Protos Magos is a FPS “boomer shooter” currently in early access on Steam in development by Neverbomb. Basic gameplay requires players to explore a medieval setting while crafting spells with runes to defeat hordes of demons.
To help with the development of the game, I offered to conduct a usability review of the game. The usability review attempted to address some specific concerns of the developer including:
The usability review also included analysis of basic heuristics for best practices in game design.
Screenshot from the game. Alt-text: Inside a medieval castle with a sword-wielding demon coming at the player who’s hands are covered in fire and ice.
The game was reviewed using the following heuristics:
I played through the game twice. The first time was slower and deliberately stopping to try out different mechanics and elements of the game, sometimes repeatedly. The second playthrough was quicker (less stops) and more focused on experiencing the playability and usability more naturally. Both play sessions were recorded for review later.
A screenshot of my heuristics table.
Overall, the game had more positive findings found rather than issues. The more notable ones include: