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Otakumegane · May 19, 2017

Snow /Ice levels generally fall into these sets of design tropes.

1. Taking movement control away from the player. Slippery surfaces or snow slowing you down, it's the worst part of games like BotW which focuses on freedom of movement and the like, and generally all platformers like Mario.

2. Enemies stun you for longer periods of time. Compounded on point 1, more freedom is taken as enemies are an even bigger pain in the ass to deal with.

3. Lowered visual acuity/blocking of vision. Navigation and planning is more difficult as Snow either blocks your vision or lowers the draw distance viewable.

Why do snow levels even exist?

PsySal · May 19, 2017

[deleted]

Painguy · May 19, 2017

Why do snow levels even exist?

Because they have the best music

-----edit-----

Fuck beaten lol

Willenium · May 19, 2017

..because snow exists.

Chev · May 19, 2017

They don't take movement away from you, they ask you to consider movement in a different way. They exist because variety and experimenting with gameplay can be interesting.

soultron · May 20, 2017

chill out, op

moomoo14 · May 20, 2017

They almost always happen much later in the games that take advantage of them. They force the player to adjust and use the skills they've learned so far to overcome a harder obstacle. I remember Dead Space 3 actually used the Blizzardy bits really well, since the lack of vision forced you to rely more on your hearing. Too bad it wasn't more prominently featured.

Taking away freedom isn't inherently bad.

tsundoku · May 20, 2017

op is the first person in existence to not get the snow boots before going into the snowpocalypse

the reason journey's snow level is dogshit is supposed to be "For the Feels" though @op
but all of journey is bad

Raysoul · May 20, 2017

Because that is how snow works?

OSHAN · May 20, 2017

Snow levels are the best what are you talking about OP. It's water levels that are bullshit.

Coinspinner · May 20, 2017

None of those bother me, particularly when there's mechanics in place to either utilize them as more than just inconvenience for it's own sake.

Painguy · May 20, 2017

soultron said:
chill out, op

Looool

AjNimajwalHansel · May 20, 2017

I suppose you'll have to continue to be baffled, they're not going anywhere. I love snow levels!

(especially for the music as noted above)

Berordn · May 20, 2017

I'm having trouble thinking of an example of #2, actually.

ffdgh · May 20, 2017

Ice themes are bliss and Mario/Sonic have great ice stages(freeze flame/ice cap zone).

Edit: Oh and the DKC games too of course.

NinjamicWZ · May 20, 2017

Being slowed down on snow planets in Helldivers and having to compensate by bringing something as part of your limited load out is good.

Cardio won't work anymore, so you can't stealth cheese the planet, but you can either choose snow boots as your perk (and sacrifice what could be something like faster cooldowns), or bring a jetpack, or utilize your mech suit early, if you bring one (which you probably did, if only for the extraction)... or not compensate at all and just be a boss in some other way while your teammates are like "wtf dude, why didn't you bring a jetpack?"

hydrophilic attack · May 20, 2017

they suck

SkyOdin · May 20, 2017

Hey, the snow/ice levels in Mega Man games include a bunch of the series' best levels. Ice physics is not so bad once you are used to it.

Snowfields are also gorgeous.

vocab · May 20, 2017

So you want snow levels to have none of the unique flavors that snow levels bring to certain genres of games.

Got it.

Might as well make a grass level with a white floor and trees with white leaves, and call it a snow level.

LegendofLex · May 20, 2017

Otakumegane said:
1. Taking movement control away from the player. Slippery surfaces or snow slowing you down, it's the worst part of games like BotW which focuses on freedom of movement and the like, and generally all platformers like Mario.

2. Enemies stun you for longer periods of time. Compounded on point 1, more freedom is taken as enemies are an even bigger pain in the ass to deal with.

3. Lowered visual acuity/blocking of vision. Navigation and planning is more difficult as Snow either blocks your vision or lowers the draw distance viewable.

I'm glad we can disagree that themed hazards designed to increase challenge and game variety are bad ideas in video games.

Berordn said:
I'm having trouble thinking of an example of #2, actually.

OP is referring to enemies/obstacles that can freeze you

tsundoku said:
op is the first person in existence to not get the snow boots before going into the snowpocalypse

This was like the second to last quest I did in BotW, lol

Hebra was one of my favorite areas because everything there seemed like a remote secret.

N.Grim · May 20, 2017

They are often my favourite part, probably because I love snow in real life

Celcius · May 20, 2017

Snow levels are amazing OP. Also, they do have the best music.

Currygan · May 20, 2017

Well, ice levels without the expected environmental hazards would feel rather useless

PSqueak · May 20, 2017

Y'all need Freezeezy Peak on your lives.

Astral Dog · May 20, 2017

Some snow levels r Beautiful

but yeah in BotW it wasn't very good

tenderbrew · May 20, 2017

The best platformer ever is a giant snow themed world.

Astral Dog · May 20, 2017

Berordn said:
I'm having trouble thinking of an example of #2, actually.

I think he means enemies ice blocking you

GiantBreadbug · May 20, 2017

Git gud at snow levels breh

I loooooove them

whatever6352 · May 20, 2017

I don't mind snow levels as some of them are very well designed, but I do hate snow levels or cold areas that make you get to someplace warm before your health disappears.

MegaMelon · May 20, 2017

I can handle snow levels thanks to the music and visuals but poison/swamp levels are just the worst. Blighttown gets a special mention here for how awful it is your first time.

VanWinkle · May 20, 2017

I loooove snow levels. Come on bro. Best aesthetics. Slippin around everywhere. Awesome jingly music.

I DO hate BOTW's snow region, though. It's like it's actively discouraging me from going there with its crazy temperature stuff.

disco · May 20, 2017

VanWinkle said:
I loooove snow levels. Come on bro. Best aesthetics. Slippin around everywhere. Awesome jingly music.

I DO hate BOTW's snow region, though. It's like it's actively discouraging me from going there with its crazy temperature stuff.

Not to mention how bland and uninteresting it looks. I need to get better armour too, sick of breaking all of my flame weapons.

teepo · May 20, 2017

i'm always baffled by gamers who hate any sort of weather or mechanic that impairs their visibility. it's a very common complaint, especially in multiplayer titles.

balohna · May 20, 2017

VanWinkle said:
I loooove snow levels. Come on bro. Best aesthetics. Slippin around everywhere. Awesome jingly music.

I DO hate BOTW's snow region, though. It's like it's actively discouraging me from going there with its crazy temperature stuff.

Felt the same until later in the game. Snow regions are actually pretty cool once you're equipped to handle them and used to the mechanics.

Lothar · May 20, 2017

You sound like a Let's Play Watcher, OP. Snow levels give the game an added difficulty, which usually makes them the best part of games. They also always have the best music and are the most atmospheric places.

playXray · May 20, 2017

They exist because they're fucking ace! I love snow levels, they have such an exciting wintery/Christmas feel to them, and they often have great background music. Please make more, devs!

Amirnol · May 20, 2017

I hate slippery ground BS, but I love snow levels in general.

Jaraghan · May 20, 2017

Naw man. Snow levels are the best. Music, visuals, design. Damn good.

Breath of the Wild's snow area can fuck off though. Hated how you moved at half speed, and when I was done with the area

I read there are boots that give you normal speed. I was so pissed.

ChoklitCow · May 20, 2017

Not to derail, but The Last of Us changed my opinion of snow levels forever.

I'd hang out in snow all day.

ValkyrUser · May 20, 2017

I love snow areas in games. Hell, I enjoyed White Park Zone in Sonic 4 ep 2 just because it was snow and Christmas themed and that game is awful.

CannonFodder52 · May 20, 2017

Snow levels are usually my favorites.

Maintenance · May 20, 2017

Snow is amazing.

Let it go, OP.

pretty done · May 20, 2017

I thought the snow world in Yooka Laylee was pretty fun, but looking at the thread I was definitely in the minority.

Fuck Casino levels.

IdreamofHIME · May 20, 2017

You ever tried to run in snow or on ice?

BetterThanNothing · May 20, 2017

goddammit why am i always drowning in these water levels?

Alexander DeLarge · May 20, 2017

Chev said:
They don't take movement away from you, they ask you to consider movement in a different way. They exist because variety and experimenting with gameplay can be interesting.

This.

RockmanBN · May 20, 2017

pretty done said:
I thought the snow world in Yooka Laylee was pretty fun, but looking at the thread I was definitely in the minority.

Fuck Casino levels.

Yo Casino Night Zone is dope

Phatosaurus · May 20, 2017

I loved the snowy areas of BotW. The snowy mountain on the Great Plateau taught me that any obstacle in the game could be overcome in multiple ways.

I learned that cooking spicy peppers allowed me to brace the temperatures, but I later learned that certain clothes offered protection against weather.

Later into the game I applied that knowledge to the larger snowy areas and mountains of the game. I found better armour to protect against the harsher cold weather and boots suited to the snow covered terrain.

gabbo · May 20, 2017

So i can drive a snowmobile through commies and jump collapsed bridges in winter and make witty comments with a Scottish accent, that's why.
Also, because physics is a thing that exists, and those are aspects of snow?

AALLx · May 20, 2017

Frigid Outskirts, even worse than Bed of Chaos.

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