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Post by Nester the Lark on Jul 25, 2020 9:12:27 GMT -5
Long game title is long.  So, yeah, it seems to me like this game should be more popular than it is, being that it's heavily Zelda-themed. While it does function as a sequel to Crypt of the NecroDancer, it really does feel more like a straight-up Zelda game, just with NecroDancer gameplay. It's also far more forgiving (and thus, more accessible) than NecroDancer. Maybe people are put off by the rhythm aspect, but that can actually be disabled, making the game play like a traditional roguelike. The randomly generated overworld still has some structure to it, being divided into themed areas, and some parts (eg. Kakariko Village or Lake Hylia) have the same layout every time. Only the dungeons feel truly random. I realize it still might not be for everyone, but at the very least, there is a free demo, so people can try it out to see if it's something they might like. |
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Post by nocturnal YL on Aug 24, 2020 15:15:21 GMT -5
I wrote a little bit of my impression on Twitter about the demo version.I didn't really have any reason to try this game (or not to) before. You may have noticed that my entire Switch library is made of physical games. Now there is a physical version coming, but my queue of unfinished games is also way too long. I decided to give it a try anyway, partly to return favour of you expressing interest in trying games I play*, and partly because I wanted to try out other types of rhythm games. * I hope this doesn't come out wrong; I'm not asking that you do the same in the future. It's just that normally, I don't play demos. I used to get DS demos via Wii's Nintendo Channel, but not since the 3DS (which only allows 30 plays per demo).
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Post by Nester the Lark on Aug 24, 2020 15:59:25 GMT -5
Glad you tried it out. To be honest, this is something I still struggle with in these game, but I did get better at it over time. Learning how to deal with enemy patterns is key, but it gets tricky when there are many of them at once. It's important to understand that the player's actions are prioritized, so enemy movements always happen *after* yours, even if it looks simultaneous. As I mentioned before, you can turn off the rhythm aspect and play it completely like a turn-based roguelike. I don't know if that option is in the demo, but I think it's called "Fixed beat mode," and can only be accessed from the options menu from within gameplay. A typical playthrough for me is about 4-5 hours. The game is intended to be replayable due to the procedurally generated maps, so it doesn't need to be like a full-length Zelda game. I guess you'll just have to go for a permadeath run, then.  It's actually not as bad as it sounds. That hardest part is actually just getting a run started, but once you've built up hearts, weapons and items, the last half of the game is much easier. I decided to give it a try anyway, partly to return favour of you expressing interest in trying games I play*, and partly because I wanted to try out other types of rhythm games. * I hope this doesn't come out wrong; I'm not asking that you do the same in the future. It's just that normally, I don't play demos. I used to get DS demos via Wii's Nintendo Channel, but not since the 3DS (which only allows 30 plays per demo). No worries! I like that we try to take an interest in each other's games. There are so few of us here on the forum that our regular interests don't necessarily cross over very often, so it's nice when we find middle ground to talk about. |
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Post by nocturnal YL on Aug 26, 2020 11:13:08 GMT -5
As I mentioned before, you can turn off the rhythm aspect and play it completely like a turn-based roguelike. I don't know if that option is in the demo, but I think it's called "Fixed beat mode," and can only be accessed from the options menu from within gameplay. This option is available in the demo. It also says that my score would be marked to say I turned it on if I ever post it to the online leaderboard, though. At any rate, I want to try the original, intended way to play first. The original Crypt of the NecroDancer is also getting a physical version. Now I wonder if that one will get a Japanese release. (I prefer Japanese physical, even for western games. I love some consistency.) |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Aug 27, 2020 8:24:12 GMT -5
The game was just updated with DLC pack 2, which includes 39 alternate music tracks by FamilyJules, A-rival, and Chipzel. If you're familiar with their usual styles, you'll know what to expect. You can also customize which soundtracks play for each character and in the different parts of the game. I haven't heard too much of them yet, but I like what I've heard so far. This option is available in the demo. It also says that my score would be marked to say I turned it on if I ever post it to the online leaderboard, though. At any rate, I want to try the original, intended way to play first. The original Crypt of the NecroDancer is also getting a physical version. Now I wonder if that one will get a Japanese release. (I prefer Japanese physical, even for western games. I love some consistency.) 1) I wouldn't worry about the online leaderboards. Speedrunners ruined them as soon as the game came out. 2) If you think Cadence of Hyrule is challenging, I think the original Crypt of the NecroDancer is significantly harder. Maybe it's just because I played it first, and I was more used to the mechanics by the time I played Cadence of Hyrule, but it does have some extra gameplay winkles, like each level having a time limit. The difficulty was tuned more for short gaming sessions. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Sept 9, 2020 20:03:13 GMT -5
I finished a daily challenge for the first time. A daily challenge is exactly what it sounds like. Everyone plays the same game mode with the same character using the same RNG seed. Permadeath is on, so if you die, it's over.
I was one of nine people to finish this daily challenge. (EDIT: I originally typed seven. Don't know why I did that.)
Notice the person in the top spot. Yeah, that's SpootyBiscuit, one of the best NecroDancer players in the world. He has speedrun both Crypt of the NecroDancer and Cadence of Hyrule at Games Done Quick multiple times. I just thought it was funny that he happened to finish the same daily challenge that I did.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Sept 25, 2020 21:53:37 GMT -5
The final DLC pack, Symphony of the Mask, is now available.
I haven't finished it yet, but it's a little more substantial than I expected. It has a bunch of new Zelda enemies added, new rooms and puzzles, new music, and it's a bit harder, as well. The overworld is smaller than the main game (only 6x8), but all the areas are re-skinned. Skull Kid's masks seem to boil down to being different weapons + abilities, but you can change between them on the fly.
I'm wondering if the new enemies and such will also appear in modes with other characters (like maybe in Dungeon Mode). It seems like it'd be a waste if they were only exclusive to Skull Kid.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Sept 27, 2020 18:02:36 GMT -5
A couple of other things I noticed:
There are two new modes: Puzzle Mode and Arena Mode. Both are basically standalone versions of things that are part of Symphony of the Mask, so they can be played with any character.
With Skull Kid being added to All Characters Mode, the characters are arranged in such a way that conspicuously leaves a space for one more character. Hmm...
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Post by Nester the Lark on Jan 28, 2021 10:11:12 GMT -5
With the release of the physical edition last year, I thought that might have signaled the end of support for this game, but they've just released a new update. It's mostly bug fixes and design adjustments, but there are a couple of new features. One is that the number of save states has been expanded from three to six (a welcome addition). They also added a "random" option to the music selection. Crypt of the NecroDancer had this, so I'm glad to see it added to here. A full list of changes can be found here. I wonder if this is an indication that there will still be more updates. |
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It's actually not as bad as it sounds. That hardest part is actually just getting a run started, but once you've built up hearts, weapons and items, the last half of the game is much easier.