-And if anyone still needs these....
Waking Mars
Thanks for this. I've been looking for a bundle tier where this wasn't the only game I was interested in, but snagging a random code drop works too. Review below.
The gameplay is very methodical and requires a bit of planning to set up each room correctly. I wouldn't call it a puzzle game exactly, but that's only because the solutions tend to be very obvious. I wouldn't really call it a metroidvania either, though, since after half an hour the game hasn't opened up to exploration at all. It's definitely something I haven't seen before in terms of gameplay, but it's hard to categorize it beyond "not fast".
The plot is Metroid Fusion. Not even an attempt to hide it. An alien life form is taking over and it's growing way faster than we expected and oh no, it's mutating into dangerous things now. And while it grows, it's also blocking off areas, collapsing tunnels, opening alternate paths, and occasionally giving you new things to do. And trying to kill you. Definitely that one. It's okay, though, because your friendly computer can tell you where to go next.
Overall, I like it, but I wouldn't play it in large chunks. Half an hour was more than enough to deliver an exploration fix and make me want to see what a game over via acid pool looks like. The game over was disappointing, but the game itself is unique enough that I'll go back at some point to see if it opens up a bit or gets faster. There's definitely some room for time or skill-based puzzles, and I kind of want to see if they show up.
