*Somewhat Spoiler* Final Location Designed to be Infuriating?

[Siamese55]

This is partially just my opinion on the slog, but I am really curious as to how people felt about the end location. Raft has always had puzzles and platforming, etc. However, the skill level and endurance requirements clearly skyrocketed for the finale. It feels, to me at least, like it was designed to be as infuriating as possible.

Not only do you have to go through the fans multiple times to get the hammer before the cogs, with limited "recovery points" if you fall, but the cogs aren't even a normal inventory item! They are a carry item that you then have to maneuver via a pulley system. And all this is after the cable, water, and digging puzzles to even reach the fans in the first place. The net even has fall damage like solid ground because of course failure has to hurt physically as well as emotionally.

The worst of it is, I know I am not even done with all the nonsense, though I am taking a sorely needed break before I touch this again. It doesn't really feel worth the frustration on my end because it has drifted so far away from the chill survival sandbox it normally is.

Also, you know even before the note that Wikstrom would be here. It's the ongoing plot, you see/fight the hyenas, then the note confirms it. Utopia isn't a utopia, so I do not really understand why our characters are so invested in chasing Wikstrom down. The closest I can think is saving the characters we read the notes of, but I have no idea why we would think they are even still alive... Perhaps I am being a bit too nit-picky for pre-heroism motivations when I haven't completed the full ending yet, but I cannot help think about it every time a fan pushes me back down into the net.

So, what was everyone else's experience with this? As you can probably guess, I genuinely dislike platformers and finding out I signed up for one 20 hours later to complete the story was rather unpleasant. However, the achievements show most people don't even bother going that far in the story and it has always been a perfectly serviceable survival sandbox without the story. There are probably even those that appreciated the challenge for the end. I'm curious as to all the takes here, and if I am lucky I am missing something stupidly obvious that will keep me from suffering next attempt.

[Archie]

personally, I love all of the game as is but, I mean but.
I would have preferred that the game stayed with the survival on a raft and stay with that.
However, I can't imagine how this would go ie how to achieve this.
to many people winged that the game had no story and so I suppose to make a story out of it they gave us these chapters.
The utopia one is just puzzles that wouldn't make sense to be actually in a real situation.
Thus making the game have puzzles that are in no way connected to the rafting.
But it is still a good game.
I cant get passed the hyenas with um um olof as I run out of materials to fight and have to go rafting to get it all back again.
then think up a better raft and start over as the first bit, making your raft and getting better gear is the most appealing part of this game.

[Archie]

by the way, these clever game designers have given us ways around the most annoying parts, eg the poison pit and the rotating fans that i also found annoying .
you dont have to go through the jumping in the poison pit also the fans.

[Siamese55]

Originally posted by Archie:

by the way, these clever game designers have given us ways around the most annoying parts, eg the poison pit and the rotating fans that i also found annoying .
you dont have to go through the jumping in the poison pit also the fans.

How do you skip the fans? If I can skip the fans, then the one thing I hate about Raft goes away.

[Archie]

i didn't find this , i was told by a great gamer.
But, a spoiler for some, were the um um flying fox lift takes the gear wheel you will find a vertical lift that you can jump to the handle that operates it so you can ride up on the counter weight or the tray bit.
just jump from were you enter to the net then jump on a roof then the other net then you will be at your destination and just use that little vertical lift.
all this at the area that the jumps are.
just look up and you will see the handle but you need to jump to get it.

[Kathykins]

I've played through and finished chapter 2 at least 12-15 times. Every time I finished, I made a new save and did it all over again. I loved doing the story and everything, even though I've done it many times before. It was fun and enjoyable. Chapter 3? Not so much. I haven't played Raft since I finished it all in June.

I always play peaceful. Mostly because I don't want to be disrupted by aggressive wildlife. I want to go about my buissiness without disturbance. Being swarmed by instantly respawning bugs was not my idea of fun (or very peaceful). Constantly having to pick up a new Hazmat suit was annoying and tedious. Jumping puzzles are uninteresting and not my cup o' tea. I avoid platformers like the plague.

So for the first time since I started playing Raft, I used a mod for no-clip and flying, so I could avoid all the nonsense and just frickin' finish it. I don't feel like going back to unfinished saves to finish Chapter 3. Once was enough.

The story? I can't remember any Olaf from the first 2 chapters notes. It made no sense to me to change everything that drastically. Mind you, after the first few times, I didn't really read any of the notes, so I might be mistaken.

[Janky Nose Hair Guy]

The developers made some evil platform stuff but the real route requires a little exploration and thought. Evil bastards. You can do it the hard way, I mean I did it but after I fell and walking into the shortcut/proper way I went "Well F%$^!!!"

Sadistic developers. Probably as revenge for all the complaining everyone did on the forums about the game not being finished.

[swordsister]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/648800/discussions/0/3408677083956360046/

Check the pinned reply. the guy posts how to skip the platforming bit.

[jessitap]

Originally posted by Kathykins:

The story? I can't remember any Olaf from the first 2 chapters notes. It made no sense to me to change everything that drastically. Mind you, after the first few times, I didn't really read any of the notes, so I might be mistaken.

Olaf was big throughout a lot of the notes in different locations. Especially parts 2, 4, and 5.

I found the story tied nicely together. My favourite notes were from part 7 for sure. If you're playing again, I definitely would recommend reading the notes. At least to me, it feels worth it in the end. But in the beginning, it does feel kind of random as different characters are being introduced in each location.

I didn't really like the ending, though. It kind of felt anti-climatic to me. But that could just be me, I don't know.

[Kathykins]

jessitap, I did go back to previous story locations and picked up new notes and whatnot, when chapter 3 released. I just can't remember Olaf's name at all from the first times I played through it. It is a very familiar name where I come from (we share a lot of the same names as Sweden), so I was sure I'd rememeber it. My ol' brain plays tricks on me all the time, so that might be it :) I just stopped reading notes after the first 3-4 times, because there was nothing new, I've read it all. Might do another game some time, to re-read the new notes.

After the ending, I was left with "was that all?". I think they all could have found a better Utopia.

[Zero]

really? I don't think so.
I think the final island is too short and too easy. I expected it to have a little bit of everything from the previous story islands and longer playtime. But it doesn't. The map is not big, the puzzles are too easy, and the biggest disappointment is the boss fight. There's no mechanics at all, unlike the mama bear/big sharky, you just shoot the doggy in the head until it dies, so boring.

[2ndForm]

Gotta say me and two others finished this tonight, first play through and the locations and puzzles/challenges were one of the biggest highlights for us. Working out the puzzles and how to unlock the location was a real treat, and super rare to see in a game like this which is why it was such a breath of fresh air. I really think the locations broke up survival aspects in such a great way, and conveyed the story wonderfully.

The final area was a bit of a challenge for one of us, who isn't all too great with platforming, but even then it didn't take all that much effort and was very rewarding. While I can see how it could be frustrating, especially if you get unlucky I heartily disagree with the sentiments of the game 'just sticking to the raft'.

After sinking 80 odd hours, gotta say its become one of my favourite games of all time due to it being so unique. I genuinely cant wait to see if they add more content, or better yet make another game as genius as this.

[Kathykins]

The last chapter wouldn't have been so frustrating if they didn't add so MUCH. The jumping we've had to do earlier was like a walk in the park (or completely avoidable, like the toxic pit on Balboa). Its like they took every puzzle they could imagine and tossed it in there. Everything you had to do in three locations were puzzles. Nothing felt straightforward. I've had 650 hours of chill game, then BAM ! Puzzle and platforming galore!

Just my opinion and how I feel about it. I don't like games where I need fast reflexes, or I have limited time. I struggle with coordination because of physical issues, and I can't consentrate if things get too "complex". The moving stuff around to different lifts was not fun, and I had to "skip" it. I don't feel like watching YouTube videos over and over either, because I can't remember what they did 5 minutes after watching them. I also haven't HAD to do that the first two chapters.

[Julies LP]

I haven't gotten that far yet, but I can't wait. I just finished the 5th POI and it took me a little to figure it out. :) I'm not sure how much farther till the end. So, how many POIs are in raft?

[Anonymous Helper]

Originally posted by Julies LP:

I haven't gotten that far yet, but I can't wait. I just finished the 5th POI and it took me a little to figure it out. :) I'm not sure how much farther till the end. So, how many POIs are in raft?

There are 8 story islands/locations in the game so you still have 3 more to go to reach the end.

[THE WARRIOR]

You don't have to jump through all fans. There's drum with lever. Just use it. You can pull lever by jumping.