Environmental Station Alpha is a well-made Metroid-style game with an eye-catching art-style. I don't remember how I discovered this game other than the fact that I was drawn in by the screenshots. It's a gorgeous retro style that never stops looking beautiful and with a great soundtrack the atmosphere is phenomenal. The game is responsive and controls well with the exception of a slightly janky grappling hook. The bosses are a highlight and require you to use each traversal tool unlocked in order to achieve victory. I'd say the game progress flows well but is marred by some issues. The first of which is the invisible walls/destructible blocks. You'll run into a lot of situations where shooting randomly into the walls around you is the only way forward. Most of the time these are marked on the map and relatively easy to figure out, so I didn't mind too much, but in principle I think deliberately hiding the path forward is poor game design. There's one particular invisible wall which doesn't show up on a map at all which slightly infuriated me. I also would prefer if the game focused more on gating progression through platforming challenges that would be impossible without traversal upgrades rather than it's three flavors of blocked off doors which kill the players motivation to explore. After beating the first ending I'm unsure if I want to proceed with the post-game content because of these nagging issues. I still enjoyed the game and would recommend it to anyone looking for a more unique experience than current 'Metroidvania' offerings.

Ok... This game is good. It's fun, it's challenging, and it's a pretty decent experience overall.

But it it also unfair, tedious, and crippled by several extremely frustrating, janky mechanics that make you feel like a perpetual amateur. Add to that level design that effectively consists of difficulty gauntlets--all of which require near perfection of execution to survive--and you have a recipe for rage. And no--the challenge doesn't feel fair. Too many enemies that stick to you like glue, and drain half your health. Too many "hookshot" challenges you'll be repeating a hundred times before figuring out (then 300 more times before completing).

That's my opinion 7.5 hours in. Now the important caveat. The game is quite enjoyable. How much the difficulty spoils your experience depends on your taste for difficulty (the bosses are particularly fun challenges). It will also depend on your tolerance for janky, demanding controls.

You've been warned.

a really solid metroidvania with an incredible postgame! i loved the puzzles in this game and finding out all the secrets on the station. i highly recommend it if you're into puzzle games esp