Nix Escape Sequences

[rocksand]

For the love of God, if you're going to make another Ori game ditch the escape sequences. They ruined my enjoyment of the first game, and they're ruining my enjoyment of this one, too.

They completely destroy any pace the game had prior and honestly just completely makes me not want to play the game. They're god awful, infuriating, and not enjoyable in the slightest. One mistake and you have to replay the entire god awful sequence again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

There was no shortage of people complaining about the escape sequences in the first game, so what, you just decided to add more in this game to spite them?

I would gladly PAY for an addon that skipped these sequences.

inb4 'git gud lmao'

[mvon007]

I can definitely get behind an option to skip those sequences, especially in a game that is otherwise heavily story driven, okay not this one really but definitely the first game. Having said that, I really did enjoy gradually getting to grips with the Ginso Tree, our very first escape. In that one it did always feel like I was making progress though; less so in the earthworm in this game, which has drawn plenty of discussion in these parts.

[AtomHeartDragon]

Also change the art style. And music. Remove any emotional moments. Best make it nothing like a platformer or metroidvania. Completely different genre like RTS or FPS. Maybe MOBA, I've heard they are pretty popular.
Just make the next Ori game nothing like an Ori game.

Aaaa!
*sound of head rhytmically impacting desk*

[rocksand]

Yeah, I was stuck on the earthworm and raging a bit when I wrote this hahaha
Now that I've cooled down a bit, here are my thoughts:

I do stand behind the issue with these sequences, though. I understand that they're a high-pressure test of your platforming ability, however I feel like it spikes the difficulty basically for no reason. This level of platforming/ability use isn't required at later parts of the game in such a high-stress manner, which is usually why you'd test a player's skill with any given ability. So it kind of just becomes a pointless difficulty spike that ends up frustrating a player far more than a boss battle or just a really difficult platforming section, imo.

Ginso tree was the initial reason I put down Ori and the Blind Forest. I bought it upon release and have only actually finished it since Will of the Wisps came out, because I got SO frustrated with the Ginso tree. Since then I've played through Hollow Knight and am a considerably better platformer, but I feel like the point stands. Yes, there's an element of the player NEEDS to get better in order to progress, but I think the escape sequences, rather than adding a sense of urgency to the gameplay, make it feel very stilted and repetitive through multiple attempts.

Small aside, honestly I don't even feel good after finishing them. Really hard boss battles that I die 100 times on feel less frustrating and more rewarding than a chase sequence I die 100 times (or even 50 times tbh) on, but that could very well just be me.

A built-in skip or option to lower difficulty when it comes to these sequences after a number of deaths could be a good way of ensuring a player gives it a go, but doesn't get stuck on it for hours and hundreds of deaths.

[RCMidas]

Oh sandworm is definitely the toughest of all the sequences. But it feels SO GOOD when you beat it, especially if you were playing on Hard the first time around.

[Stretchyf]

You can't make one game suits all. Escape sequences are significant part of Ori-game in my opinion. It is just some change in gameplay for the player so game is not all the same. And a lot of people do like to have a challenge in a game.

Yes, after the Ginso Tree I dreaded that there should be the second episode of the same nature, but when time was to run through my last escape sequence in Ori Blind Forest I already loved that gameplay.

So I feel some escape sequence can't scare away a Blind Forest veteran

[rocksand]

Originally posted by AtomHeartDragon:

Also change the art style. And music. Remove any emotional moments. Best make it nothing like a platformer or metroidvania. Completely different genre like RTS or FPS. Maybe MOBA, I've heard they are pretty popular.
Just make the next Ori game nothing like an Ori game.

Aaaa!
*sound of head rhytmically impacting desk*

I see what you're saying, but I disagree that I'm saying to alter a significant game element. The escape sequences are a BREAK in gameplay, something that's not consistent with the rest of the game. I'm not asking to fundamentally change the game, just include a way to skip the frustrating and un-fun parts of it. I still love the game, don't get me wrong.

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Oh sandworm is definitely the toughest of all the sequences. But it feels SO GOOD when you beat it, especially if you were playing on Hard the first time around.

I got through it and had to take a break. It didn't feel rewarding, it just felt like the punishment had finally ended. I'm glad your experience was a positive one, though! :)

Originally posted by stretchyf:

You can't make one game suits all. Escape sequences are significant part of Ori-game in my opinion. It is just some change in gameplay for the player so game is not all the same. And a lot of people do like to have a challenge in a game.

Yes, after the Ginso Tree I dreaded that there should be the second episode of the same nature, but when time was to run through my last escape sequence in Ori Blind Forest I already loved that gameplay.

So I feel some escape sequence can't scare away a Blind Forest veteran :ori:

Yeah, I don't disagree with you on that. I didn't enjoy but could understand the role of the escape sequences in Blind Forest. Since it was a mainly not-combat-oriented game, they served as the 'boss battles.' But in this game they've really leaned into the combat system. We have plenty of boss battles, but also more chase sequences? I don't know why we couldn't just have had the boss battles.

Idk, maybe if they were just less *punishing*, they feel soul crushing at times, and I know I'm not the only person with the issue.

[McMurphy]

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Oh sandworm is definitely the toughest of all the sequences. But it feels SO GOOD when you beat it, especially if you were playing on Hard the first time around.

i nearly beat it today just to get stuck somehow in the last sand .... will take some trys more

[rocksand]

Originally posted by Pazuzu:

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Oh sandworm is definitely the toughest of all the sequences. But it feels SO GOOD when you beat it, especially if you were playing on Hard the first time around.

i nearly beat it today just to get stuck somehow in the last sand .... will take some trys more

My advice: don't stop dashing.

[Spirit]

ori games without escape sequences are no longer ori games
i personally enjoy them

[AtomHeartDragon]

I was actually preparing for stuff that would make the original sequences seem trivial.
In any case, escape sequences are one of defining traits of Ori games.

[Stinkehund]

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Oh sandworm is definitely the toughest of all the sequences. But it feels SO GOOD when you beat it, especially if you were playing on Hard the first time around.

Honestly? All i felt was frustration even after beating it. In fact, it straight-up ruined the emotional payoff of the scene afterwards for me, because all i could think about were all the times i had to restart the entire sequence because i messed up in the very last part, not because i'm bad at platforming, but because the whole sequence is so overly long and so overtuned and unforgiving, it sucks the fun right out of the experience.
The first Ori i replayed half a dozen times. I loved it, because even the worst parts of it are still fair and manageable. This one? I'm on my second playthrough. Breezed though it, tbh, no problems whatsoever. But the sandworm part is like a brickwall and quite frankly, it makes me want to uninstall it and never touch it again. Because i know that even if i go through it and manage to win after the dozen or so tries that i'll need to get the wonky ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sand-dodge areas right, there won't be any meaningful payoff for the work i put in.

[Fania]

I agree with OP and I wish they just made the escape sequences slower on easy mode. That way you have a bit of both.

[RCMidas]

They ARE slower on Easy and Normal. Hard Mode is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ painful, especially for the sandworm escape.

[AtomHeartDragon]

I really need to replay on hard. Most of the game was easy on medium for Blind Forest veteran.

[Roccondil]

If anything, get rid of the boss battles... I don't think the gameplay really supports them, and are excessively difficult, even on "normal".