Hello and thank you for No Rest for the Wicked, which has a tremendous potential!
I would like to provide feedback regarding the healing system with an humble suggestion. I took the time to explain how I feel regarding the current system and I bet I am not the only player facing the same experience.
Encountering enemies or bosses and experiencing defeat multiple times is an integral aspect of the genre we refer to as ‘soulslike’ games. As a dedicated consumer of FromSoftware titles, I love to face a boss numerous times until I am victorious. However, the punishing system employed in Wicked is generating more frustration than the games from which it draws inspiration.
The requirement to backtrack to previous areas in order to gather resources for crafting healing items disrupts the cycle of attempting a boss repeatedly until the player wins the battle. This results in a gaming experience marred by frustration, as the primary focus should be on overcoming challenging opponents rather than gathering resources (after all, Wicked is an ARPG).
The current healing mechanic compels players to strive to defeat bosses without getting any damage, lest they be forced to expend valuable resources on healing items. This not only adds an additional layer of difficulty to the already challenging task of defeating a boss, but also limits the ability of new players to learn from their mistakes and continue engaging with the game’s core mechanics.
Veteran players who have already mastered the game should indeed be capable of defeating bosses without getting hit, but newcomers should have the opportunity to learn and improve their skills through trial and error without being overly penalized.
If we examine the soulslike genre, death often results in the loss of valuable runes, essential for purchasing items and leveling up your character, but you get back your healing potion stacks when respawning. I can’t help but wonder if implementing a potion system similar to the ‘Estus flask’ in Dark Souls might offer a viable compromise. Perhaps, acquiring a rare type of resource during a player’s playthrough to enhance our flask - increasing its number of uses and healing potency - could alleviate the frustrations associated with the current system? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel in my opinion.
Let me clarify, I believe cooking should remain a feature in Wicked as it adds depth to the game’s design. However, its purpose should be limited to crafting items that provide temporary buffs to weapons or characters rather than focusing on healing. This adjustment would maintain the appeal of the cooking mechanic while addressing the issues of resource gathering and frustration in the game.
I believe this change is crucial for both veteran soulslike players and newcomers alike. It’s unrealistic to expect a novice to the genre to endure repeated deaths at the hands of an enemy, only to then spend hours collecting resources to craft a limited number of healing items, just to face the same daunting challenge again.
As someone who has beaten all the Dark Souls games, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, I must admit that Bloodborne stands as the lone exception. Why? Because it suffers from the same issue as Wicked: the reliance on ‘Blood vials’ necessitates backtracking to gather them from previous areas once depleted, perpetuating a frustrating cycle.
I’m genuinely enjoying Wicked thus far, which is why I’ve taken the initiative to share my feedback on the current healing system and offer suggestions accompanied by reasoned explanations.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my feedback, and I would welcome the opportunity to engage in further discussion on the matter.
