schaft0620
Banned
I'm shocked that nobody on here is crying about the game being woke and that the mouse isn't sexy enough.
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Mina the Hollower |OT| From the Timeline Where 2D Zelda Kept Going
Buggy Loop
Gold Member
This game sounds interesting but I'm a bit concerned about it being too difficult for me to enjoy it?
Decisions, decisions...
Naw the difficulty is fair really. There's trinkets that really help with difficulty. At worse, you can just say fuck it for achievements and use their own cheat codes in the menu to help make it easier. Really worth it for the adventure.
WhiteWaterM00se
Member
Do you think the difficulty will turn the mass audience off?
Dynasty8
Member
A few questions after the Thorne fight at the very beginning of the game.
1. When you die, is it a chance to lose bones? And can you get them back from the enemy that killed you?
2. Where do you go after the Thorne fight?
3. Can I access the trinket shop or does that open up later?
1. When you die, is it a chance to lose bones? And can you get them back from the enemy that killed you?
2. Where do you go after the Thorne fight?
3. Can I access the trinket shop or does that open up later?
Buggy Loop
Gold Member
I don't recall if at the beginning you have a "spark", that's basically a white ball next to your health bar. You do not lose bones until you run out of sparks. Enemies that killed you will have the spark. If you died to environment, a spark ball will be where you died.
Always a good idea to read the newspapers in the town to have an hint where but if you want. You can go anywhere, but the game devs kind of hint at the logical progression that will make you learn the moves.
Highly recommended to go northeast first
If in doubt, everything will eventually open up later
SpiceRacz
Member
I'm 4 or 5 hours in and repaired 2 generators so far - crypt and swamp. This game scratches the Souls, Castlevania, Zelda, and metroidvania itch in the best way possible. Incredibly ambitious and perfectly executed for what is essentially a gameboy color game with modern sensibilities. The perfect scores totally make sense after spending some time with the game. It's a shame that it probably won't be taken seriously in the game of the year conversation. I think it's going to end up being an all-timer for me. It's that good.
mèx
Gold Member
Given the massive success of games like Elden Ring and Silksong, I don't think that's the case. The game is not even that difficult once you get some upgrades. I think the GBC presentation will be the main element that prevents mass appeal. Personally I'm loving how the game looks, and I don't even like this kind of style usually.
Maybe here on NeoGAF or in user voted categories.
But the press, including the mainstream one, gave this game perfect scores. If they don't nominate it for GOTY at least, it would be really weird. Mina is currently the highest rated game of the year both on OpenCritic and MetaCritic.
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Majukun
Member
Game is not really that difficult anyway, and I heard it has lots of accessibility options (have 't checked them).
The gbc aesthetic will likely be a bigger issue.
Orbital2060
Member
touchfuzzy
Gold Member
The reviews aren't lying, this is the best game of the year.
And don't worry too much about the difficulty, I'm far from a sweaty gamer (gave up on Silksong and Elden Ring due to difficulty) and I'm having a great time playing on the standard difficulty with no modifiers. The second and third dungeon bosses I defeated on my first and second tries respectively (and that second try I smoked the boss, wasn't even close). I've only died a handful of times in the overworld, and haven't had a death where I've actually lost my Bones (the "Souls" equivalent) since the first dungeon. The game gives you more than enough equipment and upgrades to really focus on survivability, if you're a bit lower skill like me. Also recommend the mace so you can maintain distance. Every enemy has contact damage, so any weapon that requires you to get close is riskier.
And don't worry too much about the difficulty, I'm far from a sweaty gamer (gave up on Silksong and Elden Ring due to difficulty) and I'm having a great time playing on the standard difficulty with no modifiers. The second and third dungeon bosses I defeated on my first and second tries respectively (and that second try I smoked the boss, wasn't even close). I've only died a handful of times in the overworld, and haven't had a death where I've actually lost my Bones (the "Souls" equivalent) since the first dungeon. The game gives you more than enough equipment and upgrades to really focus on survivability, if you're a bit lower skill like me. Also recommend the mace so you can maintain distance. Every enemy has contact damage, so any weapon that requires you to get close is riskier.
John Bilbo
Member
mèx
Gold Member
Got 6 generators repaired, now it's time to clear the final dungeon. I don't think I will go for 100% completion, but I want to get 90%+ at least. I already have all trinkets (at least before the final dungeon), I still have a couple of places I need to check out, but I think I explore mostly everything. Using screenshots to remember places I couldn't solve before was a huge help.
It's really amazing how the main path does not require any special ability or gimmick to complete, but they still manage to keep things fresh and interesting nonetheless. There is never a boring moment, they keep changing things up and they are careful to never let things overstay their welcome.
It's really amazing how the main path does not require any special ability or gimmick to complete, but they still manage to keep things fresh and interesting nonetheless. There is never a boring moment, they keep changing things up and they are careful to never let things overstay their welcome.
You need to anticipate the enemy moves well in advance, it helps to keep some spacing between you and the enemies. Also there are trinkets and sidearms that help with mobility, like Brisk Brew or Mist. I think a lot of people are sleeping on sidearms, they make a huge difference during combat.
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kevboard
Member
I mean, technically there's no dodge mechanic. you have a jump and burrowing, which can be used to dodge, but aren't in fact dodges
TropicanaTwista
Member
Ok I originally thought the game was getting easier but the last two areas I've gotten to
are really starting to annoying me. It's difficult but not in a fun way. Some of these section just throw multiple enemies on very narrow platforms, where it feels like the game just wants you to run away.
Also the healing is pretty stupid the more I play it. If they wanna go the souls route where it takes longer to use you vitals or whatever, that's fine, but I hate having to build it up. It's just a dumb mechanic where you can die because you can't heal, yet have 7+ vitals in your inventory lol.
Septemburg and coltrane peak
Also the healing is pretty stupid the more I play it. If they wanna go the souls route where it takes longer to use you vitals or whatever, that's fine, but I hate having to build it up. It's just a dumb mechanic where you can die because you can't heal, yet have 7+ vitals in your inventory lol.
mèx
Gold Member
With the fishing rod you can (don't read if you want to discover this yourself) hook enemies on traversable high ledges, and you will get propelled towards the enemy even if there is a ledge. Sweet. This is needed to reach a boss that is present in the area after the fishing tutorial area.
It's not dumb, the game wants you to git gud at platforming, otherwise you could just power through it with vials. In case try to use some trinkets, there is one that lets you heal a bit even if you don't have any plasma stored up. It's called Primed Vial Pouch, you can find it in a house in the Southern Outskirts.
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april6e
Member
The game is great so far but the difficulty is frustrating me because the gameplay systems feel cheap sometimes. In the very early game, there are these rodents with blue staffs that attack like 5-6 times in a row, home on to you and move faster than you can run and I'm unsure of the counterplay (you can't jump or burrow to dodge them). Same with a giant rodent enemy in the same southern city area that can two shot you with lv 2 health. Thank god that I started with the hammer weapon which allows you to i-frame roll and hit flying enemies without jumping because the game would be even harder without it.
Then the Soulslike leveling system pours fuel onto the fire because if you die two times, you lose all your leveling progress. I've already lost probably almost 2k in skulls only 3 hours into the game and you need alot of them to buy any sort of character progression. The problem is, in a Souls game, if you don't want to lose your souls, you can just refresh the enemies with a bonfire and farm until you hit the next leveling point so you don't waste souls by dying. In this game, your "life flasks" and orbs don't carry over between deaths nor can you refresh enemies to farm skulls. You basically have to git gud and progress through an area without dying to avoid losing tons of leveling progress.
I wasn't expecting this game to be the Cuphead of 2D Zelda-likes. I'm unsure why this game needed to have Soulslike progression loss in the first place. It would be just as good without it.
Then the Soulslike leveling system pours fuel onto the fire because if you die two times, you lose all your leveling progress. I've already lost probably almost 2k in skulls only 3 hours into the game and you need alot of them to buy any sort of character progression. The problem is, in a Souls game, if you don't want to lose your souls, you can just refresh the enemies with a bonfire and farm until you hit the next leveling point so you don't waste souls by dying. In this game, your "life flasks" and orbs don't carry over between deaths nor can you refresh enemies to farm skulls. You basically have to git gud and progress through an area without dying to avoid losing tons of leveling progress.
I wasn't expecting this game to be the Cuphead of 2D Zelda-likes. I'm unsure why this game needed to have Soulslike progression loss in the first place. It would be just as good without it.
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John Bilbo
Member
Do they always attack the same amount of times in a row? The time they use for attacking could be the key to approach them and get some hits in.
Chukhopops
Member
You can actually burrow under most enemies, it's a key part for certain boss fights which are big and fast. Usually bosses have just enough telegraph time that you can jump and burrow under them.
For the orbs, when you die you still have the bones and can use them to level up (for example if you have enough bone dust to level). You only lose them if you die twice without using them.
Also your life flasks recharge when you die since you'll be at the lab?
mèx
Gold Member
I just want to add that when you level up, you get all your Sparks back. So if you have no Sparks left and have a significant amount of bones you risk losing, cash out your stored bones in the Underlab to level up and get your Sparks back.
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Ogbert
Member
touchfuzzy
Gold Member
I see you've yet to discover that you can burrow into the checkpoints to go to your safe room. This fully restores your health and life flasks, and refreshes the enemies.
mèx
Gold Member
Why don't you try experimenting with different weapons, sidearms and trinkets? You have tons of options on how to approach combat, which isn't "attack once and burrow". Maybe that happens the first couple hours, but even then you could just buy the Casket and start parrying.
Orbital2060
Member
The controls feel a bit off, but Im very early on. Im just getting used to the burrow and jump mechanic between platforms and it doesnt feel very good to pull it off.
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TonberrysKnife
Member
This game is fucking incredible. Very few gripes so far but it's fucking SOLID. Finally had the chance to play it last night and 2.5 hours later I had to head to bed. Jake Kaufmann (Virt) is a damn genius composing the music here; I read that Yuzo Koshiro contributed to the soundtrack to as a guest composer. I started off with the Mace, should have started off with the Hammer.
touchfuzzy
Gold Member
I had to look something up online finally, the path to head to Bone Beach. I wandered around for an hour looking for it (found some other cool stuff and a hidden boss fight, but not the path). Finally looked it up and can say yeah, I wouldn't have found it on my own I don't think.
thebigmanjosh
Member
Finally started playing Sunday and got hooked last night. I didn't realize it was 1am and had to force myself to bed so I wasn't a zombie at work today
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
This game is making me angry in a way that only From games managed to in recent years.
The most irritating thing is how the balancing is way, way off. You may get a screen or two with seemingly infinite gauntlets featuring hectic platforming while you're absolutely swarmed by enemies left and right, then suddenly, the next screen is a cakewalk.
Even so, it's infuriating how common mobs have what feels like a million HP each and it's far from rare to get gangbanged front, back and sideways while also trying to not fall into a pit or five, and jumping over spikes and burrowing under obstacles at the same time.
Not a few enemies can shoot/hit you through obstacles, while your attacks always get conveniently blocked by a waist-high barrier.
And don't get me started on gargantuan bosses that all too often get completely out of your range of vision, and can hit you in a dozen different ways while you have barely the time and room to move away.
It's the From Software rulebook, line by line, word by word.
The person who thought it would be a good idea to put you into battles with enemies that can pulverize you in three hits, while being accompanied by an NPC who randomly throws bombs that cover half of the arena and that of course can hit you with friendly fire, is now my most hated person of the year so far. Or how about NPC friendly fire in the dark, while trying to find your way over narrow platforms, in a game that when you fall into a pit takes you all the way back to the start of the room? Top-notch gameplay if I've ever seen it.
Literally every idea from the "Most obnoxious game design ideas ever" book seems to have been implemented here because fuck you, that's why. Losing your money would be mostly OK if you could just recover your "soul", but of course if you get killed by an enemy, you have to kill it to recover it. And since you already have limited HP recovery items, why not also force the player to be aggressive in order to be able to heal more? Yeah, it's absolutely genius to make you recover less energy if you're in deep shit. Big brain decision, all right.
How about balancing your game better, instead of putting in dozens of "modifiers" to make it that little bit more balanced (and - imagine that! - fun) while also implying that whoever uses them is a pussy?
The Souls culture cannot die soon and fast enough.
The most irritating thing is how the balancing is way, way off. You may get a screen or two with seemingly infinite gauntlets featuring hectic platforming while you're absolutely swarmed by enemies left and right, then suddenly, the next screen is a cakewalk.
Even so, it's infuriating how common mobs have what feels like a million HP each and it's far from rare to get gangbanged front, back and sideways while also trying to not fall into a pit or five, and jumping over spikes and burrowing under obstacles at the same time.
Not a few enemies can shoot/hit you through obstacles, while your attacks always get conveniently blocked by a waist-high barrier.
And don't get me started on gargantuan bosses that all too often get completely out of your range of vision, and can hit you in a dozen different ways while you have barely the time and room to move away.
It's the From Software rulebook, line by line, word by word.
The person who thought it would be a good idea to put you into battles with enemies that can pulverize you in three hits, while being accompanied by an NPC who randomly throws bombs that cover half of the arena and that of course can hit you with friendly fire, is now my most hated person of the year so far. Or how about NPC friendly fire in the dark, while trying to find your way over narrow platforms, in a game that when you fall into a pit takes you all the way back to the start of the room? Top-notch gameplay if I've ever seen it.
Literally every idea from the "Most obnoxious game design ideas ever" book seems to have been implemented here because fuck you, that's why. Losing your money would be mostly OK if you could just recover your "soul", but of course if you get killed by an enemy, you have to kill it to recover it. And since you already have limited HP recovery items, why not also force the player to be aggressive in order to be able to heal more? Yeah, it's absolutely genius to make you recover less energy if you're in deep shit. Big brain decision, all right.
How about balancing your game better, instead of putting in dozens of "modifiers" to make it that little bit more balanced (and - imagine that! - fun) while also implying that whoever uses them is a pussy?
The Souls culture cannot die soon and fast enough.
Ogbert
Member
There's so much good in the game, but as you suggest, some of the screens are just nonsense.
There are legitimately areas where you just have to face tank damage. There's no point trying to get out of the way. And standard mobs irritate me more than bosses.
mèx
Gold Member
Finished in around 30 hours, with ~90% completion.
Incredible game all around, this is a clear case of developers putting in the passion and sticking to a strong and cohesive vision without compromises. It's the kind of game that re-wires your yellow-paint brain into something better.
The game weaves exploration, combat and platforming in such a fun way, it always manages to surprise you with new stuff and challenges.
The overall map design is GOATed, it's super dense and full of secrets, it's one of the highlights for sure. Not having a map was the best decision they could make, I'm glad they went against conventions and crafted something unique that enhances the sense of wonder and getting lost.
The game really wants you to understand the mechanics well, burrowing being the main one. Once you master it, everything flows extremely well, be it exploration, platforming or combat. It helps that there is lots of room for experimentation, you can really customize the playstyle to fit your needs or weaknesses. In the end, Yacht Club Games wants you to git gud, and you will.
My main complaint would be that the difficulty curve is not great, the game starts unforgiving but then it becomes way easier. The final dungeon is a nice gauntlet though, I liked it a lot.
It's GOTY. There isn't anything even close this year (as for now at least).
Incredible game all around, this is a clear case of developers putting in the passion and sticking to a strong and cohesive vision without compromises. It's the kind of game that re-wires your yellow-paint brain into something better.
The game weaves exploration, combat and platforming in such a fun way, it always manages to surprise you with new stuff and challenges.
The overall map design is GOATed, it's super dense and full of secrets, it's one of the highlights for sure. Not having a map was the best decision they could make, I'm glad they went against conventions and crafted something unique that enhances the sense of wonder and getting lost.
The game really wants you to understand the mechanics well, burrowing being the main one. Once you master it, everything flows extremely well, be it exploration, platforming or combat. It helps that there is lots of room for experimentation, you can really customize the playstyle to fit your needs or weaknesses. In the end, Yacht Club Games wants you to git gud, and you will.
My main complaint would be that the difficulty curve is not great, the game starts unforgiving but then it becomes way easier. The final dungeon is a nice gauntlet though, I liked it a lot.
It's GOTY. There isn't anything even close this year (as for now at least).
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