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Snake Pass |OT| Snake Had A Hard Life

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
I saw that one but thought I'd leave it, I don't think you can climb poles vertically that high up without wind.

I was going to suggest jumping off that purple platform in the distance but I noticed 3 blocks sticking out in your screenshot.

Is this possible:

Yeah, I figured being able to climb up one of the pillars was a long shot but gave it a go nonetheless.

You can get it later by jumping... err, slithering off the ledge above.

Just keep moving forward and you'll get up there eventually. The level is actually really linear.

This level has the most diabolically out of reach collectibles. =P

Ah, cheers!

I actually still remember exactly where every coin is in this level too so I can help if you need it.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully I won't need to take you up on it. ;)

Edit: I finished the game about an hour-and-a-half ago. I may go back to it at a later date to complete the time trials and pick up the handful of achievements that I left dangling, but for now I'm done. I quite enjoyed it overall and don't have any major gripes aside from the camera being more of a hindrance when navigating rotating platforms, but I do think shipping the game with 20 levels would have been a better idea. "$1 per level" is a much more compelling value proposition psychologically and a total of 20 would have allowed for four five-level/five four-level worlds.
 
I've got no idea how to do the Floor Is Molten Rock trophy. I've tried many different approaches and none have worked. Doesn't help that the wording for the trophy is really vague as well.

Also, I completed Lazy Lagoon without dipping any part of my scaly body into the water and yet the No Diving trophy didn't pop. Ugh...
 

Wikzo

Member
Love the game. Only complaint is the checkpoint system which feels dated. It should be more forgiving, maybe some kind of dynamic/automatic system instead. Right now, I feel punished for trying to get to hard-to-reach coins, since if I die, I have to start over again far away from where I failed. Doesn't really motivate exploration and experimentation.
 
Love the game. Only complaint is the checkpoint system which feels dated. It should be more forgiving, maybe some kind of dynamic/automatic system instead. Right now, I feel punished for trying to get to hard-to-reach coins, since if I die, I have to start over again far away from where I failed. Doesn't really motivate exploration and experimentation.

Checkpoints are usually only a minute apart from one-another...
 
Love the game. Only complaint is the checkpoint system which feels dated. It should be more forgiving, maybe some kind of dynamic/automatic system instead. Right now, I feel punished for trying to get to hard-to-reach coins, since if I die, I have to start over again far away from where I failed. Doesn't really motivate exploration and experimentation.

You know that you can reactivate them to "quick save"?
 

Nico_D

Member
Anyone else playing on Switch and having the problem on level 11 where the lever does not release the boulder?

C8TSPlRUwAAA9Pb.jpg:large


I tweeted the designer about it, I believe they are looking into it. I hope.
 
Surprisingly enjoyable game. Feels very fresh. I'm only up to level 5 because I take it slow but I'm having a good time. The music is nice and once you get used to the unusual control scheme it's working pretty well I have to say. One of those games that I probably wouldn't have bought if the Switch library was a bit more fleshed out. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
 

freefornow

Gold Member
Found this guy who plays really great

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYjNcMii1WtkLiYaX--7jOSaMFNXXiRv4

So far he has 11 levels at 100%, maybe it helps to all having difficulties controlling Noodle..

I dont know why, but I can't control Noodle with the same level of finesse that this player seems to have. Noodles head goes everywhere when i try to coil around poles.

Edit: Just watched some more. God damn he makes it look easy. My Noodle does not seem to control like his. Even his head raise seems higher than mine.
 
Anyone else playing on Switch and having the problem on level 11 where the lever does not release the boulder?

C8TSPlRUwAAA9Pb.jpg:large


I tweeted the designer about it, I believe they are looking into it. I hope.
Yeah, we saw your message earlier and we're definitely checking it out. Thanks for the heads up!
 

CANLI

Member
Waiting for 1 or 2 updates (switch version) before buying it. Personally, waiting for resolution enhancement and addition of levels.

My 5 years old son is very interested about this game and Yooka Laylee. He loves watching me playing DK Tropical Freeze.
He must be an inconscient fan of David Wise ;)
 
Having a lot of fun with the game, almost beat the final level last night but I encountered a bug which stopped registering all input except from the dpad (so I could change Noodles expression, but nothing else).

Was nearing the end of the level when that happened so it was kind of a turn off, but I'll come back to it later tonight or tomorrow.
 
Waiting for 1 or 2 updates (switch version) before buying it. Personally, waiting for resolution enhancement and addition of levels.
There's been no indication either are coming, so I'd say just buy it now. Otherwise it sounds like you're trying to blackmail the developer which would be a pretty shitty attitude to have. We've had one update that improved the undocked graphics quite substantially.

I dont know why, but I can't control Noodle with the same level of finesse that this player seems to have. Noodles head goes everywhere when i try to coil around poles.

Edit: Just watched some more. God damn he makes it look easy. My Noodle does not seem to control like his. Even his head raise seems higher than mine.
Noodle will go higher if you combine slithering at a decent speed with raising the head. Just have a play around in one of the early levels to improve your movement.
 
Beat the game last night and wanted to wait until I had done that before following up with my thoughts.

I really love the platforming and controls for the Snake, as well as many of the obstacles you encounter throughout the games levels. Though over time I did feel that the game could benefit from a little added variety, perhaps a few additional mechanics.

The final level of the game features a mechanic where Doodle will carry Noodle through the air, but this doesn't really add anything to the game, as these segments just function as teleporters, moving the player from A to B. The mechanics with the wind were interesting, forcing the player to explore how they approached various, previously simple platforming challenges, but it felt as if these could have been explored a little bit further.

I didn't really enjoy the third world of the game. I felt as though it didn't really do anything that the second, didn't, just a little more punishing as the forgiving pools of water from world 2, were replaced by pools of larva which quickly kill Noodle. For the most part this didn't really do anything but make the level more unforgiving, which when coupled issues I previously cited with the games checkpointing system make for more frustration, without additional satisfaction as the platforming challenges themselves were largely the same.

In terms of mechanics it would have been nice to see some alternaties to the switch pressing, boulder pushing gameplay mechanics. Perhaps some enemies and whatnot. I know Noodle doesn't have teeth but it'd be neat to see him swallow enemies and spit them out, into hazards and whatnot. Just a thought, the game doesn't really need that, but it could definitely benefit from a little more variety than scaffolding and moving scaffolding.

What really made the game for me however is the amount of agency the player has in getting from A to B. Compared to a tricky jump on a typical platformer, Snake Pass gives the player a temendous number of options with which they may approach each hazard. I really enjoyed getting myself into places I felt like the game didn't want me to be then circumventing many of the games direct challenges by approaching them from unconventional angles. This is great, it makes the player feel smart, and truly for their investment and commitment to understanding the games mechanics.

Still, the game has a number of issues that ideally, could have been resolved to make the game considerably better than it is. For instance, the collectibles have no explanation, and never really mean anything, or motivate the player towards anything. Even if coins each unlocked a piece of concept art or music, and collecting all of the whisps unlocked the levels time trial mode, it would have provided the neccesary motivation for pursuing those collectibles.

Checkpointing is another big issue that affects the experience significantly, and the inability to hop in and out of levels, picking up where you left off, is a big problem. The games difficult as it is, and in many cases it feels as though the game asks you to put a tremendous amount of progress on the line. Repeating segments over and over only to get back to where you fell isn't enjoyable, a tedious process excasserbated by the slow paced nature of the game. There's already a reward for players committed to completing the levels without dying, and there's plentiful reward to be had in seeking to beat the games time trials, so it's not clear if the game really warrants an unforgiving checkpoint system. Perhaps rewarding no-death runs more explicitely (e.g. award an extra badge on each level) while making the checkpointing system a little more lenient (more checkpoints) would have offered the best of both worlds here.

Overall I do love the game, love to the movement system and I think for those that can look past the games issues and commit to thinking like a Snake, there's a tremendous amount of fun to be had. However it's a great game that could have been a considerably better with some more attention to the user experience.
 

silentjubjub

Neo Member
Quetzalcoatl embodies my biggest peeve with achievement hunting: Devs insubstantially testing the trigger criteria.

Literally cannot get it to pop.
 

Szadek

Member
Finished level 14.
Fuck me, that was rough.
I'm really not a fan of the wind mechanic and while getting getting carried by the bird is kind of cool, it doesn't add anything gameplaywise.
It's not like you ever have to drop at the right moment or something like that.

I really need a break after that level.
 
While this game is by no means perfect I am really enjoying this game. It's a nice pallet cleanser after spending so much time with Zelda over the past two weeks. I love the control scheme and how it makes you feel like a fucking boss once you have mastered it, what was once awkward now feels just so graceful. I also love the graphics and the audio in this game and it really does capture the feel of a RARE 90's platformer even though they play completely differently.

On the negative side unfortunately the game has some performance issues on my PC when shadows are set to medium or high so I lose a lot of the atmosphere that the game has by running shadows on low. Also the camera in 3d platformer style games has always been a little bit arse and there is no exception in this title. The camera does get in the way, especially when climbing near walls which is a shame.

But overall I highly recommend it!
 

Alpha_eX

Member
Trying to like this game but the poor UX design just makes me turn it off as getting through a level takes too long, as I am almost forced to do it all in a single run

- You have to watch cutscenes when retrying a level
- Unskippable animations or cutscenes
- If you die, you go back to a checkpoint but lose all progress
- When you click retry or quit, it doesn't say what action you're confirming
- Repeat dialogues, "Hold ZL to grip" even when I'm holding ZL
- The map screen

And I know you're supposed to snake left and right to pick up speed, but at times it really feels like my controller is not responding.

The core mechanic, music and idea is great, I love it, but it's way more frustrating than need be.
 

Doorman

Member
Just finished level 15 a few minutes ago.

I...think it may have retroactively destroyed a lot of the enjoyment I had out of the previous entirety of the game. Maybe slight hyperbole but wow a few moments of that took way too many attempts and were considerably unfun.

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like compared to static structures especially, any moving poles/platforms immediately feel like they're covered in oil and impossible to adequately grasp. It gets a little aggravating when you spend the first two-ish worlds coming to grips with the movement system and the theme seeming to be "take your time, plan out moves," and then introduce elements that make it incredibly difficult to do either of those adequately. Throw in the
wind
mechanic in the final world along with it and my play ground to a snail's pace of failing countless times at a challenge only to eventually luck out on it and somehow pull through. I don't think that putting such an emphasis on control only to introduce a bunch of elements that pull away that control was really the best idea.

If there's ever a sequel or level-update to the game, I'd love to see more use of navigating creative geography as a bigger focus, as well as more puzzle-solving elements, rather than the direction here towards just more elaborate and difficult bamboo ladders. The core of the game is still really cool and I've still got some collectibles in some levels to go back and grab but there are some points where the difficulty and user feedback don't exactly interact well.

...Oh and it would be nice if the manual camera controls moved about twice as fast as they do now. :p
 

XaosWolf

Member
Just finished level 15 a few minutes ago.

I...think it may have retroactively destroyed a lot of the enjoyment I had out of the previous entirety of the game. Maybe slight hyperbole but wow a few moments of that took way too many attempts and were considerably unfun.

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like compared to static structures especially, any moving poles/platforms immediately feel like they're covered in oil and impossible to adequately grasp. It gets a little aggravating when you spend the first two-ish worlds coming to grips with the movement system and the theme seeming to be "take your time, plan out moves," and then introduce elements that make it incredibly difficult to do either of those adequately. Throw in the
wind
mechanic in the final world along with it and my play ground to a snail's pace of failing countless times at a challenge only to eventually luck out on it and somehow pull through. I don't think that putting such an emphasis on control only to introduce a bunch of elements that pull away that control was really the best idea.

If there's ever a sequel or level-update to the game, I'd love to see more use of navigating creative geography as a bigger focus, as well as more puzzle-solving elements, rather than the direction here towards just more elaborate and difficult bamboo ladders. The core of the game is still really cool and I've still got some collectibles in some levels to go back and grab but there are some points where the difficulty and user feedback don't exactly interact well.

...Oh and it would be nice if the manual camera controls moved about twice as fast as they do now. :p

You had the same experience I did.

The grip just does not work on moving platforms and usually just makes you fall off whatever you were holding onto.

As for the
wind
mechanic... its infuriating. Its borders and strength are ill defined and it seems to affect all of you even if it barely touches your tail.

100%-ing the final level especially was an exercise in frustration.

...I still want more though just not more of that.
 

Skyzard

Banned
I'm also a member of Team
Wind
.

I love the additional challenge of having to accommodate for it as well.

Yeah, definitely, it mixed up the gameplay quite a bit imo.

Kinda wish we had more levels with it!

Though the game does finish really well with the final level. Really great design. It was kinda cathartic near the end with the
wind
helping you leap through sections, after some tough parts earlier on.
 

Rokal

Member
Finished it up tonight. Still have 4-5 coins left to go find in previous levels, but I loved the game. The satisfaction from mastering the controls was immense and the game felt like such a refreshing take on a platformer.

If I had one wish for something to be changed in the game, it would have been for greater visual variety in the levels. The first two worlds in particular felt very samey, and it was a shame to finish half of the game before coming across levels with a bit more variety.

You can also include me on team
anti-wind
. I didn't enjoy level 15 much at all. The
wind
by itself was fine, but in conjunction with
moving platforms
it felt like the game was punishing you for taking your time, and I encountered many more camera problems during those sections.

The game was at its best when it felt like a very deliberately controlled puzzle game, so it was a bit of a shame to lose some of that feeling in the last levels.

Still, the last level didn't ruin the game for me by any means, and my impression of it was overall extremely positive. I hope they do a sequel someday, but until then I'm counting this as another amazing addition to 2017's tremendous slate of games.
 

bumpkin

Member
Finally played this in docked mode tonight for the first time, I'm pleased at how well it holds up even on a bigger screen. I really hope this bodes well for future UE4-driven games on the Switch.

I'm up to stage 9 in the campaign, but decided to spend some time collecting all of the wisps and coins in previous levels. I'm up to having stages 1-4 at 100%. I would really hate to see stats on how many times I've died, some of the coins have been real pains in the butt to get. I want to get mad at the game and cry foul about shitty controls or lousy design every time I plummet to my doom, but I know that when I fail, it's my fault. It's me against myself; human brain versus snake brain.

I don't know if it's been discussed or mentioned by the devs at all, but I hope that Sumo releases some DLC. I'll be there day one if they do. Snake Pass is one of the most challenging, charming, original games I've played in quite some time.
 
Finally played this in docked mode tonight for the first time, I'm pleased at how well it holds up even on a bigger screen. I really hope this bodes well for future UE4-driven games on the Switch.

Question for those that play in docked and portable mode. Maybe it's been discussed, but the game didn't look as bright and vibrant on the TV verses the portable mode. Is this normal for everyone else or is this just my experience?
 
I really enjoyed controlling Noodle in the water and it made me wish for bigger water areas. Now I want to play a game as a sea krait.
 
I love this so much. Just finished level 6, trying to 100% them as I go. Game feels and looks great on the Switch, been playing entirely handheld in bed. Got over the bluriness after 1-2m every time I play.

Gorgeous visuals, wonderful music and really fun gameplay. Fantastic value at £17 imo.
 

Szadek

Member
Finished the last level. It was hard as nails.
With that I also have all coins and orbs.
Great game, but the last world

I'm going to borther getting all tropies for this game. I don't really care about them anyway and only go for them if it either doesn't take much effort or I use them as an excuse to keep playing.
 
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