Backlog Conquering - Teslagrad On PS4 - Part 4 - Continued Platforming Frustrations

This is part 4 of playing the #PlayStation4 version of Teslagrad, from developers Rain AS, as part of Backlog Conquering. 

In the 3 parts i've recorded so far, what i've enjoyed the most was learning about the world and trying to understand the story. sometimes the game told it's story via theatre productions, other times it was like looking at cave paintings. Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to be the main focus of the game. in Teslagrad, the puzzle platforming seems to be the focus and it's this that i've enjoyed the least. 

Across the previous 3 parts and this video, i've often felt that the puzzles are doable but the platforming itself isn't good enough for what the game is often requiring you to do. It feels like a control issue as it's hard to replicate things when they happen as planned but also difficult to replicate things when they don't work as expected. this makes learning the puzzles really difficult as it's hard to know what works, what doesn't work, and why. so in all 4 videos there are moments when i'm stuck trying to do something basic because i can't work out what's going wrong or what's going right.

It's a shame that this game is let down by it's controls. some of the level design has come across as filler whilst other aspects are poorly telegraphed, if they are at all. These are minor in comparison to the control issues, but all together they've sapped away my enjoyment from playing the game to the point where it feels like i'm playing more out of stubbornness than actual enjoyment of Teslagrad.

At the moment, i'm undecided about continuing. i may check to see how far i am, and if i'm close to the end i may give it a go. but if the end isn't near, it's possible this part, Part 4, will be my final video playing Teslagrad.

Backlog Conquering - Teslagrad On PS4 - Part 3 - Frustrated By Puzzle Platforming

This is part 3 of playing the PlayStation4 version of Teslagrad, from developers Rain AS, as part of Backlog Conquering. 

In Part 2, https://youtu.be/IeRdNjMTaLU, I battled through some tough puzzle platforming and got a new power up. i had hoped that this would open up the game and perhaps bring a change to the puzzle platforming. It didn't really change anything and just added a new element to the puzzle part.

I was already finding it difficult but what made Part 2 feel good to play was that i got a couple of important pieces of story and some good world building. it felt like there was a payoff for it. But in this video, it's one frustrating section after another with no payoff at the end. There's no environmental story telling to help out, no smart Ai seeing that i'm in trouble and adjusting things. This game is very much leaving it to me to figure out.

I don't mind that concept and there were times i was genuinely happy i solved the puzzle. But when platforming is involved, the controls had better be good and in all 3 parts of playing Teslagrad so far, the platforming controls haven't matched the platforming they've been tasked to do. In this part, the level design also got in the way of the platforming more than once. Our character is able to look up and down, but not far to the right or left. so at the start we're faced with a blind jump to the left because we can't see what's on the other side. nearer the end of the video there's a section i get stuck on because i couldn't tell that what looked like a section fenced off is actually a fenced off section i can move behind when i use a move.

At the moment, i'm in two minds about doing a part 4.

Backlog Conquering - Teslagrad On PS4 - Part 2 - Hard Platforming And A Bird Pooping Bird Bombs

This is part 2 of playing the PlayStation 4 version of Teslagrad, from developers Rain AS, as part of Backlog Conquering. Part 1, https://youtu.be/0VcP1mdl1rs, got a little rough towards the end as i was seemingly stuck in a loop.

So in this Part 2 my first goal was to head back to the start. this was the right move as along the way i found where i needed to go next. This meant the first half of Part 2 went really well. there were some tricky platforming that required several deaths to pass, but what was a first for this game was that it took time to try and tell a story. there were special, almost, theatre rooms where on stage we're shown 2 parts of the story of Teslagrad. it's the kind of world building that had been missed so far. the only story we had was right at the beginning of Part 1. since then, we've only seen pictures but with no context.

The Boss battle of this part was weird but in a good way. Part 1 had a boss, too, and it felt the same. both were difficult, both required a little strategy, but in a way both felt easier to beat than some of the platforming sections. I hope this continues, but i fear things may get more difficult. The weird part of this battle was that the "bird" we were fighting would poop out smaller flightless birds that would explode. this required careful management as they would destroy the stage.

The final part is getting a new power-up. even in Part 1, it was clear that we didn't have all the abilities we needed to continue. the pictures on the walls teased others who had the same arm as us but who were also wearing different clothes. Well, we got it and it immediately opened up the game and tho i didn't try it in this video, i could think of sections of the game where i could use it.

I ended this part at the start of a new section, a section that looked like it uses our new ability but also requires hard platforming. I'll tackle that in part 3.

Backlog Conquering - Teslagrad On PS4 - A Beautiful World That Fails To Tell It’s Story

This is part 1 of playing the PlayStation 4 version of Teslagrad, from developers Rain AS, as part of Backlog Conquering. From looking at my Trophies, after i finished this video, it looks like i played the game a little back in 2015 probably on PS Vita. But as you'll see in this video, i clearly had no memories of it. But it could explain why i maybe didn't get some trophies.

The game starts by showing us the story rather than telling us. For the most part it works, but it cuts straight to gameplay without even explaining what the jump button is. I've played enough games to know what to do, but it's surprisingly unwelcoming to new players. Visually, i really like the art style and the presentation and i was able to look at the world and understand what i needed to do.

This first section makes it clear where you need to go. The woman points you to the right, you're chased to the right, and it all feels natural. i'm going where the game wants me to go but it feels like a natural way to do it. After that tho, it really did feel like i was on my own. And it's the biggest complaint i had throughout playing this part. Once the game let me go, it all felt aimless. not once did the game tell me where the map screen was, and when i found it, it was next to useless. 

Some games are built around you exploring and discovering the world. But they also excel at the story being told this way. Teslagrad may be set in a nice looking world with strange creatures and technology, but it's failing to tell that story with gameplay alone. I don't know what's happening but worse than that is i don't know where to go. once again, the game fails in driving the player to the next goal. 

But it is early on in the game. it's possible that the pacing, story telling, and player direction will improve once i get to a next section or new area. So there will be a part 2. But if it continues to frustrate, i don't know if i'll do more than 2 parts.