Dragon Marked For Dead continues to leave a very good impression with me.
It looks and sounds like a classic side-scroller from the 16-bit era, and it plays wonderfully well. I can't stress enough how INTI CREATES managed to so successfully capture the mood of a game from the era. I previously thought they were at their best when "mimicking" an 8-bit era style (like with Mega Man 9, a personal favourite), but this game is top notch.
This one isn't your usual metroidvania, nor a level-based action title, though it has elements of both.
It's an action-RPG, like say, Diablo, but played in 2D, with platforming.
You have a hub town (with a very decent size; it takes you some time to go from one side to another), with stores for items and equipment, weapons (and upgrades), a black market dealer, a tavern where you select your missions, and plenty of NPCs to talk to, and some will give you new missions (that you can then select at the tavern). At the tavern, you select your mission, and off you go.
The missions take place in different maps, all of which are of a very decent size, with alternate paths, (...), so there's map exploration like in a metroidvania, but it's not a single connected map, since each location has it's map (and some missions are played in more than one).
There's an element of repetition that may not be to everyone's liking, in the sense that several missions take place in the same map, although usually in different parts of the map, with different objectives and enemies, and so on. Frankly, it doesn't bother me, since the gameplay is so much fun, and the missions are not extremely lengthy, especially one you know the maps. Plus, while it's still early on, I see that once I complete a mission, I unlock a higher-level variation of it (after you select a mission, another menu opens where you select the "character level" of it: 5, 10, ...), so the game expects you to want to replay the missions in higher levels/difficulties, either in SP or in CO-OP, because like with, say, Diablo, part of the appeal is about getting your character to the max level (100, I believe), and then doing the same with the other characters (which all play very differently; plus 2 of the characters need to be unlocked with your game progression), while always looking for better loot, and optimizing your load-out.
It's clear this is a game that isn't just about reaching the ending, but a game that your supposed to come back to, either alone or with friends (and yes, there are different endings if you complete the game with every character above a certain level, so again, the game expects you to come back to it).
So, it packs lots of options and variations, it has characters that play rather differently, and it's a lengthier experience than your usual 2D action platformer, which also kind of explains the higher price-tag.
Above all, it just feels "right", responsive, and a lot of fun.
I was playing a map that took part partially in a boat, part in a monsters' insides, with some lovely pixel art, and a wonderful soundtrack, and the game was almost capturing the mood of a classic Castlevania entry (a series I love), while the character I'm using, a Shinobi, frequently reminds me of Strider, and... the Shinobi series. It's a fast, furious, and projectile throwing maniac, which I'm loving to play as.
I know many people are unwilling to pay the asking price for a 2D title, with pixel art (I read similar comments about the upcoming Streets of Rage 4, because $25 for a beat'em up, even if it's highly replayable, is something many people are unwilling to do, since they perceive these "old school" genres as "cheaper", and not worth as much; shmups are on the same boat), and indeed Dragon Marked For Death has a higher pricetag than most titles in the genre available on Steam (although, to be fair, I paid more for some Mega Man ZX or Castlevania entries on the Nintendo DS
).
But, do consider giving the game a try when it's discounted. If you like the genre, if you like 16-bit action platformers, with some exploration, or the idea of a 2D action RPG, in a 16-bit style, with platforming, appeals to you, I'm sure you'll get some enjoyment out of this game.
Here's a few screenshots I took from one of the last missions I played: