Friday, September 27, 2013

Tension in the Treetop

I'm rather like Aeron of Pandora's Tower. In weapon of choice, that is.

Given the choice, I'd go with a sword almost every time. It's what I'm familiar with from Zelda games and countless RPGs. Plus, some real life fencing and martial arts training has given me a taste for swordplay.

So having to resort to the chain in the battle with the master beast of the Treetop Tower made for an intense experience. Primarily, this is because of the delay involved. Striking an enemy with a sword in a video game generally registers as a hit, or as blocked - and (in good games anyway) immediately so. The chain introduces a delay between your attack and the damage done. That delay is what did it, for sure.

Partially because any delay introduces uncertainty into a fight. There's no way of telling whether or not your attack will be successful until you've done it. A few times I was at a bad angle, or went too far in an effort to evade the master's attacks, and the chain toss had no effect. Thankfully, hitting the master's only general target wasn't as difficult as I'd guessed it would be. 

I had time to bide, too, and used it as much as I could. By its nature, using a ranged weapon increases the anticipation of landing a hit. Perhaps some sort of mental spring is coiled when you have to lay in wait to attack, and this tension (like most) seeks release. With all of my waiting and watching, that spring got pretty tight by the end.

Further, perhaps from my martial arts training (or, more likely, simple self-preservation instincts), I'm inclined to take as little damage as possible. Faced with a hulking, horror show Ent, this inclination came into full swing. Its presence during the fight definitely upped my sense of excitement.

No doubt (and hopefully) the second master mixes things up a bit, but I believe that by then I'll have adjusted to the chain as a weapon. Unless the water-themed tower is next and the boss is a fish who can pull you into the water with it, I'm guessing its master will offer a calmer experience. 

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