Quick Impulsive Videogame Gripe...

[seawasp]

... Getting it out of my system.

I've always been a fan of the Wild Arms series. I've gotten WA 1, 2, 3, and the revamped original "Wild Arms Alter Code F". All of them have been fun. Wild Arms 4, despite some rather jarring modifications, looked to be good too...

... but it has now committed one of the absolute cardinal sins of RPG games: putting in "puzzles" that rely, not on cleverness, but on fast fast reflexes to solve. There were some timing-related puzzles in the prior ones, but all of them were solvable by recognizing that there was a "trick" to doing it. I'm not 18 years old any more. I don't react as fast as I used to, and I do not appreciate having to try to hit a button and hope I can both time and react properly so as to then hop, hop, hop up a bunch of temporarily-extended platforms which are out JUST long enough to reach the top IF -- and ONLY if -- you do everything EXACTLY right and waste not even a single second.

If such games had a "Frustrated" command, so that by hitting it the character would just make his way automatically through the puzzle, that would be fine; I'd be able to try it, but if I got to the point it was no longer fun, I could move on. They don't, however, which means I'm probably never getting past about, um, hour 10 or so, which is still very early in the game. (I've fought exactly one significant boss from the first main adversary group).

EDIT *FACEPALM* As LMekko points out, I can probably easily get by it using the time-stretching Accelerator option. I just forget about that one so easily.

The basic point still stands -- I really think games that include puzzles but are not, in their essence, puzzle games should have a built-in, simply activated "go around".

Comments

[sub-musashi.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean - that's one of the reasons I just can't get into even low-skill games like Warcraft. I don't play RPGs to see how fast I can click a mouse button.

[baronger.livejournal.com]

Why I like the strategy games better that don't rely on reflexes that I don't have. I can do semi-ok with semi-reflex rpg's, however anything with multiple split second obstacles will defeat me every time.

Also anything that has sound/music puzzles since I am tone deaf.

[rugor.livejournal.com]

I won't play those either, the fun comes from figuring out what you have to do, not doing something simple very very quickly.

[amberdine.livejournal.com]

YES.

Despite growing up across the street from a video arcade, I cannot play games that require much coordination.

I think your idea of a "Frustrated" skip-option is brilliant. Of course, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that...

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

I've seen some RPGs put in the "twitch" stuff as optional mini-games -- you can play them if you like, and maybe get some nice stuff if you do well, but you don't have to play them to complete the game.

Another option I've seen is that you go through a twitch sequence, and if you do well at it the following tactical sequence is easier -- you face fewer enemies, or something. But if you completely blow the twitch sequence, you can still move on -- it just takes more tactical skill.

[meril.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the warning. I have the dual issue of small hands and bad wrists, and timing games give me trouble (even the Katamari Damacy games, which I love, but have to keep playing and playing and playing...)

How about those card-playing minigames from Suikoden? There's a card game in III that must be won to get one of the 108 Stars, and startredder and me spent a lot of time complaining about it because neither of us were very good at it ;)

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Amen! Even with games like Madden 2003 I play in modes where I don't have to rely on my reaction time and dexterity.

Which is why I play lotsof Nethack. No speedy reactions needed, just good sense and planning.

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

Oh, and you can always try casting about the vicinity to see if you can find a thirteen-year-old platform gamer anywhere; if you can, hand them the controller and say, "Here, get through this part." Then give them, I dunno, fifty gold stars or whatever it is that platform gamers want.

[lmekko.livejournal.com]

Have you tried using the accelerator? Not to sound full of myself, but I found most of the timing puzzles kind of tough without the accelerator, but easy with it. As a second side note, if you haven't gotten to the fan section yet, you don't know the pain of stupidly designed puzzles yet... *sigh*

D'OH!

[seawasp]

As you see by the edit, I had completely forgotten about that. I'll bet I'll get through it in one shot if I try it again tonight.

[ninjarat.livejournal.com]

The Wild ARMs games have all been vaguely action RPGs (ARPGs) given the tool use but they've all been simple puzzles rather than twitch games. It's a shame that/if WA4 is too Zelda-like.

[davidcook.livejournal.com]

System Shock had a few mini-games in it (switch-bypassing, cyberspace), and a separate difficulty slider for the puzzles, so you could easily get through them if they weren't your thing.

FROM A SENIOR LADY GAMER

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