Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Pros

• The main gimmick of this very good Retro-style MV is character swapping. ... As a completionist, I disliked the undercooked boss rush and the alternate mode you unlock after finishing the game once. But these are nitpicks, Astalon is ver...
• The main gimmick of this very good Retro-style MV is character swapping. ... But these are nitpicks, Astalon is very good.
• when I played Astalon it was the best Metroidvania I’d played in a long time, as soon as I completed it I played it again in one of the alternate modes, and then again with another.
• I loved this game. The retro art style hid very modern and well thought-out gameplay design.
• the sprite work is excellent, and the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, ranking right up there with classic Mega Man and Castlevania tunes.

Cons

• I hit a brick wall with the very first boss. There are just too many projectiles bouncing around.
• Astalon is probably the only metroidvania where finding a save point does not bring me a feeling of relief. Because, like you’ve said, you don’t get to respawn from them when you die nor fast travel to any of them.
• Just 100% the game today myself. Had a pretty good time with it overall but had some complaints. The lack of healing in game was strange.
• Bosses felt like a joke after the 1st boss. Granted I upgraded the archer girl a bunch but she just tore through just about everything the game threw at me.
• However, there's one feature that modern Metroidvania games have that it lacks: decent mapping. The map is a simple grid, which shows non-secret connections between rooms (not even showing secret entrances you've found).