Pseudoregalia

So! This is a small metroidvania I heard quite a bit about how good it was. Steam link

It's short, clocking in at around 9 hours for me to 100% it. It's graphics are purposely quite basic, looking pretty N64 in it's execution.

I'm likely just repeating what's already been said, but it's got great platforming and ranks really high up in terms of how open it is as a metroidvania. After playing it myself and watching a couple other playthroughs, there's very different ways to go through the game depending on what directions you go, and how much you want to push the platforming mechanics.

Overall, it's a very solid game. The only minor downside I can think of is the lack of map, which I beleive the developer is already looking into implementing? It's not even that the areas aren't distinct or anything, it's just that it's just so open that it kinda ends up overloading your brain.

Platforming powerup progression

As said, I think how it handles platforming and progression is one of it's hightlights.

The way it does this is by which powerups it induces first. Like many metrovanias, it's a lil linear at first to get players used to the game. In the first area, you can only jump around til you get your weapon, which you then must use to defeat an enemy holding a key. The next area, Castle Samsa, has a lot more paths available... but the player is quickingly stopped because they don't have any more powerups yet. You're pretty much tunneled towards going to Listless Library, another fairly small linear area. And it's here that you get the Sun Greaves

These are what opens up the game. It gives you the ability to kick off a wall 3 times, so you can travel a bit more distince in a jump. It's not entirely straightforward however, as the kick off is literal - it pushes you away from the wall, so you have to know how to use it to get the most out of it. You can a decent amount of horizontal distance if you can stay near a wall, but no so much vertical unless you're pretty much between two walls right next to each other.