Game Alert: The Ambitions of Quamuza

While it is far from perfect, I am surprised at the almost complete lack of attention that The Ambitions of Quamuza has received. One glance at the title screen alone would probably be enough for many to correctly guess that this game is a Metroidvania-style platformer. While nothing in particular stands out about the game, there is also nothing in particular which it does poorly, which is, somewhat sadly, rather astounding for such an untalked-about game, especially one which was made in a week for a competition and later "polished up a bit".

So that this entire post doesn't read like vaguely praising with faint damning, I'll get the 'bad' parts out of the way here. Too much of the game takes place in caves which are aesthetically identical in all except color, there is only one boss fight, platform and enemy placement sometimes feel a bit random (although never to an annoying degree), and momentum builds up far too quickly and makes segments which require small leaps somewhat tedious until certain abilities are found.

At this point you may be wondering just why anyone should bother with this game. Well, for a start the four weapons in the game are varied and are all fun to use. In addition, while there may be only one boss fight, it is a rather enjoyable one. The game has a minimalistic 'old-school' aesthetic, but both the graphics and music are very well-done, recolored caves aside. There is also a decent amount of enemy variety for a game which only lasts about an hour and the fast, very horizontal jumps the protagonist, Quamuza, is capable of allow the gameplay to flow smoothly aside from the few parts where more careful, short-range platforming is required.  

Quamuza rarely has time to rest in his adventure

However, to be completely honest the main reason I would recommend playing this game is there simply aren't enough people playing it, let alone discussing it. What we have here is a generally well-made and enjoyable game which has gone so far under the radar that any searches for it bring back less than half a dozen results despite the game being several months old; it deserves better than this. Not to mention, a more 'full-fledged' sequel which further explores the interesting, though vaguely-defined, universe of The Ambitions of Quamuza with more bosses, more variety, and a bit more polish could easily become an indie classic, but that is unlikely to happen unless this game gains more attention and feedback first. For anyone who may doubt the potential a sequel to an 'ok' game possesses, there are countless examples both within and outside of the indie scene, such as Hero and Hero Core, Jumper and Jumper 2, and Mega Man and Mega Man 2.

So, if you're looking for a fun little Metroidvania adventure, consider giving The Ambitions of Quamuza a shot and if you like it, please spread the word to your friends or give the creators some feedback, since it's a shame to see such potential go wasted and unnoticed.

Link: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=535311