Platformer vs Puzzle Game

[jseah]

I approached Vessel primarily expecting a puzzle game and have been very pleased at how the game has worked for me. Even if the puzzles are static, they are thought provoking and I have enjoyed the mechanics greatly.

The bit that stuck out for me was the mix of platforming elements. This may have been a design decision and thus an "intended" part of the gameplay, but I find they detract from the puzzle.

Having to brave the lava and smashers in the Factory level was frustrating for me. I spent about half as much time trying to pass the smashers and lava roller belts as solving the engine puzzles. (and trying the big smashers until I realized they were puzzles after all...)

The other sore point was me spending 2.5 hours at the ladders for the light-dark fluro seed machine in the Mines level. I literally practised the jumps until I had the timing of the keys memorized. (hold 'A' and hit space immediately after, then 'W' after that, release 'A' after some small amount of time varying on which ladder I jumped from. And even then, I make mistakes all the time and have to restart one jump from the end... :mad:)
Only to find that after that frustrating bit of platforming, all I could do on the other side was to pull a switch that opens the door so I don't have to do it again...

Could I ask that a cheat-code to bypass those bits be included? If only for those of us who are puzzle people and have horrible timing skills. :(
Eg. Walk through walls code and immune to damage code.

[warlordship]

For a game primarily about physics puzzles, I did find the rather boring, long stretches of "Avoid the automatic crushers" part of the factory odd. And the massive cave with ladders was frustrating for a bit, I agree.

But these, I feel, change the game world from one that is just full of puzzles to an actual world. One in which sometimes, the only pathways are through obviously not human-designed accessible areas.

Though the massive "perpetual motion" machine in the workshop basement with all the crushers and hammers and tons of fluros seems... Like a VERY odd thing for him to construct and leave powered up 24/7.

[Amagineer]

For the ladder jump bit, if you "bought" the spray nozzle with kickback, you could actually float, incredibly handy for some of that stuff. It probably would've worked in some of the factory bits too, except you wouldn't've had a whole lot of protoplasm to get it.

In terms of health, I think you can tweak you save files to up your health and max health (And protoplasm for that matter)