them for gold. If you exit that room - another door to the right takes you to the shop.

You have to exit the shop and wait to get the countdown to the map, this then gives you a choice of two directions. You can move your ship right or left pending on the area you wish to explore next!

Screenshot of the treasure room:

[Dyno Kid]

A game like this deserves more feedback, im very suprised few people have responded to Wills request here.

Come on guys.....

Darren.

[CabalDoug]

Downloading now WIll. I'll try to have some feedback for you by tomorrow evening.

-doug

[electronicStar]

Okay just tested the 60 minutes, I might have missed some of the features, but here are my impressions:

-I think the graphic style is great! For some reason,it reminded me of the old amiga or C64 games. There is some sort of ambiance. But as I said it's because of nostalgia, so someone else might not feel the same and some people could find the graphics ugly.
Some of the little touches give an ethereal and dreamy mood to the game. I liked that aspect of the game the most.

-I think this game falls in the department of "way too many particles on screen".
That's really a problem there for me.
In a breakout clone I should be able to find the ball on screen with just one glance (either make it glow or in a different color or bigger, I don't know).
In this game way too many critters, particles, rain drops, lights rainbow everywhere too much. Everything should be made less flashy, cut on the particles and make it so that the game elements (bat, ball, enemy projectiles) are easily and quickly recognizable. At the moment the game was unplayable for me. Although beautiful, the details should not be a nuisance.
You should also use some help screens or tutorials of some sort because there ar emany things happening and I have no idea why (why was my bat exploding every ten seconds, I think it might be related to the little red bats, but it should be made more obvious)
In the shop, the gems should be sold automatically, why should I have to click on each of them? that's absolutely the opposite of fun, (although the gem pile looks funny, you can keep the picture as a background maybe)

PROS: graphic and style. Diversity in the gameplay. cute rewards falling everywhere.

CONS: too confusing. Screen too cluttered. things should be identified/understood intuitively. Intro screens too long to read.

[CabalDoug]

Here is some of the promised feedback. It took me a bit longer than expected to get to it.

Things I liked
* The game is very fun. I found myself really getting into it.
* I love the shops where you can buy and sell items.
* I liked the idea of having enemies that you would try to take down like the big butterflies.
* I liked the transitions between levels.

Things that I think could be improved
* Most of the graphics were pretty cool, but there was something about the style that just seemed old to me.
* It was really easy to lose the ball with everything going on. This could become frustrating.
* When you hover an item in the shops, a description tool-top would be cool.
* In the map menu, I didn't really like sliding the paddle to select a location on the map. I felt that using a free mouse would have a better "feel." But maybe that's just me.

I'll play some more within the next couple of days and post anymore feedback I might have. This is definitely a fun game! Great job!

-Doug

[willevolve]

Hey! Thanks for all the feedback so far.

I have just updated Axle-B to version 1.03.4 and have reduced the download size a bit. It is now only a installer of (10.7)MB

If anybody cares to give it a go, please drop me a note if you have any thoughts on the game.

I would love to make version 1.04 a lot better.

Best,

Will.