The Guise (2020)

A well presented game that despite its charm presents a decent challenge

I really enjoyed The Guise, and I was pleasantly surprised at the engaging storytelling. The mix of exploration, combat and platforming blends really well, and Rasul Mono, the creator, has definitely created a beautiful game that is well worth checking out. I do not think you will be disappointed. I will be awarding The Guise a Thumb Culture Silver Award.

While it has an art style and general bones that help it to stand out, its gameplay and core combat deflate the experience

For a title that is both modestly priced and was also developed by just a small team, The Guise is a valiant attempt at making a Metroidvania-esque title in a gaming world packed with similar efforts. It is a visually striking world that is memorable, with an enjoyable but maybe not so complex fairytale story. While the abilities Ogden can collect do mix things up a bit when it comes to combat, the patterns of enemies make things just a little too simplistic, while at the same time frustrations around the fluidity of controlling Ogden increase that. There is some good fun to be had here, and the boss battles are a highlight among a story that is simple but enjoyable. However, it is possibly not a game likely to stick in the mind over other better executed attempts.

The Guise is masking it's true potential with a severe lack of polish that ends in unintuitive, frustrating gameplay and a complete lack of immersion. It's a very impressive showing by one person but it just needed more time to be ready.