Review: Mana Spark – Not Quite Heaven-Sent, But Still Worth A Look
Mana Spark is a lovely little dungeon-crawling roguelike. The adventure takes place in a world where humanity is enslaved, its strength inferior to that of its captors due to the lack of Mana in human bodies. Mana is power itself, and whoever wields it grows stronger. But what if a band of rebels formed a hidden encampment in the woods, and cooperated to gather Mana over time so that one of their fighters might one day grow powerful enough to win the day and enable their freedom?
This is where you come in as the player-character, taking risky walks into the woods with your trusty bow and arrows. Your overarching goal is to defeat the mysterious final boss, but until you are mighty enough to get there, your mission is to collect Mana runes, which have a chance of dropping each time you kill an enemy. Every time you plunge into the woods, you are hoping to collect as many runes as you can before you have to die and try again.
Ah, but there is one catch: In order for collected runes to ‘count,’ you must deposit them in a Peculiar Room before you die. The gameplay loop of Mana Spark relies on this tension, the desperate survival-struggle of making it to the next deposit box before your foes, whose varieties are growing more difficult with each level you advance, are able to take you down.
You will need to conquer two forest stages of procedurally-generated rooms to reach the first Peculiar checkpoint. Then onto the more dungeon-like areas proper for one floor, then the first boss, then one more dungeon floor, then the next Peculiar Room. Then one more dungeon floor, a second boss, discovering the third area-type for a floor, and – well, if you can make it a little farther, you get a crack at the endgame. There are only three boss characters and three kinds of environment in the whole game.
You may encounter terms like “massive” or “sprawling” to describe some games, but this is not one of them. Do not fear, however – unless you are a supernaturally gifted gamer, you will likely get several hours out of Mana Spark. You will die often, and because you are not guaranteed to keep the runes you find, some trips into the hostile territory will be much more fruitful than others. Even for a shorter game, this is where Mana Spark can feel grindy at times.
The ‘get good’ journey is a pretty one, though. This game asserts itself as another title with pleasant pixel art, crafted in a style that is somehow both minimalist (your character has a blank, featureless blocky face) yet detailed (torches on walls can be shot out, affecting room lighting). The fantasy world is cast alongside a melancholy soundtrack, its forlorn keystrokes offering a gloomy presentation that keeps the mood of humanity’s desperation at the heart of the narrative, never letting the player feel a real triumph until the very end.
Hope for victory lies in the encampment, where every new life begins and where the player’s allies offer their assistance. When the game begins, your sole companion is Li Wei, a character who can recruit another friend in exchange for two runes. Then you will unlock someone who offers ‘recipes’ that give permanent bonuses, such as to attack power and/or speed, in exchange for runes. Someone else can weaken one enemy type at a time, provided you have killed that enemy once before. Once you have beaten the first boss to unlock a second character, the encampment is where you can switch between Ellis the hunter (who has three hearts of health and a trusty bow) and Jasika the crossbow guard (who only has two health but needs less time between each – albeit weaker – shot). A third character may be found in the dungeon, too, a four-health tanky swordsman.
There is also a blacksmith, who offers a choice of secondary attacks with a cooldown. You begin with a bear trap you can lay down, which hurts any enemy that steps on it. Eventually it is possible to have several options, ranging from a simple rapid-fire for two seconds, to a net that slows any creatures that enter its area, to a weapon that can paralyze, and others. However, you can also upgrade each secondary attack individually, and you might just find yourself playing through the whole game with the strengthened bear trap.
There are no other weapons, or really any sort of fuss with items of any kind. The one random element that helps keep things interesting is that temporary upgrades to the character may be found in a room, or bought for coins (which, like runes, are sometimes dropped from felled foes) in the Peculiar Room checkpoints. You may get an upgrade that increases your health by one, for example, or increases your attack strength. You can also purchase a different secondary attack, if you would like, for the duration of your run; and, by doing so, unlock it with the blacksmith back at the encampment if you want to stick with it on a future run. Your success will, by some measure, depend on your ability to stack these upgrades during your run in order to be a truly formidable hero by the time you reach the final boss.
Notably, the bosses are not as difficult as some of the basic enemy types that may be encountered. In fact, Mana Spark seems to acknowledge this in how the stage progression is laid out; despite bosses dropping lots more runes than other characters, you do not get to deposit the runes into a Peculiar Room immediately afterwards but have to fight through one more dungeon level instead.
And this, at its heart, is the appeal of Mana Spark: The combat is tightly designed to be twitchy, risky and challenging. The interplay between possible room layouts and enemy designs provides a beautiful dance of combat. Different enemy-types may ride each other, and you can trick others into taking friendly fire. You will definitely need to learn their patterns, their behaviour. Mana Spark is at its best in that breath-of-relief moment after needing to make a dozen snap tactical decisions in a row just to survive conflict, when your education in violence pays off.
On the other side of the coin, this game does have one notable flaw: the camera. Whereas other games would centre the point of view on the player-character, Mana Spark centres the camera on the aiming cursor. This means that, as you whip your aim back and forth, the entire scenery is yanked around with it. This can literally be nauseating and feels like a design oversight. Even once you sorta get used to it, one might wonder how much smoother the game would feel if you didn’t need to train your mind to account for the entire screen jostling around as you manoeuvre and fire.
Conclusion
Would it be fair to call this game Titan Souls Lite? How much does the phrase “twin-stick shooter dungeon roguelike” intrigue you? Honestly, the price is probably a fair bet for providing several hours of solid, challenging combat mechanics. Just beware that the drip-feed progression can feel grindy, even for a shorter game – and that choice of camera takes something away from the whole experience, in this reviewer’s opinion. Mana Spark is a game that shines brightly in certain areas, enough to perhaps hide the shortcomings it has as well.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 12-21-2018, 09:07 PM - Forum: Windows
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Countdown Sale: Save on Xbox games, consoles, Xbox Game Pass and more
The Countdown sale officially starts today and now is the perfect opportunity to give thrills with great deals on all things Xbox. Microsoft Store online and Xbox have hundreds of deals for Xbox fans, including savings of up to 65% on select Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital games, discounts on select Xbox consoles and accessories, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold each for $1 the first month, as well as deals on select Movies and TV shows, apps for Xbox, and PC games.
Now is the time to take advantage of great discounts and save up to 65% on more than 800 deals between Xbox One and Xbox 360 including new releases like Forza Horizon 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Red Dead Redemption 2, Battlefield V, smash hit Tom Clancy’s The Division and the award winning Forza Motorsport 7. There also are first-time discounts on Just Cause 4, Hitman 2 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy as well as even deeper discounts on best-selling titles like Rainbow Six Siege. Additionally, there’s a wide selection of discounted family content games, game bundles, and add-on content, plus over 200 Xbox One deals priced at $10 or less.
Don’t forget that Xbox Live Gold members save up to 10 percent more on most deals during the Countdown sale.
Get Your First Month of Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Live Gold for $1
Get your first month of Xbox Game Pass for $1 and enjoy unlimited access to over 100+ games including new first party releases. Sign in to save. Promotional $1 offer not valid for existing members.*
Not Gold? Get your first month of Xbox Live Gold for $1 and take advantage of exclusive savings and join the best community of gamers on the most advanced multiplayer network. Sign in to save. Promotional $1 offer not valid for existing members.*
Save on Xbox Consoles and accessories
For a limited time, save $100 on select Xbox One consoles including popular bundles like Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Fallout 76, Fortnite, Minecraft, and more, all starting at $199 (now through 12/25/2018).
Receive a digital code redeemable for Gears of War 4 for free ($39.99 MSRP value) with the purchase of any Xbox One S, Xbox One X or Xbox Wireless controller at participating retailers worldwide (digital code emailed 10 days post-purchase; available now through 1/31/2019).
Save on popular Movies & TV Shows, Apps, and PC Games
Save up to 50% on select hit movies and TV Shows including Avengers: Infinity War and Mission: Impossible Fallout, plus even bigger discounts on a different daily deal Dec. 21 – Dec. 31.
Save big top apps for Xbox including Dolby Access, Nitrado, Amazon Music, and more.
Save up to 50% on popular PC games including Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, Age of Empires Definitive Edition, Minecraft Starter Pack, ARK: Survival Evolved, and more.
All of these deals are available on console and online at Microsoft Store and Xbox.com starting today, so take advantage of the great deals before they end on January 3, 2019 (or as otherwise noted above). Availability and pricing varies by location. May not be combinable with other offers. Other limitations may apply. Not valid on prior orders or purchases. See webpage for each offer’s specific details.
* After promotional period, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions continue to be charged at the then-current regular monthly price (subject to change) plus applicable taxes, unless cancelled. Credit card required. Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold offers not valid for existing subscribers; Game catalog varies over time. Limit: 1 Gold offer and 1 Game Pass offer per account. Valid at Microsoft Store online or in-console in all Xbox Live markets excluding Quebec. Some Xbox Game Pass games also require Xbox Live Gold to play on Xbox (subscription sold separately).
Red Matter is a story-driven VR puzzle adventure game set during a dystopian sci-fi Cold War. Take on the role of an astronaut dispatched to an abandoned moon base on a frozen, faraway planet, to investigate a shady top secret research project.
Razer debuts keyboard and mouse duo designed for the Xbox One
Razer and Microsoft are collaborating to release a wireless keyboard and mouse combo designed specifically for the Xbox One.
This news comes after Microsoft finally brought mouse and keyboard support to the console last month, although the new feature seems to only be available to Xbox Insiders.
It will eventually be opened up to all players, but at an unspecified date.
Dubbed the Razer Turret, it features a full-size mechanical keyboard with a dedicated Xbox key that pulls up the Xbox One dashboard.
The mouse is modeled after the Razer Mamba wireless mouse, and can sit on a retractable base that slides out from the keyboard.
Predictably, the Turret is also compatible with PC so players can switch back and forth between platforms as they wish.
Realm Royale Enters Closed Beta on Xbox One with Founder’s Pack Launch
Heroic Leap Games is proud to announce the next phase of our fantasy battle royale game — Realm Royale is now in closed beta on Xbox One. We’ve been hard at work bringing the game to Xbox One, and we’re excited for players to dive into our closed beta for a firsthand look at the fresh spin on the battle royale experience that we’ve crafted.
We think that Realm looks and plays great on Xbox One, so we feel that fans anticipating our launch since it was announced this past Summer will agree that it was worth the wait. If you’re just hearing about Realm Royale for the first time, we hope that you’ll join us as we continue to work hard to create the best battle royale experience possible on Xbox One.
Featuring versatile class-based gameplay and craftable gear and abilities, Realm Royale plunges players into fast-paced battle royale gameplay in a unique fantasy setting. This realm wasn’t just meant to be explored on foot – summon a trusty steed and mount up to explore the world, as well as riding into (or away from!) combat in style.
Compete with up to 99 other players in solo mode, or team up with friends to engage in duo or squad combat. Triumph over your adversaries in the realm to win a coveted Crown Royale victory!
The Steam Community has spoken, and we are proud to announce the finalists for The Steam Awards 2018 — but we still need your help choosing the winners!
Voting will open on December 20th, at the start of the 12th annual Steam Winter Sale. Vote in each of our 8 categories to share your top Steam games and developers from 2018 and obtain this year’s set of trading cards.
Voting closes January 3rd and winners will be announced early February 2019. Good luck to all of our nominees!
Nominees for Game of the Year
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
HITMAN™ 2
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Nominees for VR Game of the Year
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
VRChat
Beat Saber
Fallout 4 VR
SUPERHOT VR
Nominees for Labor of Love
Dota 2
Grand Theft Auto V
No Man’s Sky
Path of Exile
Stardew Valley
Nominees for Best Environment
The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt
Subnautica
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Far Cry 5
DARK SOULS™ III
Nominees for Better with Friends
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege
PAYDAY 2
Dead by Daylight
Overcooked! 2
Nominees for Best Alternate History
Wolfeinstein II: The New Colossus
Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey
Hearts of Iron IV
Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI
Fallout 4
Nominees for Most Fun with a Machine
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Rocket League
NieR:Automata
Factorio
Space Engineers
Nominees for Best Developer
CD PROJEKT RED
Ubisoft
Bethesda
Rockstar Games
Digital Extremes Ltd.
Square Enix
Capcom
Paradox Interactive
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Klei
Notes on Best Developer category:
“Best Developer” proved to be a highly-contested category with a lot of close calls among the top nominees. As a result, we expanded the set of nominees to 10. In addition, we’ve excluded ourselves from this category. We appreciate the love you’ve shown us, but we want to honor the other awesome developers on Steam, so we have excluded Valve from the final tally.
The Izanami Forge has been discovered in the wreckage of the Exodus Black. New adventures await and more slick weaponry is available for those who can repair and reignite the ancient forge.
We have more in store for you after the New Year. The community is currently solving puzzles and uncovering the secrets of the forges and the families who created them. Niobe Labs is set to go live on January 8. It’s not a dungeon, but an event that will ultimately unlock the final forge. Good luck!
Happy Holidays
The Dawning is still going strong. Ovens are roaring in the Tower and across the solar system as Guardians cook up sweet treats and deliver them to hungry vendors. The great Guardian bake off will continue for the rest of the year until the reset at 9 AM on January 1, 2019. So power up that new Sparrow with holiday cheer before the event comes to an end.
In preparation for the holidays, several TWABs ago we asked the community to use their artistic talents to create a Bungie Holiday card for 2018. We received a lot of incredible entries and it was hard to choose just one. In the end we selected this fine piece created by Micah Bell.
Strike While the Iron’s Hot
Next week, Lord Saladin will visit the Tower for the final Iron Banner of 2018. He is bringing with him a new set of armor to earn and two Year 1 weapons upgraded to include random rolls.
Iron Banner/Increased Valor
Begins: December 25, 2018
Ends: January 1, 2019
Double Valor will also be live from December 25 through December 28, followed by triple Valor from December 28 through January 1. You can take advantage of these extra gains in Iron Banner, Competitive, or Quickplay.
Microwaved WiFi
This week in Destiny 2 Update 2.1.3, we deployed some new tools from the Security Response Team to help improve the competitive environment of the Crucible.
Beginning soon, players with the most unreliable connections will receive an in-game warning. We know that connection quality is fluid, so don’t worry if you have occasional, temporary issues.
If your connection does not improve after an in-game warning, and we continue detecting a negative impact on other Guardians, restrictions from PvP activities may be applied to your account.
If a restriction is applied to your account, you will be unable to participate in PvP for two weeks. If you continue to play on an unreliable connection that harms the experience of other players, that restriction may be extended.
As always, you can find the latest information on Bungie’s ban and restriction policies at bungie.net/bans.
Support Network
And now for a word from our Player Support experts.
Destiny 2 Update 2.1.3
This week, we deployed Destiny 2 Update 2.1.3 to players. This update resolved several issues which impacted the player experience in Destiny 2. See below for a selection of highlights from this update:
Fixed an issue where players were not properly granted the Scourge of the Past emblem or Triumph for completing the activity within the first 24 hours
Fixed an issue where players weren’t properly being granted Harbinger’s Echo if they destroyed eggs across multiple characters
Fixed an issue that caused weapon frames to be erroneously removed from players’ inventories when completing forges
Fixed an issue where players were not rewarded properly when completing a forge activity that was joined in progress
Fixed an issue which caused the Avalanche Machine Gun to have more recoil than intended
Fixed an issue which caused Season of the Forge shaders to dismantle more slowly than other shaders
For the full list, please visit our Update 2.1.3 patch notes page.
Ghost Projections
Following this week’s deployment of Destiny 2 Update 2.1.3, an issue was discovered which caused a discrepancy between the Rasmussen and Satou Ghost Projections available in this season’s Etched Engram.
We are investigating the cause of this issue, and affected players can expect this to be resolved in a future update.
Izanami Forge
On Tuesday, the Izanami Forge rolled out to players in Destiny 2. Players who have completed the Volundr and Gofannon forges can begin their quest toward unlocking the Izanami Forge by defeating Vex on Nessus.
As players work to unlock this forge, they should make sure that they have space available in their Pursuits inventory. When defeating Vex on Nessus, there is a chance for the Vex Transponder quest item to drop, and players who have a full Pursuits inventory may not see this item in their postmaster.
For players who enter this state, we recommend making room in your Pursuits inventory and returning to Nessus for a chance at another drop.
Destiny 2: Forsaken and Season of the Forge Known Issues
In addition to the items listed above, Destiny Player Support is tracking the latest issues reported by players on the #Help forum. Provided below is a brief overview of the latest known issues in Destiny 2: Forsaken and Season of the Forge.
Like a Diamond Triumph: We are investigating an issue where the Triumph “Like a Diamond” is not unlocking as intended when players complete the Scourge of the Past raid without any member of their fireteam dying.
Veteran of the Hunt Emblem: We are investigating an issue where the “Veteran of the Hunt” emblem, given to eligible players in the Gratitude Package from Commander Zavala, uses incorrect art assets. This has also caused the “Universal Hero” PC-exclusive promotional emblem to not display correctly.
Radiant Matrix Missing from Inventory: We are investigating an issue where the Radiant Matrix will push out of a player’s postmaster and become unobtainable. It is recommended that players check their postmaster to retrieve their Radiant Matrix if it is missing from their inventory.
Weapon Frame Bounties: We are investigating an issue where players are able to purchase weapon frame bounties when a player’s inventory is full, and they don’t go to the postmaster. Additionally, players who carry over weapon frames from prior weeks will lose access to one of the new week’s weapon frames after completion of the old frame in that week.
Cookies for Petra and Spider: Players who do not own Forsaken will be unable to create cookies for Spider and Petra. This will not stop progress being made to fully upgrade the Dawning Cheer sparrow, however some Triumphs will be unavailable to complete.
Black and White Movies
Before MOTW goes into hibernation for a few weeks, here are two more winners. If you are vying to get the emblem, you can continue to submit your videos. Movie of the Week will return in the next TWAB on January 10.
Movie of the Week: Gambit Etiquette
Honorable Mention: Are you saying I can dodge bullets?
As Dmg mentioned last week, the TWAB is taking a few weeks off. Don’t worry, there will still be community managers in the building as we staggered our time off. We’ll still be humbly at your service in all the usual places and back with your weekly update on January 10.
You may have noticed that the header image is a mosaic of previous headers from all of the TWABs over the years. Elliot Gray has created nearly all of those images, and this is his final TWAB as he is moving to a different role at Bungie. We’d like to thank him for helping make our articles look so good for so long.
It’s been a great year, Guardians. We updated the game 29 times in 2018. Some big, some small, but every single one was deployed with the intent to continue improving Destiny 2. Through Warmind, Solstice of Heroes, Forsaken, Crimson Days, Festival of the Lost, the Dawning, and now Season of the Forge, we hope you have enjoyed the content our team has created.
Whatever you are doing and wherever you may be going, we wish you all the best this holiday season.
