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Lady Bug
Lady Bug
By dickpoelen
View on Wayback Machine
| Category | Rank | Score | Count |
|
|---|
| Coolness | 1 | 100 | | |
| Overall | 39 | 3.95 | | |
| Mood | 40 | 3.96 | | |
| Audio | 45 | 3.82 | | |
| Graphics | 63 | 4.14 | | |
| Fun | 67 | 3.80 | | |
| Theme | 110 | 3.98 | | |
| Innovation | 183 | 3.48 | | |
Comments
mrjorts
2015-08-24 02:38
This is really impressive. It looks great in motion, and getting a good run in a level feels really cool. It feels like the guards shoot too quickly, though, to the point that there's nothing you can do to avoid the bullets. Even when you find a strategy that works for a level, it doesn't feel repeatable, and you can get shot seemingly at random. It also takes too long to restart a level considering how often you die. I would have liked to keep playing, but I had to stop on the third level because I felt like too many of my deaths were random and I was just sitting waiting to start over.
Absolutely wonderful! I loved the way the game looked and how it played. I am really impressed. The only issue I have is the speed at which the guards fire might be a little too quick and precise - I'd often do the same move multiple times and it'd result in different outcomes: sometimes they'd die, sometimes I'd die.
I suppose I shouldn't complain though because that death splat is juicy as hell.
I didn't understand how to navigate the main menu but it is a truly amazing game for ludum dare. top notch graphics, gameplay and level design!
Awesome, but I agree with Mr Jorts that is suffers from a lack of repeatability. That some delay, or reaction time, from the guards (maybe indicated by a ! above their heads or something) would reduce some of the frustration without ruining the challenge
miltage
2015-08-24 11:02
mrjorts brings up some good points. The game looks amazing and the controls are tight, but the difficulty ramp from the second to the third level is insane. I didn't get passed the fourth. I think you're going to be hard pressed to find people with the patience to make it past the third.
Some of the camera pans on the larger levels are a little awkward, especially in places where you have to jump to reach the other parts of the level.
Other than that, the concept, fast-paced action and responsive controls are all spot-on and make for some fun platforming. Great work.
Thanks eveyone!
Yeah there're somethings that aren't as good as they could be. Lots to think about that could use improving. Guess that's how jam games go.
And yes, the 4th stage is brutal. It's the last stage, so I figured lets just make it really hard :)
Awesome entry!
The art is just perfect, and the mood is great too!
The level design is maybe a little too "hardcore". Just add some checkpoints to be less frustrating for big-fingered-totally-noob players like me :p
deusopus
2015-08-24 15:20
Wow, I'm surprised this isn't a jam game. The art and atmosphere is superb. However, I do feel it suffers from a lack of testing (as most compo games do) because of how the challenge is more dependent on trying to figure out a strategy that fails the least, as there are seemingly few consistent strategies that work for each enemy or set of enemies due to their firing patterns.
spectacular presentation! Extremely stylized, and gleefully vibrant. A real treat for the eyes. I felt that the music was also really nice, although a bit too calm to feel like a good match for the action on-screen.
You compared this to a blend of reversed Alien:Isolation and Hotline Miami, which is an excellent combination which you really nailed.
mat1er
2015-08-24 19:54
So good feeling for a game so much based on randomness... That's sad...
mat1er
2015-08-24 20:02
So good feeling for a game so much based on randomness... That's sad...
Seriously, on this one, a full game well polish could easily be the indie of the year.
goost
2015-08-24 23:17
Fun! Gorgeous splatter effect, very nice Main Menu.
Like the rest said, guards are a little to trigger happy though.
khaotom
2015-08-25 06:26
Pretty sick controls and feel. The randomness is the monster though.
thorig
2015-08-25 07:16
Those bullets can not even be dodged in the Matrix. Great entry!
I think some more visual details in levels would make it more interesting but I know it's a jam game. Mechanic is very hotline miami like. Unforgiving. I like the splatters the most. It felt good slaying those scientists somehow :) It's funny how a head drops in front of one and he just doesn't care :D
Super well made, with great graphics! I included it in part 2 of my Ludum Dare 33 Compilation video series, if you would like to take a look :) https://youtu.be/vxHEoUQEThc
Looking pretty wellm like the visual effects. But gameplay is too fast for me. Can't react just in time to doge bullets and kill enemies. Stuck on third level where I have to jump from crouch. Man on the top always shoot me out =(
Awesome game dude! I really liked the blood splats and crawling through tunnels was a nice touch.
I did find the guards a bit frustrating though, I felt as if it was luck half the time I got past them.
Controls felt great, art and sound effects were good. My only source of complaint is that it was hard to figure out how to best deal with the pistol wielding dudes. I'd suggest make the shots they fire slower and make the interval between shots bigger.
duzduz
2015-08-26 17:22
Whouaa, my goal was to make a kind of game like this, but yours is really better. Good job
s0lll0s
2015-08-26 20:07
really liked the graphics and the mood, but the controls were a bit clumsy and the levels were too hard to keep me motivated to play through after at least 30 attempts in the third level.
ehtd
2015-08-27 00:51
I was pretty excited to see a game this quality, but it is really hard to handle using the keyboard and I don't have a controller with me. I could not get pass the crouch/jump level...
oadt
2015-08-27 09:43
Wow, I finished it :D The fourth level is quite hard at first, but after you find all secret paths its not that hard anymore.
Great entry! I like audio, style and also the fast gameplay
kchplr
2015-08-27 12:22
FYI, the game doesn't run on Mac OS X 10.9.5, it says that the "app file is damaged and can't be open".
@K.Chplr that's cause it's not verified with Apple. TO fix that you have to switch to "allow applications downloaded from anywhere" in system/security & privacy. Should work then.
@OadT woah nice! Don't think many people beat the fourth stage.
@everyone thanks! I'm gonna release a slightly updated version pretty soon, which should fix most of your problems with the game (I hope).
Psssst - you are in today's Ludum Dare to Believe! Check it out at - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4fkEeN5Nys
zammalad
2015-08-27 16:39
Great game. Well polished and challenging yet fun to play
uthamon
2015-08-27 16:40
I tend to divide games on gameplay heavy and narrative heavy, out of the first group, this is the best game I have tried this Ludum Dare. You interested me on twitter with relating to Hotline Miami, my favourite game and with this game You really did achieve to give this awesome feeling of fast-paced arcade gameplay and repeating the rooms till you play them just right. I'd love to see expanded version, perhaps with Lady Bug escaping the lab and fighting her way through other locations.
The 3rd (?) level is nearly unbeatable, but the graphics are top notch. I have one problem with the game, I use a QWERTZ keyboard so after 5 minutes of playing my hand just said "Nope!" and hurt a lot, so please add a QWERTZ layout to the game
0x0961h
2015-08-27 18:38
Very stylish, I really like it.
split82
2015-08-27 19:38
Super nice entry. Hard as hell! :D
Love the juicy splatter...just felt I saw it way too much. Agree with everyone here that the guards are a little too precise and a little too quick. I almost cleared level 4, but as mentioned, the strategies I used weren't always repeatable. I just found the strategies that worked most of the time. Otherwise, loved the mechanics, nearly perfect on the controls. Just enough for variation, but not too much for finger fumble at the wrong time.
Nice artstyle and music!
Pretty good entry!
pi_pi3
2015-08-27 20:52
This game is hard. And awesome.
Again, thanks for the kind words everyone!
@CrazyMinnowStudio I think the problem with the guards is actually not that they are to precise, but that they're to random. There's a random amount of spread added to their aim every time they shoot, which means that sometimes, accidentally, they shoot exactly where you end up in a few frames. I'm working on a slightly improved version where they shoot way more accurately, and that actually makes it easier to dodge the bullets. And to play the game consistently. Should reduce the amount of times you see green splatter :)
tmalicet
2015-08-27 21:04
It's really too hard for me but it looks great!
Very good feel to this one! Solid art, especially in the title screen, for the time constraints; if you decide it expand it to have more levels, varying up (i.e. adding more) music would be an excellent addition (especially if it follows with areas/theme changes as you go).
Fantastic game, love that you can use a gamepad, really nice art! Great job! :D
pereubu
2015-08-27 23:24
really smooth animation and sound design :>
t4u
2015-08-27 23:38
I bet I would love this game if wall climbing wasn't broken - completely counter intuitive, makes me wanna bash my head against table.
I feel like a child from whom somebody stolen previously given candy. "Here you go awesome game... oops the wall climbing doesn't work so no fun for you" and then the child cries :(
It's incredibly hard but also very satisfying, I'd play a full game like this for sure. The graphical style is also insanely easy on the eyes, and I love the colourful splatters of blood and the way enemies lose their heads.
lukezaz
2015-08-27 23:43
Great game. Controls were excellent - I loved being able to hold two arrow keys at once so that when I hit a corner I just kept going. Really helped. Only issue I had was with the difficulty of the guards instant-aim and fast bullets.
shawn42
2015-08-28 01:37
Amazing, difficulty scales up a little too quickly. All the juicy bits really make it feel great. Nice work.
gfm
2015-08-28 03:15
This game is rad! I had a great time playing it! Definitely one of the most fun games I've played this LD, so far!
I'm amazed by how simple the graphics are, but how amazing it looks in practice.
I had to try the post-jam version. The camera works way better in most cases, but in doesn't shows two guards (on the pit), on the last stage... This definitely needs more stages!
Congrats =D
Man, what a game! It's very much a short game that I want to play more of, and a lot harder than I was expecting, but still very enjoyable. Sneaking through vents and destroying people and dodging bullets is immensely satisfying when done right. The audiovisual experience is sweet, the gameplay is excellent. I don't much like the controls, but rebindable keys is kind of a stretch for a game jam.
Really great action! Controls a little difficult on keyboard, but on gamepad I imagine it'd play really well. Great work!
I was extremely impressed by this one. Great job!
spotco
2015-08-28 06:19
This game definitely had me git gud. Probably my favorite so far. Controls could have probably been tweaked to be a little more intuitive on keyboard.
01101101
2015-08-28 14:20
Great job, I love the graphic style and the general atmosphere. As others have mentioned though, it's really hard to consistently predict/avoid the guards shots, so it gets a bit frustrating. The respawn time seems a bit long as well, given how often you die ;)
Other than that, really solid entry, congrats!
rnlf
2015-08-28 16:40
The game feels very polished, except for the way too hard enemies! I made it to level 4, but after at least 50 retries, I had to quit.
It looks really cool and the sound is great too!
Oh god! I love the pixely gore in this one! Really well done graphics and good gameplay.
Very fluid and exciting - almost everything about this game shines. The sound effects included are very satisfying, in addition the music emphasises the stealthy nature of the game very nicely. The 4th level (which I did beat!) was absolute murder - the guards were practically psychic, it felt random whether or not I'd survive. Awesome work, I'd love to see what you make in future!
gus
2015-08-28 22:02
Simply amazing. Best LD game, I've played so far.
I was going to make some criticism, but looks like mrjorts already did it pretty greatly and you already implemented his suggestions, so I'm kinda late.
I'll be sure to check post-jam version later.
Great graphics, audio and mechanics. Just too difficult, couldn't pass the 4th level.
sicilica
2015-08-29 02:15
I really liked it, but eventually gave up due to the randomness. I wouldn't have minded the speed if the guards gave some indication of where they were going to shoot. Other than that I really liked it a lot. Great job.
Other than being extremely difficult, this is a very polished and solid entry.
I hope you keep working on this, this game is quite unique and holds a lot of potential.
flix
2015-08-29 04:27
there noting to say... its almost perfect:P,hope that you win.
The camera is bad in some times but the game is AMAZING!
If you release a Steam version tell me!!
pixlexia
2015-08-29 05:07
Really fun entry! Managed to finish the game once I got used to the controls, which I think are just right. I had to keep pressing R whenever I die since the respawn time is a bit too long.
The levels are really difficult as I think the enemy bullets are too quick, but that makes it even more satisfying to complete a level – not to mention them juicy neon-colored splatters.
Congrats on the game!
– Alphonsus
I really liked this game, it was tons of fun even though it too difficult for me to beat it. I also thought that the graphics in this game were very cool with heads flying off of the guard's bodies, blood splattering across the walls, and the font was a nice touch. If this game was a bit easier I'd love to play it more, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it one bit. :)
Brutally difficult (as a compliment) and excellent game! Love the art style, works really well with the claustrophobic atmosphere. Good music too. That 4th stage is awesome!
So stylish! I really dig the presentation and the design of the player character.
block97
2015-08-29 06:43
Really nice polished game. Really like the art style and the music.
kk
2015-08-29 06:52
The gameplay is simple, but work great!
Nice work!
aevek
2015-08-29 07:14
Looks great, plays great but often frustrating due to the guard quick-draw skills. But a good run feels so much better because of it, it feels like being a bad ass predator creature or something.
dregamr
2015-08-29 07:48
Wow! Very good work!! Nice graphics and music.
the 4th stge is... AGGGG!!!
Amazing, I absolutely love the graphics and music! it was a bit hard though but that's okay to me. one of the best games i've played so far!
tuism
2015-08-29 08:38
Really good stuff, though I don't agree with every decision you made with it.
With the difficulty being cranked up to 10000 - the speed of everything essentially made it a game of rote trial and error as opposed to master and learn. Sure, there are things to learn, but I pretty much guarantee noone ended up beating a level without dying a pile of times and learning the timing and sequence of button presses of each segment.
That's cool, it's great how tight you've made this, but at the same time not as fun as mastery by reaction and learning how bits work, for me anyway. Especially in a game as tight as this.
The controls are pretty decent but it really feels out of the norm, and so I feel more like a retard than a killer most of the time.
But damn, it's a well put together piece, really. One for those addicted to punishment. And a gamepad, too, I guess.
firetwin
2015-08-29 12:33
Not much to add to the previous comments. I loved the agility the monster has and there's a ton of satisfaction when you finally tear this dude up with those beautiful neon splatter effects. Unfortunately, the way the game works, when you do finish a section it normally feels like you got lucky rather than used great skill. So I think a lot of work would need to go in making the player feel he is completely to blame about screwing up etc.
Again, thanks so much for the kind words AND pointing out problems, everyone.
If you have the time, please check out the post jam version here: http://kingpenguin.itch.io/ladybug
I hope it fixes some of the issues people have. The randomness and feeling of luck for one. So if you've played the comp version, please check this out and let me know if it felt like an improvement to you.
Just leave a comment here, or on Twitter: @dickpoelen
Probably the best game I've played. It had a hotline-miami-esque feel. A slower difficulty curve would be nice, but I still beat it. You fixed the camera system in the Post-Comp version, so I can't complain about that.
ithildin
2015-08-29 14:30
Brilliant entry! I loved the music, graphics were simple but very effective (I fell in love with the blood splotches, mostly because I got to see them a lot T_T), and gameplay felt very smooth, hard without feeling unfair.
One of the best compo entries I've seen so far, impressive job!
dunin
2015-08-29 15:47
cool fast and smart game.
Level 4 is so hard. I almost finished it but the last guy kill me...
I will retry later...
Best game of LD33
sparrow
2015-08-29 19:57
Very hard but fun. It is beatable just got to get used to the timing of the gun.
theziggy
2015-08-29 22:11
Very fun, lots of frustration, but in the end it was fun. Would love to see a new version of this in the future, full over more levels (and maybe not as steep a learning curve).
xanjos
2015-08-30 01:33
Some of the levels were pretty hard (Must have died on the 3rd like 20 times) but I like the gameplay mechanics a lot (although the jumping is a bit floaty).
I really liked this game I give it high marks for fun. It took me a bit to figure out to use Z then X to fly high up. Controls were smooth and AI pretty tough
Hard as heck but impressive and spot on the theme!
This is funnnnnn! Unforgiving but once it works (i.e. you get more skilled) - it's super rewarding.. actually even dying feels rewarding - with this awesome splatters! :)
Love the graphics with it's minimalistic approach (cool color palette choice), music complements it nicely..
You are onto something and I would love to see it as a full release.
Great submission! Thanks! :)
Loved the level design. It was really difficult but I completed it :D
Only thing is that the "Best Time" should be shown on the game over for all the levels, at least I could brag here
chuigum
2015-08-30 20:07
Definitely one of best entries I've rated so far. Awesome graphics and audio, and it was actually very fun! I love being the monster! :)
Cool game, first i felt a bit weird about gamepad controller, then i realized it was swap (upside down)compared to keyboard input. That's quite dynamic, and a bit hard sometimes, but nice concept !
Awesome game, great work. And a compo entry too, wow. There's something very satisfying about murdering those scientists. <_<
Like many others, I also had issue with the seeming randomness of the deaths, but I've tried the updated version afterwards and it's a big improvement (and with more levels to boot!).
Impressive entry! Art: AMAZING. Gameplay: AMAZING FUN if a little challenging. As a scientist I can only hope I meet my end at the hands of an adorable-splatty-making insect like this one. Bravo, A++.
rudra
2015-09-01 08:11
This is really well made, one of the best entries I have played. Good job :)
sanju
2015-09-01 08:43
Great entry. Simple and addictive game. Nice music and animations. Very Hotline Miami-ish.
Congratulations!
grhyll
2015-09-01 10:16
Well, that's very impressive! I'm a bit sad it's so hard as others have already said, I didn't finish it (I may have broken my keyboard before I could reach the end), but it's beautiful and the feelings are amazing!
Very well made game, great graphics and feel. What mrjorts said stands though.
mantis
2015-09-01 12:52
Great game. Tight controls, sweet mechanics. Love it!
Shadow
2015-09-01 21:20
Impressive entry. It's a really hard game though. Was unable to beat it. Combat felt a bit random because the average intelligence/reaction time of guards wasn't really something I could predict.
Loved the graphics and the music. Animations are gorgeous and the overall level of polish is astonishing.
A really good game. It's going straight to my list of favorite entries. Great job man!
Super cool game. I really liked how fast it feels.
Great game ! A bit hard for me but really good indeed.
Ridiculously good. I can't believe you got this done in 48 hours! Awesome job!!!!!!!!
Great game, loved the whole atmosphere and feel of it. The audio worked really well with the graphics and setup. Also tried the post jam version and think it is a nice improvement, would be nice to see a future version that is slightly more forgiving with the shooters being a fraction slowly and then maybe getting faster in later levels. Definitely understandable with the time constraints for this version though. Nice job.
general
2015-09-03 14:39
My video review: http://youtu.be/S-puJwH9Sq0
Your game is at 9:59
But the screencasting software failed to record the game in full-screen mode, so for the most time you'll just hear my voice :)
I was really impressed by great gameplay and I definitely think that you should release this game.
Like many commenters here I failed on level 3.
@General Haha! That's great. Hearing your reactions but not seeing the game was super funny. (And yeah, it gets difficult on level 3) Thanks for playing
druid
2015-09-03 21:13
Wow This is prettz NEAT entry! Nice stylized art, simple but addicting gameplay!
What i liked? ... Pretty much everything :D
What i hated? Collisions were little wrong. Sometimes i get stucked in wall.
All in all. This game make it pretty high! All 5 for this one!
frump
2015-09-04 04:03
I REALLY like the logo. It was super hard, made it less fun for me. Well-made nonetheless.
strong99
2015-09-04 14:42
I love the blood graphics and intro screen a lot D: Very nice to see what you have been able to add in those few hours after we had split up. I never got to the end of the game though... Some guards are just ninja fast with shooting.
The game is really good. It has nice music and art, and has a nice balance between difficulties.
Great job!
taro
2015-09-06 02:42
Super-duper hard game, with the guardsman being ridiculously accurate to navigate. I particularly dreaded moments dealing with a thin-corridor with a guardsman at the end. Otherwise, I think it's tight controls are fantastic! Definitely felt in control. Felt the enemies were smarter than me.
The music was a bit repetitive, and the difficulty level was steep. Perhaps easing the difficulty, such as slower fire-rate, slower bullets, and better placed levels could have helped. Overall, great job!
That was a lot of fun! Okay, I almost raged a bit on the 4th level. The randomness of the shots and me missing the second shortcut in the end room was getting to me. Once I noticed the second shortcut it was pretty easy to get through. I loved the blood splatter effect, very satisfying. I would love to see more of this. The quick and precise gameplay was really refreshing.
Oh man, I found it really hard. I'm just not very good at these sorts of games. But it looked and sounded great, and the core mechanics were solid, I just... kept dying so much!
wertle
2015-09-09 02:48
Excellent job on the little details in the animation. I love the wing flutter when you jump, and the feedback for chomping dudes. I had some trouble understanding how the bullets tracked me, sometimes I would charge ahead in a setup and not get hit, but if I tried the same strategy a second time I would get hit. Since this is a pretty hard game where you're solving room-by-room, I'd recommend making the restart time sliiiiiiiightly faster (the splatter feedback when you die is great, just a hair long. I want to get back in the action quickly when I die to try and learn how to overcome what killed me). I couldn't play as much as I wanted for the difficulty, but I think it's a solid entry. At some points I wish certain challenges were isolated (like the crouch jump part, I kept dying in the subsequent parts and felt like I had no way to practice or prepare and so kept having to do the crouch jump challenge over and over). Camera panning could be smoothed out, but that's polishy stuff. Well done!
tselmek
2015-09-12 18:18
Really hard game, the mechanics feel very nice and the artstyle is gorgeous. The camera movement feels a little clunky but it wasn't a big deal gameplay wise. Really nice entry.
demy
2015-09-12 19:09
Wow, the graphics is so good! Awesome game with some smart ideas.
Really really great entry! The game play is superb and the murdering was visceral and satisfying. I would love to see this expanded and refined.
My only concern was the camera. It didn't move smoothly and made me a little disorientated.
rubna
2015-09-14 10:43
fun, but way too hard in a bad way. you shouldn't make enemy movements/shots random, that feels unfair.
This was stellar! I loved the simplicity and despite it it was really engaging and having a good run in a level feels so amazing. It also looks and sounds great, too. It's hard as hell, though. I'd say that's the main fault with it. I tcould have stood to be a little more forgiving. Other than that, fantastic!
This was a really fun game. Great entry. Love how visceral it feels.
I included your game in an article of my favorites and added a trophy to your profile! http://fireside.gamejolt.com/post/jam-favorites-ludum-dare-33-part-1-uzbzpjci