My Final Thoughts On Rotwood

[Cap0319]

TLDR; Overall this game could use more Bananas. A banana outfit would be a perfect addition to this game!

 

I'm firstly going to quickly talk about the things I like and issues I have with them, then go over each weapon at the end as well as any changes I would make to said weapons or weapon skills

Art and Music:

Not too much to say here, the art and music in this game is great, nothing ever felt out of place and everything looks and sounds amazing. Overall I think the art and sound team did an amazing job! I cannot wait to see what else they have made in the full release!

 

Combat / Perks / Potions:

The combat was really fun. No enemies ever made me feel like it was overly unfair when I got hit or died (except Eyevees they can go burn) and each weapon felt really good to use and learn. The damage enemies deal feel like they are in a good spot, they deal enough damage to be concerning but not enough to feel too strong which is good. The bosses we fought in the beta also felt very fun and their attacks don't feel out of place. I was slightly sad to see Bandikoot nerfed but that's just me. Frenzy levels are a good idea however I hope that some levels are revisited and changed as some have very small (if any) impact.

Perks can range from slightly impactful to completely changing how you approach a situation which is good. I also like how perks and skills (or other perks) can synergies with each other as it helps make each perk feel more impactful in a run. I hope that some perks do get some changes such as Retaliation and RFury as I don't think the combo should be as potent against bosses.

I like that potions don't heal you to full (without a perk), it makes the choice of going for a potion room or perk upgrade more impactful. Some people think that potions should have healed more during this beta but I disagree. Having the potions heal a low amount is good because without the low numbers, players could just tank hits and button mash their way to victory knowing that they have a full heal whenever they need it.

 

Gems and Food:

The gem system on weapons seems like a very promising idea. I know in the full release Klei plans to make gems more than just stat increases. I look forward to seeing how much of an impact gems can have in the full game.

The food system in the game seems fine. As we get closer to launch foods will be buffed and nerfed as needed, I also hope food will be more than just stat increases. I hope that in the full release we can make as much food as we want instead of only being able to make 3 of each type at a time. Or at the very least give us a notification that we ran out of food. 

 

Weapons / Weapon Skills:

Lastly I'm going to talk about each weapon. I am going to try and ignore any game breaking bugs for each weapon (such as the striker balls going out of bounds) for the sake of keeping this shorter as this is quite long:

Spoiler

• Hammer

My least used weapon and one I wish I would have used more. Because this is my least used weapon I wont be talking about it in much depth. At first I really disliked the hammer as I really didn't like the feel of the weapon when compared to the other three. However after being forced to use the hammer in multiple runs I found myself enjoying the weapon quite a lot. The combos feel really good to use and the damage is pretty solid as well. When compared to other weapons however I find them much more enjoyable as the skill ceiling is much higher. Overall no complaints.

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• Spear

What I (and many others) considered the best weapon in the beta. The damage this weapon can deal is crazy high while also allowing the user to stay at a semi-safe range. The spear also has the drill rush to not only help clear out large swarms but also minimize downtime by allowing the user to do fast damage while repositioning. The spear exclusive skills also complement the weapon really well allowing the user to create distance with their target making it easier to land that sweet spot. In the hands of a confident player the spear has no downsides. 

One change I would make to the spear:

•  Make the 'sweet spot' area on spears only affect 1 target per stab

Currently a player and do a heavy attack into a group of rots and get huge focus damage on all enemies. I think the spear should be a strong single target weapon which falls off against crowds. Removing the spears ability to focus hit multiple enemies at once would encourage the user to pick priority targets to focus down with the spear instead of running them into a big clump and doing one heavy jab.

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• Cannon

A really fun weapon with a very unique playstyle. This weapon changes how they player would approach many situations thanks to how it functions. Having to manage ammo while also keeping track of enemies makes for fun gameplay. The amount of close calls you will have (such as reloading while an Elite Bonion is about to charge your way) is one reason why I think I enjoy it so much. Changing how they player dodges also feels incredibly well implemented, needing ammo in order to dodge is a really good mechanic and  (while it has definitely gotten me killed a bunch) never feels unfair to the player. The damage on the weapon can range from average to crazy high depending on the situation and how the player chooses to use it which I think is great. The perfect timing mechanic while trying to reload / mortar shot is also a good mechanic no complaints there. Overall the cannon rewards good and smart players while also being one of the most fun weapons in the beta.

 

One change I would make to the Cannon:

• Make quick rise not consume ammo and/or disable the ability to quick rise while out of ammo.

Currently when you quick rise with the cannon it consumes one ammo. However if the player is out of ammo you can still quick rise. This inconsistency bothers me. I personally don't think it would be a big deal if the player could quick rise without ammo seeing as how you already cannot dodge without ammo but at the minimum I would like to see this interaction made consistent.  

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• Striker

My personal favorite out of this whole beta. Despite many players not liking its gameplay I found myself instantly hooked once I got my hands on it. The striker can go from a pretty decent weapon to an absolute wrecking ball when used properly. Juggling both strikers between different enemies feels super clean and the slight knockback and stun the strikers have feel like just enough to be impactful but not game breaking. Giving enemies and environmental hazards (such as bombs) the ability to hit your strikers is a great addition to this weapon as it helps make the strikers feel more like an actual ball and not just a weapon. Overall the striker is (at least for me) the most fun I've had in this beta and I cannot wait to see what they can do in the full release and in multiplayer. I do however have a few issues with the striker, mostly revolving around the strikers recall skills.

 

One change I would like to make to the Striker:

• Allow the player to drop strikers directly in front of them

Many times I find myself wishing I could just leave a striker on the ground for later without needing to throw it first. This would mainly be useful for the Strikers recall skills as a player could leave a ball to then recall later allowing for more strategic plays with the striker.

 

Some changes I would make to the Striker Skills:

• Allow movement while using the lobbed and horizontal recall

While using the striker they player is constantly moving whether it be to hit balls back at enemies are collect balls. The striker recall abilities have huge potential has it can make inactive balls active again without the player needing to run and hit the ball first. However needing to stand still in order to recall the strikers feels really clunky when every other part of the strikers gameplay feels fast. I think allowing the player to move while recalling the strikers wouldn't be to crazy. 

 

• Have the Striker Lunge target the striker closest to the cursor 

This wouldn't be too fair to the players who use controllers but having some sort of way to chose which striker the striker lunge skill targets would be an amazing change. Many times I wished to dash to a far away striker but the game decides to dash into a wall instead. The striker lunge skill is very fun to play with but without the ability to choose which striker you lunge to really hurts. This simple change could go a long way into making the skill more fun to use.

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• Banana

Banana

 

Banana:

• Banana

Banana

 

I think this covers most of my thoughts, if I missed anything assume I like it unless I say otherwise. I encourage you all to give your thoughts as well, lets help Klei make this game the best it can be! I hope to see you all in the full release (or the next beta if another one happens)!

[RealPanda]

1 hour ago, Cap0319 said:

No enemies ever made me feel like it was overly unfair when I got hit or died (except Eyevees they can go burn)

Very relatable, what's worse is that they have the audacity to taunt at you after they successful do their spinning attack that come toward you at high speed. Really makes make want to pulverize them with nothing left behind of them. Congratulations klei, you've made a very hateable enemy lmao.

[Zima Blue]

On 6/28/2023 at 6:00 PM, Cap0319 said:

No enemies ever made me feel like it was overly unfair when I got hit or died (except Eyevees they can go burn)

Omg yes!!! Eyevees are the bane of my existance, I never reached Bandikoot because they always killed me  I'm glad I'm not the only Eyevee hater lol