I had a lot of fun traversing the various levels this game had to offer.
I found some of the puzzles to be difficult, but none seemed completely impossible or ridiculous. The levels never felt repetitive or lazily put together, and the puzzles kept me thinking of different approaches to escape each room.
I think the groggy reduced gravity and pitch movement were clever features that added a much needed layer of depth to the gameplay (that also helped to sustain the feeling of the “space” theme).
The music felt like it could have been more well-suited to the environments, but was calm and relaxing (probably better for puzzle solving).
I like the simplicity of the main game mechanics. It is refreshing to see a game like this build an engaging and atmospheric experience around a simple concept like pushing and pulling blocks around.
Criticism:
I would have liked to have seen more unique, game-specific textures.
Hidden portions of puzzles were a little confusing for me at first.
I wanted more levels :)
Thematically speaking it is quite refreshing to see a game made using the engine that avoids the all too common survival-sandbox game genre.
Despite being unfinished, I found it to be enjoyable and at times engaging. For the most part, the simulated opponents behave pretty convincingly like actual racing contestants (though I have seen a few glaringly obvious exceptions).
The camera jitter is off-putting and feels like typical engine stuttering, but it is inherent to Minetest’s camera manipulation and cannot be avoided.
The soundtracks are good, and seem appropriate for the environments where they are used.
The menus are nice, I quite like the Invector font and rotating character selection images; though I felt they lacked a more personalized background image that could have tied the other elements together well.
The item and weapon indicator textures are relatively easy to distinguish from one another (perhaps improving the accessibility of the game) in shape and colour. Most don’t seem to conflict too much with other visual elements.
The speed boost indicator and weapon selection crystal felt somewhat intuitive and were easy to learn. Some of the weapon indicators were easier to learn than others (rocket, shield, sand, boost variants). This will probably vary for users with differential exposure to similarly designed games, but I think the developer worked well within the creative limitations they had.
It is impressive that there even is a track editor on top of the main game and I would love to see what others make with it. The track editor could use some more builtin tools and documentation, though.
I surmise that (like the other contest submissions) most of the deficiencies would have not existed had the developer been given more time. I am fairly confident that this game will be improved upon further, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
A very promising project produced by a quality MT dev.
Nodecore has always been my go-to game for a variety of reasons. And for such a simple project, it is truly surprising how much you can do, and how much there is to uncover; if you are willing to take a little time to get immersed in its unique world. The absence of mods makes it perfect for calm, zen-like play sessions, and the plethora of ambient sounds and subtle feedback cues really make falling into a comfortable routine when you just want to log in and make some progress.
The gameplay is deceptive with its complexity, though forgiving and flexible. You can choose to immerse yourself in a simple world, governed by simple forces that you may at times find familiar (gravity, radiant heat, reposition). A world where resources exist to be found at your own pace, and can be found without having to go on long, droning excursions to prohibitively rare biomes. You wont be praying to the RNG gods if you don't want to. Nodecore has all you need for a gentle, stress-free, voxel game experience. You can enjoy building vast orchards, or enjoy terraforming your area into your own perfect sanctuary.
You may be more of the ambitious, go-getter type, and that's just as valid of a playstyle.
Trying to take control of the secrets holding the nodecore world together will be tough, but not impossible. If you prefer a stimulating experience, where nature is as much your ally as your adversary; you will find that there is much more to the map than pretty little blocks. There are forces at work that would be willing to lend you their power if you find a way to harness them; and most of them are all around you. Best to keep your wits about you regardless of how you play, nodecore has a habit of also being mischievious.
If you like to play it safe, nodecore will happily be your sandbox.
If you like to live dangerously, nodecore will respond to your challenge.
I had a lot of fun traversing the various levels this game had to offer. I found some of the puzzles to be difficult, but none seemed completely impossible or ridiculous. The levels never felt repetitive or lazily put together, and the puzzles kept me thinking of different approaches to escape each room.
I think the groggy reduced gravity and pitch movement were clever features that added a much needed layer of depth to the gameplay (that also helped to sustain the feeling of the “space” theme).
The music felt like it could have been more well-suited to the environments, but was calm and relaxing (probably better for puzzle solving).
I like the simplicity of the main game mechanics. It is refreshing to see a game like this build an engaging and atmospheric experience around a simple concept like pushing and pulling blocks around.
Criticism: I would have liked to have seen more unique, game-specific textures. Hidden portions of puzzles were a little confusing for me at first. I wanted more levels :)
Gameplay: 7/10 Innovation: 9/10 Content: 8/10 Theme: 6/10
Thematically speaking it is quite refreshing to see a game made using the engine that avoids the all too common survival-sandbox game genre. Despite being unfinished, I found it to be enjoyable and at times engaging. For the most part, the simulated opponents behave pretty convincingly like actual racing contestants (though I have seen a few glaringly obvious exceptions). The camera jitter is off-putting and feels like typical engine stuttering, but it is inherent to Minetest’s camera manipulation and cannot be avoided.
The soundtracks are good, and seem appropriate for the environments where they are used. The menus are nice, I quite like the Invector font and rotating character selection images; though I felt they lacked a more personalized background image that could have tied the other elements together well.
The item and weapon indicator textures are relatively easy to distinguish from one another (perhaps improving the accessibility of the game) in shape and colour. Most don’t seem to conflict too much with other visual elements.
The speed boost indicator and weapon selection crystal felt somewhat intuitive and were easy to learn. Some of the weapon indicators were easier to learn than others (rocket, shield, sand, boost variants). This will probably vary for users with differential exposure to similarly designed games, but I think the developer worked well within the creative limitations they had.
It is impressive that there even is a track editor on top of the main game and I would love to see what others make with it. The track editor could use some more builtin tools and documentation, though.
I surmise that (like the other contest submissions) most of the deficiencies would have not existed had the developer been given more time. I am fairly confident that this game will be improved upon further, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
A very promising project produced by a quality MT dev.
I like this.
Nodecore has always been my go-to game for a variety of reasons. And for such a simple project, it is truly surprising how much you can do, and how much there is to uncover; if you are willing to take a little time to get immersed in its unique world. The absence of mods makes it perfect for calm, zen-like play sessions, and the plethora of ambient sounds and subtle feedback cues really make falling into a comfortable routine when you just want to log in and make some progress. The gameplay is deceptive with its complexity, though forgiving and flexible. You can choose to immerse yourself in a simple world, governed by simple forces that you may at times find familiar (gravity, radiant heat, reposition). A world where resources exist to be found at your own pace, and can be found without having to go on long, droning excursions to prohibitively rare biomes. You wont be praying to the RNG gods if you don't want to. Nodecore has all you need for a gentle, stress-free, voxel game experience. You can enjoy building vast orchards, or enjoy terraforming your area into your own perfect sanctuary. You may be more of the ambitious, go-getter type, and that's just as valid of a playstyle. Trying to take control of the secrets holding the nodecore world together will be tough, but not impossible. If you prefer a stimulating experience, where nature is as much your ally as your adversary; you will find that there is much more to the map than pretty little blocks. There are forces at work that would be willing to lend you their power if you find a way to harness them; and most of them are all around you. Best to keep your wits about you regardless of how you play, nodecore has a habit of also being mischievious. If you like to play it safe, nodecore will happily be your sandbox. If you like to live dangerously, nodecore will respond to your challenge.