How difficult is this to play?

[GAMING_Alligator]

Asking as I'm thinking of gettig it for a 6 year old.

Is it accessible to someone who hasn't got years of experience playing platform games and still hasn't quite mastered using a gamepad or are we talking Nintendo hard insta-death stuff?

[Nightryderace]

Very easy. A lot of fun. She might need help with Time Rift levels, but otherwise this game should be accessible to her.

[100% lob juice]

There aren't any instant deaths to my knowledge. Some of the boss fights may be quite hard but nothing that can't be learned through trial and error. Otherwise the game is easy whilst still being fun.

[Scurra]

As a 50-yr old, this game is quite hard enough for me. So a six year old should have no trouble. :)

Joking aside, I think it's probably harder than some people claim, but it's very forgiving in terms of where it resets you when you make a mistake. There are some areas that require more precise timing than might be ideal, especially for the inexperienced. The Boss fights are very punishing and come across as frustrating rather than anything else; they have to be done through trial-and-error and the margin for error is quite small.
But the style and story are joyously fun and that makes up for an awful lot.

[Chimera]

It's not difficult in a traditional sense, but for a 6 year old?

They might have a lot of difficulty finding the objective. The levels are pretty big and I can easily see a child not really comprehending where to go and why. The game usually tells you, but that info is easily lost to a child.

[Donitz]

I doubt a 6 year old is going to be able to finish Alpine Peaks.

[Hirate Yurina]

just make sure she doesn't play the manor level on her own, it's basically a horror game.

[GO LITTLE MAN, GO!!!]

The only challenging bits are the boss fights yet those become easy once you master the mechanics of the game. My niece struggled with the first boss alone

[100% lob juice]

Originally posted by swink:

just make sure she doesn't play the manor level on her own, it's basically a horror game.

Also this, that level isn't playing around.

[TWCroc]

A 6 year old should be perfectly capable of beating the entire game without help. There are some spooks and stuff that they might not like, but just sit next to the kid or something and I'm sure it would become a very fond memory in the future.

[Kaz]

Not too difficult purely mechanically speaking because the game is generous with both your freedom of movement and checkpoints(except for purple Time Rifts), but the worlds are a wee bit big and objectives aren't always immediately obvious. Not sure if a 6 year old that has never touched a 3D platformer before can handle it.

Also yeah, Queen Vanessa gets kicks out of spooking a little hard for such a lighthearted game. Maybe they won't mind, maybe they will, depends on your kid, really.

[Mr Peeps]

I would agree a lot with some of what people said previously. It's a quite floaty feeling game. You have double jump, and other moves that can really give you a lot of extra chances with the platforming. There's an umbrella move you can unlock that can help you even further, which may be great for a kid.

The game can be a bit challenging in areas, especially later on where you have to figure out a bit more for yourself and things aren't always as obvious as the earlier stages. That said, the combat is not very complicated, and the bosses are a bit easier than an average gamer may have expected.

I think there's a lot of content for a 6 year old to enjoy, but there may be harder parts you may want to be ready to help them out with if they're particularly struggling.

[GAMING_Alligator]

Thanks all. Bought it and we played through the first 3 levels together. I'm having to help her with some of the trickier platforming parts, but she's getting the hang of it and is enjoying it.

[AnonTwo]

Don't forget, a lot of kids grew up on hard games. There's nothing wrong with that. They learn quick.

That all said, this is a pretty easy platformer with tight controls.

[Swag Messiah XVIII]

Probably lean away from the third chapter. It has pretty depressing stories, Queen Vanessa's Manor, and the Snatcher boss is extremely hard. (For me, don't get your willies in a jillie)

[GAMING_Alligator]

Originally posted by Sorurus:

Probably lean away from the third chapter. It has pretty depressing stories, Queen Vanessa's Manor, and the Snatcher boss is extremely hard. (For me, don't get your willies in a jillie)

Yeah, I've been playing it on a separate save slot, and have just got to the third chapter. It seems very inappropriate for a game aimed at families. You wouldn't expect to be handed a contract asking you to "murder the forest sprites" (or something like that) in a game like this, and the whole setting seems pretty mature to me.

I'll be making her skip that chapter, I'm assuming it gets more light hearted again afterwards?