Smelter Reviews
Smelter is a game that's a mix of platforming and real-time strategy, though it's the platforming that shines more. The controls are tight and the challenge is pretty fair though it can ramp up quite a bit later on. Plus the Trials are a great way to test your skills and help unlock new abilities. The RTS segments aren't bad but they feel a little too simplified with no major consequences.
This game has the makings of something really great. The art and sprite work is outstanding. Wildly inconsistent difficulty jumps, frustratingly long bosses, fights, check point lengths and cheap deaths all ruin what absolutely would have been a title much higher rated. The majority of the experience is fun, with a good difficulty level, but inevitably there will be these randomly, absolutely killer, difficulty walls, which ruin how good it was going up to that point.
With its eye-catching pixel art style and strong visual and tonal identity, Smelter really could have been the complete package. Unfortunately, uneven gameplay, a strange choice in upgrade paths and difficulty spikes that only led to frustration as opposed to the joy of a challenge left a sour taste in my mouth. Fans of the genre should still find a lot to love in this title, so long as it's approached with a heavy dose of patience.
Smelter bears the true marks of a tribute to the 16-bit era, and combines elements of both platforming action and real time strategy with a result that's nothing short of a dignified successor to its sources of inspiration. The interaction between the platforming and the strategy dimensions is very well implemented, and its exploration mechanics work like a charm. This is beyond doubt a work that's worth getting into.
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Smelter is an average title. The side-scrolling action is rather well done and, taken on its own, makes for a strong platformer. The strategy portions lack depth, and when combined with your overall weak state, it makes the experience a bit of a slog. The title is ambitious, and those willing to forgive the strategy portion should check it out.