Pseudoregalia

Pseudoregalia is a 3D metroidvania with retro graphics and a heavy focus on platforming. You play as Sybil, a 'goat-bunny-cat lady,' exploring a strange, dreamlike castle. I really like how much the game lets you sequence break. The wall kick ability is very useful, but even before getting that, it was fun trying to use the backflip, which gives slightly more height than the regular jump, to get up to places I otherwise wouldn't be able to get to. The wall kick ability is where the game really opened up though, and it became a lot more fun when I got it.

On some occasions, I got a little frustrated with some platforming sections, but that was usually because I didn't have the abilities I was supposed to have to get through it, and I was just trying to challenge myself to see if I could get through it anyway. It's cool how the game can let you make your own challenges like that. It's generally pretty clear if you don't have the abilities you're intended to have for a section, so I knew that what I was doing wasn't required and that the challenges I was facing were self-imposed.

As well as new abilities, you can also find 'aspects' which can enhance what you're able to do, making you deal more damage, heal more, etc. These generally don't give you any more movement capabilities like new abilities do, although there is one that gives you an extra wall kick, which can open up a bit more of the world if you're skilled enough. Occasionally, you can find crystals which will trigger challenges, where you'll need to reach a number of orbs within a time limit. If you succeed, you'll be rewarded with a new outfit. I completed a couple of these, though some I didn't have the abilities I needed to complete them fast enough and forgot to go back to them once I did.

Early on I didn't use the map much, and just wanted to explore and hope I stumbled onto new rooms or found myself back in a room I could do more in now. It was only later on in the game that I used the map to try to find what few areas I hadn't yet been through, and to remember where some specific areas I now had the ability to clear were and how to get there. Without the map I probably would've ended up just wandering aimlessly back through the world a bunch trying to check if I missed anything in any of the areas I'd been to, so I'm glad it exists, since it apparently wasn't there on launch and was only added in a later update.

I like the retro, N64-style graphics of the game, and how each area has its own distinct visual style and palette. The soundtrack is great too!

The game's combat is fairly basic, and I didn't really find myself too engaged by it, but it's not really the main focus of the game. The entire game only has two boss fights, one at the beginning in the tutorial area, and one at the end. Both were pretty fun, and not too difficult, only taking me a few attempts.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this game. Though it felt a little slow at the start, once I got the wall kick ability and could begin trying to sequence break and challenge myself to reach different areas, I started having a lot of fun. I'm glad that they decided to add a map though, as I'm not sure if I'd have been able to beat the game without it.