Aztaka Review
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Sound & Technical Sound is a bit of a mixed bag. The music is generally solid and fits the setting well, but it's the sound effects where the problems start. None of them are bad by themselves, but they are a bit grating as they stack one upon the other. In particular, Citérémis mismanaged the background noise of giant flies and bees, the buzzing of which will positively drive you insane as you flee the level, away from the penetrant cacophony.
The technical side is equally a mixed bag. Aztaka is a stable game, I encountered only one bug through my entire playthrough, but it is a bit of a resource hog. It requires a 2 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM. And while it is a pretty game to look at, I really don't see what it needs that much hardware for. And it is a shame, as it narrows the potential consumer base of the game.
Conclusion
Aztaka clearly shows the marks of being a first-time, independent game. For every one thing that it does well, there's something lackluster to drag it down. Character progression directly impacting platform gameplay is a fascinating idea, yet the guideless running back and forth between levels after unlocking a new skill is just confusing and frustrating. The combat isn't bad, but simply increasing the hit points of enemies only serves to make some fights long and boring rather than more challenging. The presence of character progression in this type of game is interesting, but it's too simple and linear to really sink your teeth into. And then we have simple things like the lack of keymapping - meaning this game is pretty hard to play for left-handed people - that seem eminently avoidable.
Citérémis does seem honestly interested in feedback, and is working on a patch to address a number of issues, including the savegame problem, but as of this review going to press, the patch is not there, so I have to review without. Just keep the possibility of this game significantly improving through patches in mind, though for now we only have the developer's word to go on.
Aztaka is certainly not a bad game. However, other than the beautiful environments and its unique combination of the RPG and platform genres, it doesn't stand out in any way. The gameplay is certainly novel, but it's not polished enough to work really well, and can get pretty boring at times.
I'd recommend giving the demo a try, as I think there are many out there who will really fall in love with this game's enchanting visuals and unique gameplay. The game is currently available for 25 USD via digital download (including Impulse and Direct2Drive), which admittedly seems a bit steep for a game of this type. Judging when games are over and underpriced can be tough, especially for independent games, but my instinct says the experience isn't quite worth the price tag for most people.
