Very good first impressions! The spritework is super clean and the physics ar on point (the ost is already on a good path even with just 2 tracks, too); chef's kiss. The jump animation is so smooth I even tried to walljump like in super metroid, just in case...!
Thing is, I coincide with another comment: I didn't know right away you can actually hit the first enemy just standing. Either crouching or making that particular enemy a little taller would help a lot. I too think the map needs to be more clear (knowing which room the player is in, being able to move it around, etc) but I assume it's a demo thing and it will be better later on.
All in all, I'm quite impressed and I feel this promises a lot! Keep up the good work :>
Very solid start! It has got a fun vibe, bright and energetic. Strong Metroid nostalgia. It is quite visually striking.
Some stuff I felt while playing that could be improved: - THE MAP: please make it so you can pan, zoom, etc. As is, there is no way to look around outside of the surrounding rooms, its stuck in a medium-zoom field and you can't see anything outside of it - Level design: I would make sure to design it a bit more interconnected. Any long passages without a shortcut you can unlock are pain points in the genre. For example, the path to the toaster spin attack is essentially one-way down and one-way back up. Would be nice to use the attack to instantly open up a quick way back up. - Room Design: I would say to make sure every room is unique and purposeful. Many here are, but I remember a couple rooms that were literally just a floor and ceiling. No secrets, items, platforming challenges, etc. - Collectibles/Secrets: I didn't feel rewarded for bumping up against walls, attacking walls, exploring nooks and crannies... I don't recall a single optional upgrade or item (though maybe I just ended up taking the critical path and running into the ending before seeing any). So just populate the entire map with these things that make curiosity rewarding
- Crouch: The game just feels like it needs a crouch... everytime the little bug enemies showed up, I would instinctively try to crouch down to line up the shot. I realize you don't have to, but it would just feel more dynamic. I also realize the toaster upgrade uses crouch, but just like in Metroid it could be triggered by a quick double crouch.
With these things addressed, I think you would have a really incredible project! Of course, like 30x the size of the current map would be amazing too haha... But I know that's maybe too ambitious. A really tight and rewarding ~3 hour metroidvania would be great too. Also curious to see what other abilities you're planning outside of the toaster morph/attack
Hi, finally got around to reading your review. I'd figure I drop my response.
- The discrepancy between the music and visual style is intentional, though it wasn't supposed to be "Sega Genesis" style. We're trying to evoke an early digital synth vibe with the soundtrack, using DX7 and early ROMplers, our initial idea was a "demo tape" vibe akin to Hirokazu Tanaka's "Lost Tapes."
- Worry not, rebindable controls will be in the next demo.
- The game as a whole has been reworked and overhauled to a significant degree, the demo you had played was a mere "technical demo" that I threw together in 3 weeks.
- We will not be "fixing" the letterbox "issue," the game is designed with a 3:2 (256x240) aspect ratio and screen resolution in mind.
While the upcoming demo is rather short, too, we hope you enjoy it more. Thank you for your feedback. - Lilith
Yes, we're still working on this in our spare time, development completely rebooted last year since we weren't happy with what we had. We have no plans to release a new build anytime soon, though plans may change.
We're also holding off on sharing much as to not build internal pressure and outside expectations.
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Just finished the 2026 testfire hotfix:
Very good first impressions! The spritework is super clean and the physics ar on point (the ost is already on a good path even with just 2 tracks, too); chef's kiss. The jump animation is so smooth I even tried to walljump like in super metroid, just in case...!
Thing is, I coincide with another comment: I didn't know right away you can actually hit the first enemy just standing. Either crouching or making that particular enemy a little taller would help a lot. I too think the map needs to be more clear (knowing which room the player is in, being able to move it around, etc) but I assume it's a demo thing and it will be better later on.
All in all, I'm quite impressed and I feel this promises a lot! Keep up the good work :>
Test Fire Feedback:
Very solid start! It has got a fun vibe, bright and energetic. Strong Metroid nostalgia. It is quite visually striking.
Some stuff I felt while playing that could be improved:
- THE MAP: please make it so you can pan, zoom, etc. As is, there is no way to look around outside of the surrounding rooms, its stuck in a medium-zoom field and you can't see anything outside of it
- Level design: I would make sure to design it a bit more interconnected. Any long passages without a shortcut you can unlock are pain points in the genre. For example, the path to the toaster spin attack is essentially one-way down and one-way back up. Would be nice to use the attack to instantly open up a quick way back up.
- Room Design: I would say to make sure every room is unique and purposeful. Many here are, but I remember a couple rooms that were literally just a floor and ceiling. No secrets, items, platforming challenges, etc.
- Collectibles/Secrets: I didn't feel rewarded for bumping up against walls, attacking walls, exploring nooks and crannies... I don't recall a single optional upgrade or item (though maybe I just ended up taking the critical path and running into the ending before seeing any). So just populate the entire map with these things that make curiosity rewarding
- Crouch: The game just feels like it needs a crouch... everytime the little bug enemies showed up, I would instinctively try to crouch down to line up the shot. I realize you don't have to, but it would just feel more dynamic. I also realize the toaster upgrade uses crouch, but just like in Metroid it could be triggered by a quick double crouch.
With these things addressed, I think you would have a really incredible project! Of course, like 30x the size of the current map would be amazing too haha... But I know that's maybe too ambitious. A really tight and rewarding ~3 hour metroidvania would be great too. Also curious to see what other abilities you're planning outside of the toaster morph/attack
are we getting a new demo soon?? 8/6?
August 6th!
is it the "test fire hotfix"???
good to this this updated again! i wanna see more!
Too short! Is it going to be a short game?
The planned length for ASTRIA is still yet to be set in stone, though I'm hoping the final product will be a couple hours long on a first playthrough.
The demo we released in 2024 was made in 3 weeks and does not accurately reflect the game as it stands today.
Be on the look out for the TEST FIRE, releasing August 7th.
It's ok for a demo.
Hi, finally got around to reading your review. I'd figure I drop my response.
- The discrepancy between the music and visual style is intentional, though it wasn't supposed to be "Sega Genesis" style. We're trying to evoke an early digital synth vibe with the soundtrack, using DX7 and early ROMplers, our initial idea was a "demo tape" vibe akin to Hirokazu Tanaka's "Lost Tapes."
- Worry not, rebindable controls will be in the next demo.
- The game as a whole has been reworked and overhauled to a significant degree, the demo you had played was a mere "technical demo" that I threw together in 3 weeks.
- We will not be "fixing" the letterbox "issue," the game is designed with a 3:2 (256x240) aspect ratio and screen resolution in mind.
While the upcoming demo is rather short, too, we hope you enjoy it more. Thank you for your feedback. - Lilith
any news on this?
Hey! Sorry for the late reply.
Yes, we're still working on this in our spare time, development completely rebooted last year since we weren't happy with what we had. We have no plans to release a new build anytime soon, though plans may change.
We're also holding off on sharing much as to not build internal pressure and outside expectations.
In April 2026, we restarted development, yet again. 2025 was a rough year and we were biting off more than what we could chew.
However development is going much more smoothly now.
Be on the look out for the TEST FIRE, releasing August 7.
Quite a bit of fun and a lot of potential to be amazing! The CRT filter is actually really well done too!
My biggest complaint is the lack of jump buffering making jumping feel a bit frustrating at times. I really hope this project continues to progress.
its rare to see a game with protogens, very cool demo I am excited to see more
Really cool; when this game is finished is gonna be a 10/10; I really like it.
Keep up the good work. :)
its just a few rooms right? I was fully invested and loving it but seems I can't leave :( Great job so far!