Hello, I tried AVWW recently after reading some information on it - I wanted to share some of my initial criticisms with you guys. It's ok if you don't agree with them, but please give them a deep thought. Arcen, please don't take offense at the criticisms, you guys are awesome!
1. Jumping seems a little
too high. I was pleasantly surprised at how fluid the animations were upon starting a new world. It really is one thing to look at the screenshots and another to actually play the game. However that immersion was soon broken. When I pressed the jump button, my character amazingly jumped up from the bottom of my screen to the top of my monitor - I think that's a little too excessive. Especially from a game that tries to utilize near-realistic imagery. I mean I don't think even Mario could jump that high and he was a cartoon character.
I don't think I've seen any game character jump that high, in fact.
I understand that it could be due to gameplay issues, but I honestly think a compromise can be made - we are in beta after all. If we change that early in the dev cycle, there won't be much changing in the dependent gameplay elements. I don't think gameplay would suffer drastically if it was made to complement the change. Perhaps it's just me, but I really would like it if AVWW controlled near similarly to our classic 2d favorites - or at least not cringe-inducing in the art department...so much so that it hampers immersion.
2. Zoom level seems a little too close. I really would like to see more of the level. Compared to the size of the character, I feel a bit cramped up even in open areas. On top of that, looking that closely into generated textures isn't all that interesting. High view distance would help us see the world more naturally - a common element present in many open-world, sand-box games. But, of course, this is a platform game so I don't expect the view distance of five miles. Nonetheless, for even a platform game, the zoom level seems a bit too close. I think connecting with the environment is a key factor in these types of games. I would prefer to see a bit further than the current distance worth of one classroom length. This issue also contributes to the jump issue mentioned above by making the monstrous jump that much in-your-face.
I think I wanted the game to represent as closely to our platform favorites while still retaining its core characteristic charms. I realize this is very difficult to do. I just hope that this game turns out beautiful - both in gameplay and in the art-department when it's released. Those criticisms seemed like the most pressing concerns impeding upon this.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would appreciate your thoughts!
