This is one thing making me hesitant. I do wish there were other control options. Personally think if you aren’t going to use dedicated buttons or a stick, tap to move is a better option than swipe. I’ve seen some games use swipe effectively with combat but not movement.
And is it just me or do enemies have an unfair advantage cause they can shoot through and move through areas I can’t?
Really surprised with the comments about the controls. I mean, I do get that everyone's entitled to their opinions, but for a portrait, one handed game, you really can't get more intuitive than this. Any alternative controls (if added) would simply need a second hand on your device. *shrugs*
I honestly don’t mind the need for a second hand on a device. Never really understood why people cared so much for single handed games. Portrait is great just for when your on a subway or elsewhere to not be so noticeable playing a game. But why do they have to be single handed? What do you absolutely need another hand for? You shouldn’t be driving. Most people use two hands to type a text or search the Internet right? Control options are always good. This isn’t an idle clicker. *shrugs*
Well, for me at least, playing with 2 hands while in portrait absolutely kills my hands over time. That probably explains why I could never be assed to finish Downwell (that and the fact that even on a XS, I feel the controls are too close to each other). With all due respect dude, just try the game out. The controls are flawless.
I wish this game had an unlock or a demo TBH. I can’t buy every game that comes out and when I’m skeptical of controls that pushes me away knowing there are 10 other games I still want. $5 may not seem like a lot to people (and it really isn’t much) but it adds up. Heck, I just found out I’m going to owe money in taxes for the first time in years. So I’ll probably sit this one out for now and keep it on my radar.
Nah, makes sense. If it makes a difference to anyone concerned about the controls, yes...it's technically swiping, but think of it more as flicking an invisible joystick anywhere you put your finger on screen. You literally keep your thumb/finger in one position.
I always find it interesting when a game comes out with really well thought out and unique controls, really the defining feature of this game, and people complain about wanting virtual buttons. There are literally hundreds of those types of games out there already, why ruin the unique thing in the one that tried something different. Reminds me of when people complained about wanting a virtual control stick in Tilt to Live.
I don’t think anyone here wants to “ruin” this game. It just costs money to try things and when several people whose options you trust said they didn’t like the controls, well, like you said, there are plenty of other games out there. I may try it someday.
I don’t have any issues with the controls, but can understand why people want options. My biggest issue currently is I can’t see my health... is anyone else having this issue? On an iPhone XR
Sorry to hear that, there's a fast follow update coming with fixes for that and a few other things. I had a fairly large sample size in the beta, but certain iPhone x models weren't present. The slight change in screen resolution makes the game read your device as a regular smartphone without the notch.
Maybe ruin isn't the right word, but I don't get why anyone would want to remove what is unique and different about the game. Like adding a control stick to Tilt to Live, it would make it an entirely different game. If you never had Indian food before it would be kind of silly to go into an Indian restaurant and tell them you aren't going to buy anything from them because there's a chance you might not like it, BUT, you DO like hamburgers so if they stop making the food that they are literally defined by and would put a hamburger on the menu then MAYBE you'd consider eating there. It would just be easier to play it safe and eat at a hamburger joint, no? Anyway, there's no harm in kicking back and seeing what others who try it have to say, or waiting for a price you're more comfortable with taking a chance on in the future.
I agree that the controls are perfect one-hand controls. The flick controls make it different. It brings in timing & special movement. If it had controls like Dragalia for example it would lose unique gameplay in my opinion. Now, other schemes may be wise to get more downloads but I highly recommend this game just as it is.
I have to agree I wish there was a trial option. $5 didn’t used to be too much to waste on a game but after being persuaded to buy so many bad games by overzealous positive TA reviews I’m done doing that. Boardumb your analogys are nonsensical and irrelevant. Just the fact that there are so many saying there should at least be an option gives me pause. And to the developer this is a teaching moment - more options are never a bad thing.
Just an update: tutorial bug fix is live. The healthbar fix for some of those iPhone XR users should go live tomorrow. As for questions about leaving or closing the game- your run will save your era and current progress if you leave the app. The only time the run will start over is if you leave the app while your character is dead. That's just to prevent users from exploiting the system. The game's no fun if you can cheat death.
I have to agree the control is perfect for this game, since you have to keep switching direction to dodge enemy’s attack and cancel the cooldown after your light attack combo. The moving system is not like normal games that you can keep moving in one direction, but every time you drag the screen, your character move for a while. The only problem for me is people may felt not well for their thumb after playing for a long time, maybe the developer could give an alternative control option to move the character when you drag and hold the screen?
Limiting user choice and options is actually a huge a part of game+product design. I get your point though, and game dev is ultimately just one long series of teachable moments. Now that the game is running I have some time to add quality of life improvements. I'm looking into adding some sliders to adjust the sensitivity and behavior of the touch controls, but I'm not looking into adding a completely alternate scheme. This game's fast combat is built around the swift movement made possible through gesture controls. I've built a few alternate schemes since then and during the beta. They have their pros and cons but ultimately change the way the game feels and push it in a direction that I'm not crazy about. If that kind of system doesn't sound appealing or too much of a risk to try out, I totally get it. That's why I've put the game's gesture controls out front and center. If you do try it though, I'd be more than happy to hear your feedback (positive or negative) and try to improve on the game's core concept.
