@NEStalgia hey there! Kind of late to the party here, but we did indeed implement a bunch of changes that greatly improved the experience but were too late for this review. 🙏🏻
My position basically is the controls aren’t convoluted, the problem is, it’s a lot to absorb. The day 1 (well, week 1 lol) patch included a full control diagram, as well as a lot of other tweaks and improvements, which really improved the experience for newcomers. The problem being, we just couldn’t get everything approved in time for launch.
The problem with tilt controls for a motorcycle is it would require holding your hands in a static stationary position for a long period of time which quickly leads to fatigue. It’s also difficult to give controls any nuance when you have to worry about broad motions for input. lastly, tilting to steer also doesn’t really suit as actual motorcycle riders. Keep their heads level, one steering the bike and actually steer with their bodies (which, unfortunately, is not something possible with the current implementation of HMD based VR).
@CWill97 hey there! As I mentioned in my reply - we implemented a great deal of changes the first week of launch which were not available to the reviewer here unfortunately. The challenge is no longer frustratingly difficult for most, and we added additional modes (including social screen co-op) that should make the whole thing more accessible
Popping in to firstly thank Sammy for covering the game — one caveat I did want to mention is the review unfortunately did not include a significant number of changes that were present in the day 1 patch (because said patch was 5 days late due to the chaos of launch and the idiosyncrasies of Ps5 cert). We did reach out to all the reviewers that had media codes, however our email was sent the morning this review was posted and it’s the only one that slipped through the cracks, so to speak. This is entirely our fault (we don’t crunch and we incorrectly assumed we would get it out in time, but failed to do so because we became aware of a last minute audio bug we had to fix). That is entirely on us, which sucks because the game didn’t make the first impression we wanted it to.
The patch included fixes, not only for the main issues the reviewers here had (simplified difficulty, faster reloading which massively improved ease of play, improved boss encounters, fixed enemy spawning which made the levels go on longer than they were supposed to, etc) it also included a major feature not covered which was the social screen co-op mode, as well as a full database of enemy types, boss hints, and a control diagram that is accessible at any time so players don’t have to master a complex control system at first go.
The last thing we want folks to do is write off the game based on something it isn’t. I don’t consider 5 a ‘bad’ score, but nobody is happy about just being average either! The game is meant to be challenging and NOT frustrating, and I believe with the day 1 update it made huge strides in that direction.
I’m working on more updates down the road that I hope will warrant additional coverage so folks will have a chance to experience the game - it’s honestly a labor of love for both Anime and arcade games of the era. Thanks again!
Comments 3
Re: Mini Review: RUNNER (PSVR2) - Akira Inspired Arcade Shooter Will Put You Through the Wringer
@NEStalgia hey there! Kind of late to the party here, but we did indeed implement a bunch of changes that greatly improved the experience but were too late for this review. 🙏🏻
My position basically is the controls aren’t convoluted, the problem is, it’s a lot to absorb. The day 1 (well, week 1 lol) patch included a full control diagram, as well as a lot of other tweaks and improvements, which really improved the experience for newcomers. The problem being, we just couldn’t get everything approved in time for launch.
The problem with tilt controls for a motorcycle is it would require holding your hands in a static stationary position for a long period of time which quickly leads to fatigue. It’s also difficult to give controls any nuance when you have to worry about broad motions for input. lastly, tilting to steer also doesn’t really suit as actual motorcycle riders. Keep their heads level, one steering the bike and actually steer with their bodies (which, unfortunately, is not something possible with the current implementation of HMD based VR).
Anyway, apologies for the random reply!
Re: Mini Review: RUNNER (PSVR2) - Akira Inspired Arcade Shooter Will Put You Through the Wringer
@CWill97 hey there! As I mentioned in my reply - we implemented a great deal of changes the first week of launch which were not available to the reviewer here unfortunately. The challenge is no longer frustratingly difficult for most, and we added additional modes (including social screen co-op) that should make the whole thing more accessible
Re: Mini Review: RUNNER (PSVR2) - Akira Inspired Arcade Shooter Will Put You Through the Wringer
Hello! Developer here
Popping in to firstly thank Sammy for covering the game — one caveat I did want to mention is the review unfortunately did not include a significant number of changes that were present in the day 1 patch (because said patch was 5 days late due to the chaos of launch and the idiosyncrasies of Ps5 cert). We did reach out to all the reviewers that had media codes, however our email was sent the morning this review was posted and it’s the only one that slipped through the cracks, so to speak. This is entirely our fault (we don’t crunch and we incorrectly assumed we would get it out in time, but failed to do so because we became aware of a last minute audio bug we had to fix). That is entirely on us, which sucks because the game didn’t make the first impression we wanted it to.
The patch included fixes, not only for the main issues the reviewers here had (simplified difficulty, faster reloading which massively improved ease of play, improved boss encounters, fixed enemy spawning which made the levels go on longer than they were supposed to, etc) it also included a major feature not covered which was the social screen co-op mode, as well as a full database of enemy types, boss hints, and a control diagram that is accessible at any time so players don’t have to master a complex control system at first go.
The last thing we want folks to do is write off the game based on something it isn’t. I don’t consider 5 a ‘bad’ score, but nobody is happy about just being average either! The game is meant to be challenging and NOT frustrating, and I believe with the day 1 update it made huge strides in that direction.
I’m working on more updates down the road that I hope will warrant additional coverage so folks will have a chance to experience the game - it’s honestly a labor of love for both Anime and arcade games of the era. Thanks again!