Assignment 3 Playtesting
Shadow Requiem: Arise This week marked our first formal playtesting session for Shadow Requiem: Arise, focused on testing core player and enemy mechanics. Using a structured feedback form, we gathered critical insights from testers, helping us refine both gameplay flow and design direction.
Key Feedback Points
Movement System (W, A, D + Dash [E])
Combat Mechanics (Mouse-aimed attacks, platform destruction via right-click)
Soul Absorption & Summoning
Overall Difficulty Balance
Feedback Highlights:
Movement System: Easy to pick up, but the dash felt unresponsive and lacked clear visual feedback.
Combat Mechanics: Mouse-aimed attacks felt satisfying, though some struggled against faster enemies. The destructible platforms were praised for their strategic depth.
Soul Absorption: Widely considered the game’s standout feature. However, players unfamiliar with the mechanic wanted tutorial prompts to guide them.
Sudden Increase in Difficulty: Most testers found the starting level fairly easy, but the jump to level 2 introducing tougher enemies (e.g., Big Demon and Spike Trap) felt unbalanced and too challenging.
Level Design Expansion (Planned):
Using the feedback we have decided to introduce two new sections:
Ascension Platform: A vertical map segment with traps and platforming challenges:
New timed trap being the Spike Trap
multiple enemy encounters, increasing the difficulty from level 1
Final Boss Arena (Shadow Requiem): A multi-elevation arena with:
Destructible terrain
Dynamic safe zones
Telegraphing attack cues
Priorities for Next Version
Add visual feedback for key actions (dash, soul absorb)
Create a tutorial system for onboarding players
Build the first version of the Ascension Platform
Start designing Shadow Requiem’s boss arena and movement patterns
Our team’s collaborative approach continues to push the project forward, with everyone actively addressing feedback and contributing creative solutions. Exciting developments are on the way, stay tuned! Shadow Requiem: Arise (dev team)
