Hello! First of all, excuse me for my English, I am not native)
For now I spent about 22 hours in a game, reached crucible challenge and what to share my feelings about the game. I hope it will be useful!
I reflected on my experience and now I want to highlight a number of its chunks:
- Exporation feels unbelievably fun. I would say I am a huge fan of exploration, and game satisfies me completely. Also, it is cool that locations and types of chests or resources are properly randomized: you still have some degree of uncertainty while you explore
By the way, I am not sure whether it is bug or feature, but I love the moment when I returned to the Fortress and found passage to the beach being blocked by boards I cannot crush. Also (again if I am not mistaken) once I found a bulk, and it feels it wasn’t there previously
If this is the case, it is wonderful. Even after 20 hours you consider locations as meaningful areas, not static bunches of textures
- Combat. I love the core of the challenge, feeling of weight and stamina management. However, sometimes experience may be spoiled by two factors:
- small size of arenas that are harder to reach. For example, little islands or platforms above abyss (or just platforms placed too high). Considering “magnetic” abilities of enemies and range of their attacks, you often forced to fall into water or die due to fall damage. Of course, size of arenas is one the main ways to create challenge and it is mostly fine, but I would suggest to limit the number or size of enemies at these locations, to save challenge, but get rid of annoyances.
Also, I had an episode when I was climbing ladder, enemy became aggressive and hit me while I was on ladder. Now there is no solution how I should act in such cases. Maybe to adjust aggro timing/radius?
- parrying. For now, risk/reward is too disadvantageos. It gets much worse, when you face several enemies while some of them have shields. You have a giant risk to be spammed to death, but your reward is one-two hits. I don’t know about parry window (it is tough but doable), but damage to an enemy clearly must be increased
But what I really love about combat is feeling of weight, different movesets with pros and cons, regular challenge and requirement to be cautious.
The funniest moments of combat for me are when enemies hit each other, when I can make enemy to fall from platform or when I can activate enemies’ traps to damage them. It allows you to be rewarded if you tricky enough. Please, consider the to add more such opportunities (for example, another traps or exlosion enemies), it is unbelivably fun!
- Inventory. Although I understand the idea of progression through inventory size, now it is too resticted. For me it sometimes kills exploration and make longer the most boring part of game (moving items to chests, taking ot from chests or removing items to be able to get new one)
It is ok for the majority of equipment categories, but it becomes headache when considering resources. There are a lot of them even if you do not grind. Please, consider an option to increase number of slots for resources (it is not sufficient even fully upgraded) or at least an opportunity to uprgade a number of items in one stack
- Narrative. I love the atmosphere, cutscenes, i have read all notes and they are interesting too. For me, game has huge potential to be narratively engaging, but for now it is kind of lost behind the repeated exploration for loot.
Honestly, it worries me because I see huge potential. I know the game is to some degree experiment and may be it is not supposed to be story driven at all, but for me narrative is what make games more deep, turning fighting and looting into meaningful adventure
Just as an option: maybe you can add some narrative events or items that become accessible after repeated exploration of locations. Maybe some npc, notes or details (for example, new bodies near the giant fire at the center of fortress)
- Timers, contracts, town upgrade etc.
Important intro: I am fan of finite single player games, not fan of survival games (except survival horrors) and absolutely not interested in service projects.
In the game I don’t mind upgrading town and home stuff at all. Now I kind of feel it as part of my adventure, so it is ok! I even don’t mind to grind a bit (despite usually I am not fan).
Daily contracts, as for me, are also good. I see them as a way to earn extra money and purposefully explore locations.
However, I completely miss the meaning of timers and real-time requirements for sleeping. These features break my immersion and remind me that it is not my adventure, but justification for mobile service elements just without monetization (for now). This feeling opposes sense of immersion in complex atmospheric world(
To sum up, I really love the game and want to thank you for your work and dedication. I hope negative reviews do not undermine your spirit!
I look forward to further development of the game and want to finally enjoy the full adventure.
I believe you know what you are doing and I will be glad if my feedback become a small brick in the wall of further changes.
Thank you and good luck!
Sincerely yours,
Platon