The Way (2016)

The game is clearly inspired by the older cinematic platformers (Prince of Persia, Another World, Flashback) but becomes an exercise in frustration due to issues around checkpoints and character controls. The story is passable, and treads some basic sci-fi tropes. The main character's actions do not make them particularly likeable, but there's enough to see the game to its end. Probably the worst aspect of the game is the sparse checkpoints. These will force you to repeat multiple hazards and puzzles to progress for the slightest mistake, Some of the puzzles are well constructed, but are hampered by other parts of the game. The character's movement is stiff and unresponsive. You will get locked into animations that cause your death. You will often run or drop off edges to your death. You are expected to track things off-screen. The game mostly works if you hold down the run key for every movement (again, you will start doing this due to the repeated checkpoint restarts). Platforming requires precision positioning and timing, which feels directly in conflict with the puzzle-heavy focus, and is often the cause of returning to a checkpoint. The latter part of the game has one se…

https://youtu.be/pJiiZNKCnzc After a great setup and narrative hook that momentum is lost due to sparce checkpointing and slow stealth sections.

Very nice

Some sections having pixel-perfect hitboxes, or requiring godlike reflexes were harder than Dark Souls, but overall I really enjoyed it, especially the visuals and music. It would be nice if the 2018 remaster came to Steam too.

The Way is not a platformer nor an arcade, it's mostly a cool scifi adventure packaged as a sequence of puzzles & minigames. Puzzles demand a lot of observation and patience, while minigames pretty often give you extremely narrow reaction windows in a game where controls aren't that super-finely tuned. Brave nostalgic-retro concept but even for 80's-90's standards it's not only difficult but unforgiving to the point of feeling simply frustrating and unfair. Sumarizing: It's very original and all, but i doubt they have had enough/honest independent beta testers. Not saying the game is bad, but it's definitely for a very specific kind of nostalgic-hardcore-retro-gamer. If you think you fit, go for it.

GG