I often come across many indie developers on Twitter and one who caught my eye was Warren Smith, developer of Dark Flame. Dark Flame is a 2D metroidvania style game that takes some influence from the Castlevania series, while also taking a lot of influence from the Dark Souls series. I have been watching this game come together for a while now, and Warren has been kind enough to let me play early builds of the game. I want to give some attention to this game because it is one you should keep your eye on.
As I said, this takes inspiration from Castlevania but much more from Dark Souls. This is the perfect marriage of those 2 series in many ways, and I love seeing this come into its own. I have played 3 builds of the game so far, each more expansive and revealing much more of the game. These builds are available for people supporting the game’s development on Patreon ( not a plug, just pointing this out) and are quite extensive. Dark Flame is a game in which you will die numerous times, in many frustrating ways. But it has that “it factor” that just keeps bringing you back, no matter how frustrating it gets. rather than give up on it, a player learns to become more strategic, to plan things out better and find the right way to go about it. It still has a ways to go, and things such as enemy placement and lighting are in need of improvement, and the pacing could be handled better. That said, I am excited with each new build of the game, as it just gets better and better.
The reason I feel you should keep a watch on this game, is because Dark Flame is that indie game that will serve as both a castlevania replacement ( its got the look and wow is that music awesome. I wish you could hear it, because it sounds great), and a game for people wanting a Souls alternative. It is addictive in the best possible way and I think that is the best I can say about a game like this. I am extremely impressed with it, and even with its faults, I think this is an amazing experience. I eagerly await both the next build of the game, and the day it is completed and released to the public. This is indie gaming at some of its best.
You can follow Warren on twitter here. He frequently posts updates.