New Demo feadback

[Torklan]

This post is to give feedback about the new version of the Demo released on Monday.

This demo feels like a step back from the original rather then better idea of the state of the game. Lets start with the Bad.

We start the demo with the basic controls and using the phone. All basic things easy done. Then we are asked to create a stack of money and tape it up. All core game play things simply done. Then we are asked to put 200 bills in a box.

This is where the demo starts to break. For "Game Play Progression (TM)" reasons we are denied the other core game play mechanic the scanner. We can only trial and error our way through this part of the demo. We are never told basic things like how many bills we pickup with the grab pile function or the click and hold option. Which are different amounts by the way. The player should NEVER be asked to trial and error their way through a tutorial. Let alone a demo which should be trying to show off the best side of a game.

In the previous demo we were given far too much money to start with to buy items. We could in the first few minutes buy everything we would need to complete the demo. In the new version we cannot even buy the most basic items to complete missions. I was given a RNG mission to wash bills for a reward of 38 crypto, when the washing washing machine was still locked behind "Game Play Progression (TM)".

Later in the game when we have a small stockpile of money left over between missions this would not be an issue but in a demo it's not fun just frustrating. It feels like we are fighting the game just to play.

The first time I played the demo it ran fine until after the incinerator was unlocked then the gas effect started to really effect FPS. This is hopefully just a sign of missing optimization. Once we progress past that part of the demo FPS returns correctly.

The voice over for Betty Oops is a nice addition but the dialog is very Manic which I think is intentional but the lack of context is off putting. For story reasons there feels like large gaps. If our character doesn't know game play/plot things so the player shouldn't know them but it makes the character feel less quirky and more something just to click through if not tedious.

During my first play through I only had the FPS issue which is only temporary depending on how fast we progress the story. The second time I wanted to go slower and once I was taking multiple RNG missions I had a lockup Fatal Error and I had to force quit the game.

Now the Good.

The teaser of new mechanics of stained bills, possibly marked bills and such are a nice touch. It shows us game play functions that are more complex things that are going to be added to the game play loop for the full game. We are only given one mission where we are asked to make sure no counterfeit bills are returned. With no further context we are left to trial and error for using those bills in other mission. Again the lack of the scanner hinders the game play at this point.