DestinyLeah
Succubus continues to slowly ratchet back up the hopes crushed by its predecessor, Agony. Madmind Studios seems to be paying respects to the fans that funded them and then felt badly burned by the end product with Agony. Their new trailer for Succubus shows plenty of skin, but it also showcases a beautiful, if terrifying, world and combat that feels more akin to Hellblade than I’d like to admit. The combat is smooth and cohesive but seems comprised of a few key moves that repeat or stack. When developing on a limited timeframe or budget, that simplicity is key to delivering a final product that players will actually enjoy.
Succubus is a spinoff of Agony, not a direct sequel, and that distinction has likely saved the title from fan abandonment. Agony released to heavy criticism on every aspect: poor design, bad storytelling, subpar graphics, its pitiful views on women. The complaints ran the gamut and came as readily from backers and players as they did from reviewers. Even for the edgelords who liked the grittier aspects of its design, the brevity of its limited, boring player experience didn’t live up to expectations.
According to the latest update from Madmind, those aforementioned issues have been taken to heart- well, most of those issues. The announcement from the team states that players are enjoying the game despite its early stage of development. It notes that they’re making positive remarks on the combat system in particular, which signals a massive improvement on how the team is prioritizing player experience.
With Succubus, the team appears to be trying to make amends. The new teaser trailer shows protagonist Vyjia battle an enemy called the Amazon. The gameplay on showcase is pretty and lives up to the concept art and rendered screens that attracted fans to its predecessor. If they keep their heads down and take their time, maybe this one will meet the bar they set for themselves in crowdfunding and get fans back in their corner.
