Ringing in the new year with some fireworks.
So, the reason I was even able to see this game all the way through to the end is its “Rising” mode, one that lets you upgrade your character over time- and I’m really torn on it. On the one hand, I think it’s a great way of easing players into a genre that can be notoriously difficult, having them slowly build up some familiarity with the game as they’re unlocking abilities to make it that much easier. On the other, it’s a mode built around a gross framework that wants you to unlock everything in the shop, the kind of Skinnerbox shit that I despise in games. I don’t know if it's a pull that will be that strong for most people, especially for anyone who’s playing the game now, but it sort of speaks to mode’s conflicted priorities: Is it an easy mode? A practice mode? An inelegant attempt to graft some extrinsic motivators onto the arcade mindset that’s really about your personal growth?
An article I was thinking about a lot while playing through this was Durandal’s excellent piece on the value of easy modes, where they discuss how a good easy mode can help bridge the gap for novice players and help them jump into the rest of the game, noting,
By having assists and options aimed at casual players also be framed around the core appeal of the game, it can be more likely to make casual players see that appeal and even try to engage with it at a deeper level. Even if they decide not to, they can at least put in a good word for others by shilling your gameplay on top of the narrative and presentation.
With some retooling I think the Rising mode is almost there; the game puts a big emphasis on your letter grade at the end of each stage and something like having the number of assists you had activated lower your total possible score could’ve been a good way to encourage players to try levels with your Arcade restrictions. As it stands, it's an attempt at accessibility that I appreciate and even for all the flaws in the mode’s implementation, it seems like a genuine effort on the part of the developers to get new players on board, aware of how daunting the game might’ve been otherwise- at the very least it got me onboard. (Though I think the ideal is probably something like the options provided by M2 ShotTriggers ports, where accessibility and practice modes are available from the outset, made with knowledge that those options help both new and experienced players alike.)
Playing through Uprising has also been a nice reminder of why having honest-to-god stages can be so compelling- especially when run and guns seem to be so synonymous with boss rushes- with lots of improvisational moments that naturally come from the amount of enemies flooding the screen. What really pushes it over the edge are the options provided by your context-sensitive actions; while the most obvious application is probably your bullet-reflecting parry, you’re also able to dodge through enemies and obstacles, during which you’re granted a generous number of i-frames, letting you cut through huge portions of the stage if you’re daring enough.
For a title where you’re going to see the first few stages on repeat, it’s the kind of nuance that really helps to keep the game alive, your view of the enemies and stage design slowly transforming with time, going from hazards to opportunities- always a sense that you have at least a few tools at your disposal, even if you’re down to your starting weapon.
Less true of most of the bosses, rigid enough that you could set your watch to them and little to do to but whittle down their health bar if you get knocked off your rhythm, but there are a couple of outliers that are really cool: the boss of stage 2 could best be described as a miniature version of a “The End”-style encounter set in a jungle arena with fruit that you can shoot down for some extra health, and the last phase of the final boss has you fighting it in freefall with destructible platforms you can shoot to get some weapon pick-ups, and so you constantly have to reposition and debate whether you can afford to destroy some to terrain to upgrade your weapon.
You can tell that both fights are edge cases: the former doesn’t seem to have a fixed pattern for its attacks, so you can spend more of time looking for it than actually fighting it, and with the latter, it’s easy to find yourself in a situation where you have nowhere to jump to and end up falling to your death. I imagine that it's the kind of randomness that would be infuriating for anyone going for a no-death clear, but they provide some great “dig in your heels” moments; would’ve loved to see a few more fights like them, as they seem much more suited to a game where its best moments come from its mechanical flexibility.
That’s the heady stuff- it’s also a game where you’ll hit a big enough ramp to stay airborne for the rest of the stage, where the soundtrack is killer, and that contrasts its big dumb action with a bit of introspection in the time in-between levels.
The kind of game I will always show up for.
---
References:
Durandal, "How Can Game Options Help Casual Players See The Core Appeal Of A Game?," Link
So, the reason I was even able to see this game all the way through to the end is its “Rising” mode, one that lets you upgrade your character over time- and I’m really torn on it. On the one hand, I think it’s a great way of easing players into a genre that can be notoriously difficult, having them slowly build up some familiarity with the game as they’re unlocking abilities to make it that much easier. On the other, it’s a mode built around a gross framework that wants you to unlock everything in the shop, the kind of Skinnerbox shit that I despise in games. I don’t know if it's a pull that will be that strong for most people, especially for anyone who’s playing the game now, but it sort of speaks to mode’s conflicted priorities: Is it an easy mode? A practice mode? An inelegant attempt to graft some extrinsic motivators onto the arcade mindset that’s really about your personal growth?
An article I was thinking about a lot while playing through this was Durandal’s excellent piece on the value of easy modes, where they discuss how a good easy mode can help bridge the gap for novice players and help them jump into the rest of the game, noting,
By having assists and options aimed at casual players also be framed around the core appeal of the game, it can be more likely to make casual players see that appeal and even try to engage with it at a deeper level. Even if they decide not to, they can at least put in a good word for others by shilling your gameplay on top of the narrative and presentation.
With some retooling I think the Rising mode is almost there; the game puts a big emphasis on your letter grade at the end of each stage and something like having the number of assists you had activated lower your total possible score could’ve been a good way to encourage players to try levels with your Arcade restrictions. As it stands, it's an attempt at accessibility that I appreciate and even for all the flaws in the mode’s implementation, it seems like a genuine effort on the part of the developers to get new players on board, aware of how daunting the game might’ve been otherwise- at the very least it got me onboard. (Though I think the ideal is probably something like the options provided by M2 ShotTriggers ports, where accessibility and practice modes are available from the outset, made with knowledge that those options help both new and experienced players alike.)
Playing through Uprising has also been a nice reminder of why having honest-to-god stages can be so compelling- especially when run and guns seem to be so synonymous with boss rushes- with lots of improvisational moments that naturally come from the amount of enemies flooding the screen. What really pushes it over the edge are the options provided by your context-sensitive actions; while the most obvious application is probably your bullet-reflecting parry, you’re also able to dodge through enemies and obstacles, during which you’re granted a generous number of i-frames, letting you cut through huge portions of the stage if you’re daring enough.
For a title where you’re going to see the first few stages on repeat, it’s the kind of nuance that really helps to keep the game alive, your view of the enemies and stage design slowly transforming with time, going from hazards to opportunities- always a sense that you have at least a few tools at your disposal, even if you’re down to your starting weapon.
Less true of most of the bosses, rigid enough that you could set your watch to them and little to do to but whittle down their health bar if you get knocked off your rhythm, but there are a couple of outliers that are really cool: the boss of stage 2 could best be described as a miniature version of a “The End”-style encounter set in a jungle arena with fruit that you can shoot down for some extra health, and the last phase of the final boss has you fighting it in freefall with destructible platforms you can shoot to get some weapon pick-ups, and so you constantly have to reposition and debate whether you can afford to destroy some to terrain to upgrade your weapon.
You can tell that both fights are edge cases: the former doesn’t seem to have a fixed pattern for its attacks, so you can spend more of time looking for it than actually fighting it, and with the latter, it’s easy to find yourself in a situation where you have nowhere to jump to and end up falling to your death. I imagine that it's the kind of randomness that would be infuriating for anyone going for a no-death clear, but they provide some great “dig in your heels” moments; would’ve loved to see a few more fights like them, as they seem much more suited to a game where its best moments come from its mechanical flexibility.
That’s the heady stuff- it’s also a game where you’ll hit a big enough ramp to stay airborne for the rest of the stage, where the soundtrack is killer, and that contrasts its big dumb action with a bit of introspection in the time in-between levels.
The kind of game I will always show up for.
---
References:
Durandal, "How Can Game Options Help Casual Players See The Core Appeal Of A Game?," Link