Hi recently backed the game and have been playing Exanima. Thought I would give some feedback on the things I didn't like
- I get that the darkness adds to the atmosphere but for me the game is way too dark even with the torchlight. It gave me a bit of a headache. The game is beautiful...let me see it!
- The physics are of course really amazing and impressive, however I find it a bit annoying how my guy falls over even with just walking over something relatively simple. For me at least I feel like if I'm walking my character should slightly adjust to obstacles and for instance step over the chair leg/stone etc as walking calmly and carefully but flying over on my ass at the smallest tap or mis-click feels really unrealistic and well pointless. I fell over, I got back up...oh, how frustrating. I fully accept it when my guy is running, I should add, that feels realistic and almost like a punishment for sprinting or rushing, which I like. As it stands a door with step going up would send my char on his arse, imo that's realistic physics creating unrealistic outcomes and reminding me my guy is a computer sprite and not a guy who would obviously step over that obstacle.
- The combat feels very clunky to me. Yes I've read the tutorial and yes I understand how I have to time my swings and movement I understand all that but the move set feels so limited. No lunge? No jab? No rolls? No way to ready my shield for a block or a parry? (other than the default "not doing anything" block) no riposte? Will a rapier be a left then right swing? or a dagger? I feel like there should be a way to change stance and the left right/right left swings for me gets boring really fast and somehow the fact you have to click and hold heightens the sense of frustration and boredom especially as the fights are so long.
- The over the shoulder click for the alt swing can make my guy face the totally wrong direction and lose fights just because of that one small mis-click. I really don't like that function. When I'm trying to focus on my movement it just feels like there should be a better way to do an alt attack rather than force me into mouse movements which will potentially spin my char 180 and kill me. Cant I just hold alt instead?
- There needs to be a way to quickly swap weapons or quickly drop what you are holding the torch/shield/sword juggling is very awkward. Often in the panic of needing to drop my torch and equip my shield I manage to remove my pants and make the world turn dark instead.
- The game has such a steep learning curve at the moment that my honest opinion is this game is intended only for the most elite gamers. Yes I like games to be hard (dark souls one of my favourites) but there is a point where it becomes less of a fun challenge with interesting places to explore and people to talk to and more like a chore. I cant really think of any games this unforgiving and difficult that are successful to a mass audience. We cant all spend hundreds of hours learning a games mechanics. My gaming time is precious and although I like a challenge, a fight which lasts 20 mins, then kills me and sends me back to the start that only has to happen three times and I just don't have time in my life for that.
Right well I want to make it clear that there are many aspects to this game I do really like and I've just focused on things I've personally found frustrating but this post is not intended to be hateful towards the dev or even the game I just know that hearing negative criticism is potentially more useful than me blowing smoke up the a-holes of the devs. I honestly think this game has the potential to be one of the best RPGs of the modern era BUT as it stands I've given up playing, like I imagine many who are casual gamers or not the die hard fans of battle mare would also quit quickly. I am also aware Sui Genaris will avoid some of the issues I've raised (I like the torment esq immortality plan for instance which negates my final point somewhat)
I love RPG games (particularly cRPG) and have played a ton of them in my 30 years on this earth and I know it can be a very fine line between engaging, fun, challenging, and boring laborious and virtually impossible. I really hope the final product looses this elitist feeling I'm get from it right now.