If smooth platforming movement and huge barren environments fit your vibe, you have got to give Pseudoregalia a shot.

Introduction

Pseudoregalia is a 3D metroidvania where you play as protagonist named Sybil who finds herself in a run-down castle. As you progress through the castle, you find new movement techniques that let you reach new locations. Just like metroidvanias usually go.

I was convinced to try this one out when I went through the trailer, heard the awesome music and fell in love with the overall vibe. I adore satisfying movement in games as well, so there’s no way I was missing out on this experience.

This game took me about 10 hours to finish but your mileage may vary — I was sometimes getting lost in the world but it wasn’t too bad.

The good stuff

First of all — the movement! It’s pretty satisfying. The more advanced move tech makes your character a lot more mobile, which means that the backtracking is not that big of a deal in this game. When you zoom through spaces that initially were traversed at regular speed, you can’t help but feel a sense of progress and power.

You can pogo-jump, you can slide-jump to cross big chasms and you can also run/slide on walls. You can also throw your sword. There’s no real use in doing that but it bounces around and makes satisfying sounds. Occasionally I throw that sword, slide-jump and catch it back. Amazing activity.

Another thing I love about this game is the soundtrack. It does remind me of Chrono Trigger’s soundtrack. I am fairly confident Pseudoreglia’s composer has taken a lot of inspiration from that game. Either way, if I had to rank video games by music, Pseudoregalia would probably end up in my top 5, I really adore the soundtrack.

And, finally the vibe itself. The visuals might not be the most ground-breaking but they get the point across. The vibe is in the fact that the game’s territory is huge comparison to the character. And that the environment is pretty much barren if we don’t count monsters and some NPCs with one-liners.

The protagonist is just a small yet nimble creature stuck in a mysterious environment. As the time goes on, the creature discovers (or perhaps recalls) new movement tech that makes traversal far more manageable. It’s a nifty experience for sure.

The bad stuff

Despite overall having a rather great time, there is some jank in this game. I’ll cover them here, in case there are some dealbreakers that wouldn’t let you enjoy the game fully.

My main issue with this game is that the environment itself can get a bit too confusing and stall the progress — not because I can’t do something but because I am not sure what’s next.

For instance, darker regions have lower visibility and they occasionaly tend to have breakable surfaces. When I first started the game it took me a bit of time to figure out there’s a breakable wall — it has some cracks but otherwise is not easy to detect. Especially when the region is already dark and it’s hard to distinguish between objects.

Another thing is that you don’t start with a map but you do eventually get it. And when you do get it, you only see in which room you are but not the exact location within the room. And that is a significant issue because rooms can get huge.

Oh, right — If I remember correctly, maps were bolted in an update because players were complaining that the game is rather difficult without it. The map isn’t a first-class feature and sometimes it feels lacking.

Perhaps the map stuff is a skill issue for me — I’m a bit navigationally-challenged and I make use of maps to make sure I’m not going in circles or anything. Though, I really do appreciate not having to remember all the spots that I should return to because I hadn’t had the move tech to reach the entrance.

At some point of the game I consulted a wiki so that I can figure out what I’m missing and where I need to go, so that I can be fully equipped to reach the final location. It definitely wasn’t the prettiest experience but, hey, at least the movement was cool.

Another issue is that enemies in this game feel like an afterthought. The hitboxes or perhaps the hitting process itself feels weird, sometimes leaving me wondering whether I have actually done any damage. It’s not that big of a deal since the game is about the exploration but I feel like perhaps this feature should either be polished or removed entirely.

Another one is that save points are scattered around world, so you can’t save at any point you like. The save point distribution is decent, though I personally don’t like not being able to save when I want. Perhaps it’s a tribute to older games with save points but please keep that stuff in the past.

Final, a relatively minor warning — be careful with throwing around your sword. Once the sword clipped through the walls when I was doing some sick bouncing combos. Another time I just dropped the sword in the pit (or perhaps) I somehow managed to lose it in the room.

Losing the sword carries a massive risk — you can’t save. Saving is triggered by hitting the save crystal and you can’t hit with your bare hands. Another one is that there are platforming locations where you bounce by hitting stationary projectiles.

And if you are stuck — you gotta reload from the last save point. After being left traumatized with several instances of sword loss, I became much more hesitant in throwing around the sword. It’s a shame because I loved that activity.

The bottom line

Pseudoregalia has a distinct vibe of traversing big run-down environments with fancy movement tech. With awesome soundtrack, mind you. Though, one can not deny that the game has rough edges which might make the gameplay less enjoyable.

If you like the premise of the game and are not repelled by the rougher moments that I have mentioned before — I wholeheartedly recommend you to try Pseudoregalia. It’s a vibe.