MathieuG89
Member
I have invested 5 hours already into Exanima and here are my thoughts and comments about it:
I bought Exanima semi-expecting it to be a typical dungeon crawler and I was disapointed and very frutrated at first. I've had my ass handled a few dozen time when I started playing, I couldn't engage a single enemy without my character being severly wounded and killed. Then I tried the arena mode where I couldn't even get past the first adversary. I didn't know what to do, it pissed me off and I'll admit that I rage quitted a few time.
Then it struck me that button smashing wouldn't get me far in that game. I had to learn how to stand on my feet, block, parry and counter attack. I tried arena mode again, this time focusing on dodging out of the way and blocking attacks only. When I got the hang of sidestepping around and blocking I moved on onto the next step. I learnt to be patient and to wait for my adversary to strike first and then counter attack to inflict damage. After just a few tries I surprisingly made it to the 4th adversary.
I thought my skills where now good enough to try the game again and never had I been so wrong. There's only so much you can learn in the arena. The arena had taught me how to fight in a large empty and well lit room. Now, I had to fight in dark cramped spaces and narrow corridors full of wrecks and debris. My character kept falling down, getting himself and his weapon stuck and getting cornered and ganged up on at every fight. After a while my skills improved until I did no longer have that much of a hard time.
Exanima is good, it's a decent dungeon crawler and with time it'll probably turn into a great game. I understand it isn't targeted to the casual mass but more toward the hardcore crowd, the learning curve is pretty steep and there is no place for mistakes. The lack of save points and permanent death is very frustrating. I think the developers would have so much more to gain if they made the experience a tad easier in the begining and progressively harder as you progress.
I bought Exanima semi-expecting it to be a typical dungeon crawler and I was disapointed and very frutrated at first. I've had my ass handled a few dozen time when I started playing, I couldn't engage a single enemy without my character being severly wounded and killed. Then I tried the arena mode where I couldn't even get past the first adversary. I didn't know what to do, it pissed me off and I'll admit that I rage quitted a few time.
Then it struck me that button smashing wouldn't get me far in that game. I had to learn how to stand on my feet, block, parry and counter attack. I tried arena mode again, this time focusing on dodging out of the way and blocking attacks only. When I got the hang of sidestepping around and blocking I moved on onto the next step. I learnt to be patient and to wait for my adversary to strike first and then counter attack to inflict damage. After just a few tries I surprisingly made it to the 4th adversary.
I thought my skills where now good enough to try the game again and never had I been so wrong. There's only so much you can learn in the arena. The arena had taught me how to fight in a large empty and well lit room. Now, I had to fight in dark cramped spaces and narrow corridors full of wrecks and debris. My character kept falling down, getting himself and his weapon stuck and getting cornered and ganged up on at every fight. After a while my skills improved until I did no longer have that much of a hard time.
Exanima is good, it's a decent dungeon crawler and with time it'll probably turn into a great game. I understand it isn't targeted to the casual mass but more toward the hardcore crowd, the learning curve is pretty steep and there is no place for mistakes. The lack of save points and permanent death is very frustrating. I think the developers would have so much more to gain if they made the experience a tad easier in the begining and progressively harder as you progress.
