Why is the game so short?

[Darkflash]

I have played Neverhood so many times and I still love it.
I have seen armikrog in kickstarter thinking "Oh yay another neverhood game" now its out and its less then 6~ hours if you go in a decent speed Why? the original never hood was longer better in any way and this is an abomination how is that? how did the devs failed so much?

[davetrowe]

If I had to make a guess: mismanagement. It feels like a lot of it was cut or removed, that creating the art assets and puzzles were more time and fund consuming than initially anticipated, and that, judging from the rougher edges, programming and asset creation shifted hands a lot.

[Darkflash]

Originally posted by davetrowe:

If I had to make a guess: mismanagement. It feels like a lot of it was cut or removed, that creating the art assets and puzzles were more time and fund consuming than initially anticipated, and that, judging from the rougher edges, programming and asset creation shifted hands a lot.

It is just sad to see something like that. it looks like it promises a lot yet delivers nothing.

[davetrowe]

This was my most anticipated of the year, I can't believe how disappointed I am in it.

[Castor Troy]

You guys do realize this was made on a shoestring budget right? You can only do so much. The community didn't support them, giving them millions of dollars, so you get a shorter game. That's just how it goes. Blame the people not the devs. Blame the kids who just want first person shooters.

[davetrowe]

I understand that, and I don't mind the length. I finished in about 3 hours, and that wasn't really what bothered me, but a lot of the design decisions really irked me. I realize I am being very harsh, but the things that I found bad could have easily been avoided. The game isn't terrible, but it was so close to being a great experience that it's tragic how it falls short in some very significant ways.

[Agneum]

So instead of focusing on the game on PC for $1000k (shoestring budget, right?) they aim for stretchgoals on the Wii U? Seems dumb. I wouldn't mind short, but there are many other flaws and problems with design. I wrote a review about it.

[tenderrloins]

The neverhood easily makes my top 3 games of all time. Maybe even my all time favorite. I was so excited for this game to come out and like many others found myself sorely disappointed. My dad used to say "if you cant do something right dont do it at all" and that addage is what comes to mind when it comes to Armikrog. The fact that it is ridiculously short isnt the only problem....one of the reasons the Neverhood was so wonderful is that it had an overall sense of joy about it. THe puzzles were challenging and fun. The story line was clear and in depth and amazing. The graphics,especially for the time it came out, were incredible. In addition, it too was made on a very small budget. SO please dont use that as an excuse. Armikrog lacked all that was great about the Neverhood. While it was nice to finally have a game to play that isnt a first person shooter marketed towards adolescent males....I found myself empty while i was playing it. Sorry for the poor review guys but I feel really let down.

[HighLanderPony]

Because you don't have a long-ass white corridor to walk through twice, like in the Neverhood.

[Agneum]

Originally posted by HighLanderPony:

Because you don't have a long-ass white corridor to walk through twice, like in the Neverhood.

That long-ass corridor was memorable and also it served the purpose of adding to the story throguh biblical references. Also, it wasn't needed to complete the game at all.

At least The Neverhood didn't reuse the following mechanics:

Cradle puzzle x3
Entrance (4-directional blocks) puzzle x3
Pushing stupid furry blocks x2
Using flying beak-beak x3
Drum Rolling x2
Stepping on buttons x4
Rotating wheels on the tracks mechanic x4
The poinless levers you attach to every door and switch x7(lost count)
Beak-beak tunnels x3
Electiricty "pumps" x3
Alien tentacles x4 (make it x8 because you had to watch them all with translations again)

[truegod]

Originally posted by HighLanderPony:

Because you don't have a long-ass white corridor to walk through twice, like in the Neverhood.

There is that part of the game in which you have to push the two furry aliens... and depending on how you do that you have to walk a long-ass corridor at least twice... not to mention the long-ass "gondola" (or whatever that vehicle is called) passages you have to cover more than once...

Shortly: There is enough useless and repetitive walking/driving around in Armikrog as well.

[Agneum]

It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. The Neverhood, if you speedrun it, is actually pretty short as well. But that would be a difficult task for a new player.

[truegod]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind walking around a bit if it was worth it... but if you do that for a standard, boring sokoban light like pushing "puzzle"... and if you realize only after pushing and walking that you have to put Beak-Beak on that silly floor trigger, it's just annoying and not worthwhile. It's just bad gameplay. Which by the way is something which you don't need many testers for - just one normal guy who has played games before and can tell what is good and what is bad.

[Ibilis]

Originally posted by HighLanderPony:

Because you don't have a long-ass white corridor to walk through twice, like in the Neverhood.

That long-ass corridor was memorable and also it served the purpose of adding to the story throguh biblical references. Also, it wasn't needed to complete the game at all.
Actually it was needed as one of tapes was in it's end (but if you really was short on time could've typed [ENTER]fastforward[ENTER] XD)

But yes, I agree it's well made joke with Neverhood's historical background... in background.
(And yes, Armikrog reuses definely too many mechanics. In Neverhood reused were: carts you were riding - green and red, flytrap puzzle BUT with different solutions... and actually the second flytrap puzzle was one of most brilliant puzzles requiring thinking out of box - don't use it to hold your path opened, use it to shoot yourself above obstacles! :D).

[Alpine [rus]]

This summer I decieded to do fan Neverhood music clip. I was needed original game footage for it - and I re-runned whole game. And you know what? Neverhood is pretty short!
I really could finish it in 3 hours (I was busy with shooting footage for clip so it took a little more time for me). Of course, I remember puzzle solution now, and my skills of quies solving are improved nowdays.
But really. Both Neverhood and Armikrog can be short if you speedrun them. Both Neverhood and Armikrog can be long enough if you examine every new piece of decorations and try to understand - how every room and every device here work (as I did in both games).

And remember, Neverhood was created with help of bigger corporation (and actually costed MORE than Armikrog recieved on Kickstarter - even if you will forgot about Kickstarter taxes, etc).

P.S. If somebody will be interested - here is my Neverhood music clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTZPOoBJC4

[LuckyPed]

I had so much memory and so much play time ! playing Neverhood !
and it took me so long when i was a kid !
i always wanted to know the story completely too so i tried to do whatever i could , clicking stuff several time, reading the whole long wall of story !
searching for all videos !

then i Try to do it again 2 year ago ! and u know what ? it finished so Fast ! ok i missed 1 of the fking ~12 video piece !
but it took less than 3 hour to finish !

now Armikrog was also great ! but i am not a kid anymore, and i played this kinda stuff before ! i solve the puzzles much easier and the symbols, i already knew i gonna need them i would memories them !

but still reading the Story on the Wall ( which was Awesome Meva and Tzurk Story really made me enjoy the game a LOT more and care for the characters )
checking the windows and anything i find several time to enjoy all the game.
( i hope u notice if u click the window on first room like 10 time each time its different ! even if 1-2 time it show u nothing in middle lol )
Took me 9.5 hour to finish Armikrog .