Honestly.... This game is not fun.

[Naughty Ram]

After having tried to get into this game multiple times over the years. I just can't. And it all comes down to two things:

Poor controls, and boring level design.

Lets start with the most controversial one that I know allot of people will both agree with, and highly disagree with.

The controls:

Frankly, there is no reason for the controls of this game to be as bad as they are. I get the idea that the developer had wanting to make being able to control your sword swing with your mouse a thing.... But its just executed poorly and un-funnly. Having your characters movement direction AND their swing direction AND swing speed all bound to the same mouse action? Creates a highly frustrating experience. More often than not, it ends up resulting in your character fumbling around randomly.

I would MUCH rather have it simplified to: Left click tap, he attacks at normal speed. Left click hold, charges attack, making the actual strike lightning quick and hard hitting, but leaves you exposed to getting attack beforehand etc. Hold buttons like alt, or q or f to change his attack direction etc. No more of the annoying ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dragging your mouse, causing your character to twirl around like an idiot, or wimpy half hits at snails speed.

"But bro, why change the unique combat style of this game? Why not play something else then?" - Because the "unique" combat of this game just sucks. Straight. Up. Its not fun, counter intuitive, and just generally frustrating to play. BUT...... But, the physics based combat is still highly cool, and has potential to be awesome. It just needs refined, and it could be genuinely awesome to play.

I feel like 98% of my time spent playing this game is actively working against the games poor controls, rather than fighting against an enemies prowess or making poor choices in my position or attacks etc.

Level design:

This one is self explanatory, and is one of the most ranted about things already. So there's no deep dive needed for it.

Lots of boring brown tunnels in the beginning, lots of boring greyish blue tunnels in the middle/end. No npcs to talk with or interact with save for everyones favorite, Darren. Not much lore to find or read, painfully slow exploration, etc.

Boring...

I know 98% of people on here are not going to agree with me. But I want to hear peoples feedback and their own opinions on the game, and how they would prefer making it more fun etc.

[Tygar]

This game is simply not made for players like you. You did your due diligence and gave it more than enough play time and effort, but in the end most people that love Exanima love it for the reasons you don't.

The only suggestion I have for the controls aspect is to try using a controller or hybrid controller and mouse combo. I've seen some people that hate the controls love the game after switching. I much prefer mouse and keyboard, but I see the appeal of controller because it allows you to control your character relative to the screen instead of relative to your character making many things easier.

Other than that I don't think there's any hope for this game to win you over unless the controls finally click with you. Which is still possible, just not likely after 80hrs of playtime. This game is not going to change no matter what other people want though. It is what it is, and I love it for that.

[Matao a pellizco]

Energy vampire detected!

[Taehl]

No thanks on changing "cool and unique combat controls with an incredibly high skill ceiling" into "boring, limited hack-and-slash controls with a very low skill ceiling to try and appease haters and newbs". Definitely would be a huge disappointment IMHO.

I highly doubt even 50% of Exanima players would agree with you. 98% is ridiculous... Whoops, missed the word "not". Then yes, most players are probably not going to agree with that.

That "fumbling around randomly" is almost entirely your own lack of skill with the controls. Movement and attacks are surprisingly clean and precise once you're proficient.

If you stop stressing out about how wrong you think the controls are and actually learn how to use them, give yourself the time to build new muscle memory, you'll likely find it's far more satisfying than combat in most other games. 4 hours isn't enough time to achieve this.

If you want instant gratification, this is really not the right game to play. But if you want a slow-burn gratification that just keeps growing and growing even after 50 or 150 hours, then keep practicing, it's worth it.

[Saigon]

I could not disagree more and your talking to someone that was a console gamer before ever getting a PC. Exanima is one of the greatest dungeon crawlers ever. Not sure if you have the same problem I have with pc is keyboard and mouse so I try to use a controller whenever possible and I use one with this game & when I did that’s when I got the hang of it. The game is challenging and makes you figure out things on your own it doesn’t hold your hand and I enjoy it

[Lurker]

Originally posted by Taehl:

No thanks on changing "cool and unique combat controls with an incredibly high skill ceiling" into "boring, limited hack-and-slash controls with a very low skill ceiling to try and appease haters and newbs". Definitely would be a huge disappointment IMHO.

I highly doubt even 50% of Exanima players would agree with you. 98% is ridiculous. Most players who would agree with you probably only played for a few hours or less, and thus like you, have yet to get over that first hurdle of learning how to play.

That "fumbling around randomly" is almost entirely your own lack of skill with the controls. Movement and attacks are surprisingly clean and precise once you're proficient.

If you stop stressing out about how wrong you think the controls are and actually learn how to use them, give yourself the time to build new muscle memory, you'll likely find it's far more satisfying than combat in most other games. 4 hours isn't enough time to achieve this.

If you want instant gratification, this is really not the right game to play. But if you want a slow-burn gratification that just keeps growing and growing even after 50 or 150 hours, then keep practicing, it's worth it.

Homie said that 98% of folks WOULDN'T agree with him, not that they do.
Likely the most accurate statement made in the tangent.

[diplomametolius]

not every game is for everyone and this is not for you, nothing wrong with that, just move on to another that cater your tastes

Exanima is fun because it's unique and non an standard cheesy safe design for all kind public game. What you ask for is simply another completely different game just because you don't want to deal with your skill issue.

what you ask, is like going to nintendo and telling them mario is boring and they should make it an auto-runner because you don't want to learn how to move and jump is enough for the game and you don't want to learn how to use the controller, just tap the phone.

[Sunshine]

Guess I am one of the lucky 2% then.

Completely agree with you. Just yesterday I spoke to a friend who also played it again (like you, I keep checking it out like once a year) and we both had the same points of criticism, the overly complicated and wonky controls and the lackluster level design.
The latter point does not concern me too much, since I prefer the Arena mode anyways.

But the combat... yeah. Like the idea, but the execution just doesn't cut it. No pun intended.

[Zeel Ara]

Counterpoint: Yes it is.
Proof: I have fun when playing.

See how useful it is to present your personal opinion as fact?

[Sunshine]

Originally posted by Ratley:

Counterpoint: Yes it is.
Proof: I have fun when playing.

See how useful it is to present your personal opinion as fact?

As if it wasn't obvious that he's speaking from his personal experience.

What is it with gamers being so absurdly hostile towards people that do not enjoy the same things? They don't take it away from you, there's no need to be so defensive.

I can understand such reactions when some 30 minutes player kicks the door in and ♥♥♥♥♥ all over the game, the dev team, and just rants like an unhinged toddler.
But this wasn't the case here. OP shared his opinion in a constructive way. It's feedback.

[Taehl]

Originally posted by Sunshine:

What is it with gamers being so absurdly hostile towards people that do not enjoy the same things? They don't take it away from you, there's no need to be so defensive.

If people complain loud and long enough many game devs end up giving in to their demands meaning players can, in fact, have their favorite parts of games taken away from them if they don't speak up. If Exanima replaced its combat system like OP wants, then people who really like this combat system would be SOL - there are no other games to turn to. If you want a boring typical hack-and-slash combat system, there are thousands of other games to play - why ruin this one?

Personally, I don't think these particular devs would change Exanima so drastically. But you shouldn't be surprised when people respond to perceived threat of unwanted changes with as much energy as someone else uses to try and push those changes on them.

On a less objective note, I'm fairly sure some players consider Exanima an example of real art amidst modern seas of shovelware, so in a sense, replacing a central motif with something severely dumbed-down would be not unlike defacement, which is also a thing that people tend to get riled up about. Food for thought.

PS) This thread looks pretty civil to me, no's one been "absurdly hostile". Thus far, nobody has even started swearing except... Huh, would you look at that?

Originally posted by Naughty Ram:

No more of the annoying ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dragging your mouse, causing your character to twirl around like an idiot, or wimpy half hits at snails speed.

Originally posted by Sunshine:

I can understand such reactions when some 30 minutes player kicks the door in and ♥♥♥♥♥ all over the game, the dev team, and just rants like an unhinged toddler.

It's only you and OP that were swearing. Doesn't that mean you two are the ones being hostile?

[Sunshine]

Originally posted by Taehl:

Originally posted by Sunshine:

What is it with gamers being so absurdly hostile towards people that do not enjoy the same things? They don't take it away from you, there's no need to be so defensive.

If people complain loud and long enough many game devs end up giving in to their demands meaning players can, in fact, have their favorite parts of games taken away from them if they don't speak up.

And?
OP has the same right to voice his opinions, concerns and wishes as you do.
Do you even see your own double standards? You consider one opinion acceptable, while the other is "dangerous". That's not how it works and your little horror scenario is absurd either way, as if they'd change anything at this stage.

Originally posted by Taehl:

PS) This thread looks pretty civil to me, no's one been "absurdly hostile". Thus far, nobody has even started swearing except... Huh, would you look at that?

Originally posted by Naughty Ram:

No more of the annoying ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dragging your mouse, causing your character to twirl around like an idiot, or wimpy half hits at snails speed.

Originally posted by Sunshine:

I can understand such reactions when some 30 minutes player kicks the door in and ♥♥♥♥♥ all over the game, the dev team, and just rants like an unhinged toddler.

It's only you and OP that were swearing. Doesn't that mean you two are the ones being hostile?

Ah yes, nice framing.
Because me painting a hypothetical scenario in which I use a colorful word to describe the misbehavior of an invented character absolutely means I am "cussing" let alone acting hostile. Man at least try next time.

That aside, I did not say this thread is hostile, I pointed out a general phenomenon in video gaming communities that can be observed broadly and also here, to a degree with the backhanded elitism and gatekeeping over someone simply sharing his opinion.
Next time you do not understand what someone said, maybe ask instead of reading the wildest things into it, let alone frame it into something it isn't to create a ridiculous narrative that again only serves the purpose to cause discord.

[EpirusWarriorμολὼνλαβέ]

The game should remain niche and hidden gem and not appeal to mainstream. Its focus is on gameplay, no arcadish gameplay crap, no MTC, no marketing, no politics / ESG trash, no pseudo "tactics"/ turn based nobs, no bs.

In the myriad of AAA trash, and over marketed C-ringeRPG toxic garbage /table top idiots, ARPG Arcade, very few and companies provide any solid games.

[Sunshine]

Originally posted by EpirusWarriorμολὼνλαβέ:

The game should remain niche and hidden gem and not appeal to mainstream. Its focus is on gameplay, no arcadish gameplay crap, no MTC, no marketing, no politics / ESG trash, no pseudo "tactics"/ turn based nobs, no bs.

In the myriad of AAA trash, and over marketed C-ringeRPG toxic garbage /table top idiots, ARPG Arcade, very few and companies provide any solid games.

This is true for sure.

[Naughty Ram]

So what sort of changes or additions to the game would you guys like?

Controls aside. I think adding a endless waves mode, sorta like the practice arena, but you know.. endless. Where you fight, loot the bodies, go to the next even harder wave, with maybe more enemies to fight etc. Rinse and repeat until you die. Start over. Maybe have some unlocks you gain on that run from getting to certain waves.

I think that would be a fun easy to implement mode. As currently, my most played activity in this game is the Practice modes. (Story mode is too slow and boring and punishing for me to enjoy. And arena is even slower to progress.)

[EpirusWarriorμολὼνλαβέ]

Originally posted by Naughty Ram:

So what sort of changes or additions to the game would you guys like?

Controls aside. I think adding a endless waves mode, sorta like the practice arena, but you know.. endless. Where you fight, loot the bodies, go to the next even harder wave, with maybe more enemies to fight etc. Rinse and repeat until you die. Start over. Maybe have some unlocks you gain on that run from getting to certain waves.

I think that would be a fun easy to implement mode. As currently, my most played activity in this game is the Practice modes. (Story mode is too slow and boring and punishing for me to enjoy. And arena is even slower to progress.)

I think that would not be good. You looking at other games and comparing it to the whole zombie style games which is why it doesn't fit your narrative and game style. This is more medieval theme with physics you can tell from arena, and the story thats that the real focus is there. There is the survival theme also. The enemies could have been as well mythological or anything else.

My two cents don't try to compare it with rest since is a niche.