Metroidvania meets Chrono Trigger
Of the games I've crowdfunded - and which actually got released - Timespinner holds the honor of being the best so far. (Granted, that bar is pretty low.)
Aesthetically and thematically, Timespinner pulls a lot from 16-bit classics like Chrono Trigger; but foremost, and overwhelmingly so, from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its many handheld sequels. It's exceptionally clear that Timespinner's creator was a big fan of those games.
Not just because it's got an interconnected world map that you backtrack through as the game proceeds, and not just because you gain experience points and level-up, as do your weapons and your familiar sidekick. The movement of the whip-like orbs, the layout of the UI, the boss-kill effects, and even the soundtrack all feel practically copied from an Igavania.
It's sometimes unnerving, when the castle music suddenly immerses me in the memory of a game I played a decade ago. But, aside from those jarring moments, the inspiration serves Timespinner well; I was a big fan of those games, too. The source material was great, and so is this interpretation.
The story is ... good enough.
The plot of the "Past" era is a mystery at first, and its gradual, well-paced reveal is satisfying to work through; though by the halfway point of the game, everything's been explained or adequately telegraphed. In its back half, Timespinner's narrative mostly, wisely, stays out of the way.
Except for the plot thread leading to the "Dream" ending, which comes across as half-baked. It's clear that the game's creator wanted this part of the story to feel profound and rewarding, but to me it felt more like a deus ex machina time paradox escape-hatch.
That aside, the plot is adequately engaging -- and does a good job of supporting the game's structure, particularly in a few moments that join the "Past" and "Present" world maps.
Timespinner's dialog tries to make its characters feel real and relatable, with mixed results. The protagonist Lunais is a sassy broad, and the game lets her play into this role fairly well. A few of the NPCs have strong personalities too, notably the duty-bound Haristel, who even goes through a character arc (if you do the side-quests for it).
But for several NPCs, the game's only attempt at characterization is by talking about their sex lives. A ton of the cast is gay or bisexual. There's nothing wrong with that!, but "is gay" isn't a defining character trait. And, the fact that everyone talks so freely about who they've banged - regardless of affiliation - can feel kinda awkward.
Thankfully, that awkward dialog isn't an important-enough part of the game to drag it down. I wasn't as concerned about that as I was about the slightly-broken weapon upgrading system. (I never even tried half the weapons, because the one I was using had gained so much experience already!)
Ultimately, Timespinner is a success at replicating the best parts of a 2D map-based Castlevania game. Its combat is simple and fun, and its map and collectibles were interesting enough to drive me to 100%. It's a little shorter than its forebears, but I enjoyed my time with it just the same.
Better than: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Metroid: Zero Mission, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Not as good as: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Dust: An Elysian Tail
For the record, my mostly-disappointing crowdfunding history so far: Ouya, Bear Simulator, Hyper Light Drifter (which I dropped but should revisit), Yooka-Laylee, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn, Chasm, and finally... this!
Progress: Beat the Nightmare on Normal, 100% map completion.