Guild Wars 2

So, I figured I’d gather some mixed positive and negative feedback for this installment of Super Adventure Box, like I did last year. First and fore most, I would like to show my appreciation to the SAB team. They clearly put a lot of work into all this, and there’s plenty of interesting new mechanics that make playing SAB a unique experience.

Level design wise, I really like the rapids. I’m glad the water spouts were toned down, because the knockdown was very annoying (and tended to knock people down mid jump). The water also feels much more forgiving now. And I was especially amazed by the moving logs, that are a clear reference to the game Frogger. I was amazed that such moving platforms were possible in an online game (me and some other posters had discussed earlier how this probably wasn’t possible. Thanks for proving us wrong). The large waterfall with the logs is perhaps a bit too challenging. And although there is a secret cave at the bottom, it is completely dark and filled with bears… so that could be made a bit more forgiving.

I’m not a fan of the pain cliffs. The place is surrounded by deadly pitfalls, and on top of that there are assassins that do knock back attacks (=instant death). And although the arrow traps are a clever mechanic, I must have died a zillion times due to them. This is often because they are located in cramped spaces, where the camera does not allow the player to clearly see his surroundings. The gong is cool though, but I’m glad it was toned down in difficulty. I really like the new hand-skill, that allows the player to push blocks, deflect projectiles, and break through wooden doors. The launch pad flowers are okay, but I’m glad they no longer launch me off a cliff (the fixed launch direction is a big improvement).

Zone 3 has a really cool new ice skating mechanic, which I love. I also like the heads that blow players off the cliff. Again, this zone does have a bit too many cliffs to fall off, plus it has some really devious jumps. I prefer jumps that give players a decent platform to stand on, and not require the player to stand on the edge of a needle. There’s also a ton of locations that are very camera unfriendly. I hope this can be looked at with future installments. But I love this environment, and it is very reminiscent of classic NES games.

I wish how ever that this zone had more secrets in spots where I would expect them. There’s a certain feeling of disappointment that sets in, when you make your way to some perfect spot for a secret, only to find none there. A lot of zone 3’s secrets are way too obscure. Id like to be rewarded with some more easier to find secrets, that I can simply uncover with bombs.

Continued…

Enemies

I like some of the new enemies, such as the devious orange toads, and the bears. I’m less fond of the assassins (because of their knock back attack), and the owls. I wish there was a way to get rid of the owls for good. I also dislike how a lot of owls still hit you if you are waiting on top of a checkpoint. Checkpoints should be safe areas, where you can safely wait for your team mate to catch up. The hillbillies are fun too, and you quickly learn to stay away from them. The raccoon kingpin certainly is one of the more challenging new enemies in SAB, and I’ve had some difficulty dealing with him on several occasions.

I think the new attacks for the mid-bosses that guard the cage, are a good addition. They are still easy, but a bit more exciting to fight now.

Weapons

The nun-chucks are some of my favorite new weapons (fast attack speed), and I also really like the hand. I think the whip could definitely use a faster attack, and better range (it misses too often).

With the bombs, I’ve had a few cases where a double click instantly caused my character to start placing a bomb, which I did not intend. Maybe the player should be required to hold the skill down a bit longer.

I hate the new potion upgrade, since it makes potions way more expensive than the healing you receive for it. It doesn’t scale properly with the healing potion we had before. They should cost less, or heal more.

I like the idea of the flute (very Legend of Zelda), but I think it should have a much larger range. Currently it kind of requires you to already know where the secret is, which defeats the purpose. I hope it receives a better radius. I have not been able to make the song work that keeps waterfalls from freezing, or makes icicles fall down. It just doesn’t work for me.

Moto’s Finger finally makes this skill useful. Moto’s Breath didn’t do anything, but Finger does a lot of damage to bosses. I think this is a really good improvement.

The torch upgrade I have mixed feelings about. I don’t really like being gated by it in zone 3. But on the other hand it is a cool mechanic. It would be nice if the torch could also be used as a weapon to set fire to enemies. I like that you can use it to burn trees, but I wish it could also be used to permanently get rid of owls. It’s a pity that the torch is unequipped a lot automatically, especially when you need it in the dark. But I do like the game play of using it to see in darkness, and using it to light wall mounted torches. In fact, I’d like to see more wall mounted torches that we can light (maybe even in the game’s normal dungeons).

Continued…

Tribulation Mode

I’m a big fan of the Tribulation Mode. It’s humorous and challenging. It’s more fun in world 1 than it is in world 2 though. In world 1 it feels less linear; there are multiple roads you can take. With world 2, I really felt that I had to follow one predetermined path. Also, the paincliffs have a ton of spike traps that you can only memorize. In world 1 you could at least anticipate which patches of grass were deadly, and which weren’t. I think maybe some of the enemies could also be made more deadly in TM. Seems odd that they still do the same amount of damage in a mode that is meant to be unforgivably hard.

I dislike the jumps that require you to jump across the angry rocks. They seem entirely based on luck. Sometimes it knocks you off instantly, and sometimes it doesn’t do anything at all. No matter how I land on them, it’s completely random. And I have never managed to do the dodge jump that everyone keeps talking about (does it work on a laptop at all?). I hope such gimmicks are not required for obstacles such as the angry rock. That rock, along with the bugged checkpoint in w2z2, and the store behind the waterfall, have been by biggest frustrations in TM.

I’m glad though that TM awards you with a unique weapon skin, even if its just a fancy glow to the normal weapon skin. It’s good for the players to have a way to show off their exceptional skill for completing Tribulation Mode.

In conclusion

My personal thanks to everyone on the SAB development team. I’m enjoying the new content a lot. And I hope to see more SAB in the future. Don’t let the criticism get you down.

For future levels in SAB, I’m highly looking forward to a lava level, along with some more open and less linear paths. World 1 got it right, by allowing wide open spaces with not too many deadly drops. It felt less confined and more player friendly. I also really like the moving logs in world 2. More of that please! For the lava level, I’d love to see moving platforms across lava, and giant castles. A mix between narrow platforming sections above deadly lava, and more secure confined spaces that are safe (Don’t make it like the Pain Cliffs, where there are deadly drops everywhere). And of course, an underwater level! (which the map hints at) Maybe the underwater level could be something relaxing…. like this:

Please make it happen.

My main issues with World 2:

Too many cheap deaths (especially in Zone 2)
Levels too long.
The pink fog that made it so you can’t see in Zone 3 was cheap as hell too.

Other than that it was fun.

I actually enjoyed zone 2. The assassins are not a problem if you learn how to fight them. Circle strafing is a big help in dodging the ninja stars and leap attacks. Timing your dodges is useful as well.

The zone goes by very quickly once you have done it once and know what to do. The traps are clearly visible as you can see the red rectangular box strips. If you rush through the map then you obviously will not see them.

I personally want more levels like zone 2 and 3 of world 2. No more of the zones in world one which were boring.