i really, really wanted to like this game. The traversal mechanic is super fun and unique. The powerups also build up on the core mechanic in interesting ways. The problem is the extreme amount of irritation and frustration that you feel as you reach the mid-to-late game. The challenges approach bullet-hell levels of density, and there just isn't enough control over the jump mechanic toi really, really wanted to like this game. The traversal mechanic is super fun and unique. The powerups also build up on the core mechanic in interesting ways. The problem is the extreme amount of irritation and frustration that you feel as you reach the mid-to-late game. The challenges approach bullet-hell levels of density, and there just isn't enough control over the jump mechanic to make these encounters feel rewarding to accomplish, let alone survive.
You have to keep track of 3 different markers to move around: (1) points where Dandara is considering jumping, (2) points where you are actually pointing the thumbstick (because if you point at the ground, it "reflects" and changes (1)'s angle ), and (3) Where Dandara will actually jump too, if (1) is pointing at a surface that is too far away.
This information overload is simply too much to make smart snap decisions, and there isnt enough chance to master this demanding amount of info by the time you reach mid-to-late game just 4 hours later. When I die, it usually feels extremely unfair because the game requires super-precision jumps, while you track 5+ enemies jerky and sudden movements. This gets compounded by the unique requirements of each confrontation. You might need to shoot your gun (which requires standing perfectly still to charge each extremely short-range bullet), or take literally no damage in order to unlock a door, or beat a timer. The part where I gave up entirely was in The Masquerade, where you need to jump through a hallway riddled with opposite-direction moving energy waves, while being chased by a fast moving laser wall without taking a single point of damage. You need to achieve a perfect run. This is all about 10 rooms away from the most recent save point, and so if you die or run low on health, you are forced to back track. That is a chore to me.
I was having a good time for a while, but the way the developers decided to increase the difficulty does not complement the game mechanic. The most enjoyable parts of the game are when I felt the "flow" of the warping mechanic. Making perfectly timed jumps, winning tight-but-fair combat encounters, and solving the super interesting multi-dimensional puzzles were all amazing in the first three dungeons. Unfortunately, that is all over with. I have reached a part where all you do is jump-scare bullet-hell encounters that do multiple punishments for a single mistake. Even with cheat codes, the type of gameplay absolutely does not allow for the "flow" I described. They should have emphasized the "free running" feel and given you power ups that reduce your bullet charge time. THAT would have been fun as hell.… Expand
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