First of all, i really like the game. As an very avid MMO player in the past, I really like the setting.

One thing though about the game caught me off guard... This is the first game in a very very long time that i played, that actually requires each and very button on the Xbox Controller *g*

My manual dexterity is not was it once was, and several times i got quite some issues making progress. That Dojo Quest in Bergen was hell, and at the moment i will not even think about doing the advanced quest...

I am currently in the first dungeon. I got the power, but have not yet defeated the boss (I assume there is one?). For now i can manage.

But how does the difficulty progress from here on? As long as stuff as the afore mentioned advanced dojo quest is optional, i can manage, but i am afraid i might hit a roadblock.

I also have two addition questions:

Do you ever get an ability that enable higher or further jumps while exploring? There is some stuff that i do not see a way reaching otherwise.
I got the elite quest about finding a broken gauntlet in autum's rise. the quest tells me to kill many hedgehags in an area were it rains. I'm drawing a blank here. I assume it's some word play puzzle, but i cannot figure it out. Since the quest is level 15 i assume it is not taking place in the ??? area.

I can't answer this question, because, interestingly enough, B4 of the very dungeon you're in is my limit. I just can't deal with the instantly regenerating ice, and then making an aimed shot. Doing the flick-then-burn bombs earlier was at my limit of ability. Maybe I'll try again in a day or two using keyboard and mouse instead of my ds4 (speaking of which, I hate games that give no way to rebind controller buttons and axes, as its guesses are wrong in a number of ways, on Linux -- at least it can be adjusted using jscal).

edit: right after I wrote the above, I decided to go in again, and I got 3/4 of the keys that I thought were impossible (more by luck than skill, though). If the 4th requires a combination of bombing and timed pushing that I think it does, though, I will likely never finish.

edit 2: Never mind. I got through it. I guess I just needed some rest before continuing. The trouble with action games (and non-action games with action events) is that if you get frustrated only 1/4 into the game, it'll only get worse (usually). I will probably never even try the advanced dojo quests, even though the shield one at least looks doable. You stay at the same height when you move from area to area, so most of those are done by climbing up in a different area. Also, some stuff can't be reached: it can only be shot. I don't think I've encountered an area I can't get to yet that wasn't blocked by ice. Anyway, I guess I can't answer this one really, either. No, it's in an area you can get to right away. From the entry, it's W, then S, then W two times to an area called "Hedgehog Den". It is an area that is full of hedgehogs. When you kill them all, a treasure chest appears in the south. The chest stays around forever, even if the hedgehogs regenerate, so save before trying to pick it up, as it triggers a boss fight. Also, it's not level 15, it's level 15!. That ! means you may have trouble even at level 15.

Grinding can make most of the game easier but there are areas where speed is required in the main game later on, particularly in Gaia's Garden (plus a few to complete quests). I don't think any of them are harder than the ones in Bergen but some are similar difficulty IMO. One of the main quests is Sapphire Ridge involves quick movement in a area that seems to randomly block movement; that took several tries for me to go to the right place fast enough and a few more to not randomly not be able to move :(. The time limit wasn't too hard on that one at least so it wasn't the hardest, just the least fun. For most of these you need to follow a slowed projectile but there are also a few different mini-games (plus some easier hit a target and run to get to chests).

One thing I didn't make good use of until later that helps quite a bit is that holding the left trigger pauses everything but you can still switch elements. This is helpful if you have a controller like mine where it is difficult to hit just one direction on the d-pad. It also helps if you just need to stop for a bit part way through (I don't think you can do this on the speed runs in Bergen, but you can for everything in the main game at least).

For me, attempting the goat cave alone on Burgen Trail (not sure if it would have been instanced if party members were there at the time) was the hardest part and was the only thing I couldn't get past without leveling up even after many attempts. Maybe later things would have been harder without the extra leveling up I did after that to be able to pass it :/. I'm not quite at the end of the game but close (and at this point you get boosted enemies and can level up quickly). I mostly try to complete all quests in an area before moving on, except for the advanced speed run in Bergen (the first three towns have new quests as you progress also). My issues might be different than yours; my brain is slow and can't keep track of everything, coordinate movement all that well, or respond quickly. I have eventually figured out a few combinations that work for me and have been using high HP and HP regen equipment (plus the XP +15% hat, except for some boss battles). Some things I need to repeat a few dozen times before I get it, but I eventually do :/. It feels like therapy for my particular health issues.

In Gaia's Garden I entered the temple on the left first and it warned me about being under stats but worked out ok; I think doing that one first is the easier option. In the early game you can get away with only dashing and never guarding, but in the desert (after Bergen) timed guarding (countering) sometimes starts to be a good idea and it is required for one or two boss battles (and a good idea for another one or two). I think it might be required for one main game boss and a good idea for at least one other, I don't remember for sure. For me both using the dash button guard and the guard button are difficult and I mostly use the guard button (some elements have all directions guard options at some point that help). Only in Gaia's Garden where one of the new elements allow you to warp to the green glow spot. I think you can always jump a slightly longer distance with a bit of a running start without turning so if the jump is very close it might be possible. The ones that seem impossible usually involve either walking on something that you haven't needed to walk on yet or entering the screen at a higher level (I think there may be one or two cases where the needed entry point isn't visible from lower points and I'm not sure if it appears on the map before you find it). In some cases the thing that lets you move up a level is quite subtle. I don't have all the chests yet but have managed to get some that I gave up on as impossible at first. In a couple of cases (minor spoiler I guess) there is non-regenerating ice you need to jump on and you may need to exit the screen and return for it to be possible if you melted it. Also in later levels it is rarely possible to walk up to the omega botanics but you need to figure out where to stand to shoot them.

Well, now that i have completed the second temple, there is at least one thing i can say about this game:

I cannot remember any game in recent time, that i have quit frustratedly that often, but to that i still came back after a pause...

Normally, when a game frustrates me that often, i quit and don't come back. But something here just want me to play again. It just feels that smooth to play the game.
But at the same time it is physically and mentaly exhausting, so that i cannot play long sessions.

And i cannot get the soundtrack out of my head *g*

Yeah, I noticed that quite a bit also, even in cases where it didn't seem like there were many options. In some cases, just positioning slightly differently when you start the sequence (or bouncing off a wall) makes it much easier.

There are still aspects that rely on being quick as best I can tell. I often had to repeat things a bunch of times even after I figured out tricks. I'm sure I missed some tricks, but there is a speed aspect also. There are several more speed related things in the end area. I did finally make it to the end, 100% botanics, 100% quests, 100% chests found (some with the chest detector that you can get near the end and I had to look up the last two :/). There are a few unfinished things near the end in the game itself at this point (no promise quest 5 yet, no arena yet). I did eventually beat those even when I was at level 62 or so. They say no modifiers are used, but I think you may still aim faster due to core stats and that makes it quite a bit easier. I also got much better over the huge number of hours I played the game :/. You can still mess up once or twice during the runs and make it in under two minutes (there is an achievement for completing both extra ice and no shield in < 1:45, I didn't try for that one). So I suggest trying again later, you might be surprised. For me it was slightly less challenging than getting through at all the first time. The extra ice and no shield were not much more difficult for me than the normal (although I didn't try them until later, so maybe they would have been earlier). I didn't try that exactly (good idea if I play through again at some point), but jumping around and trying to get everywhere you can is also my favorite part of the game. Jumping around rooftops in Bergen is one of my favorites. I am amazed how much there is to do on almost every screen of the game. Even some of the stores have stuff you can jump on. I think CrossCode has the best ever level design IMO.

After being stuck in the second temple for a while, and having to gear up for its boss, i had a blast with the next two areas. I really like the explorarion in this game.

I also had fun in So'najiz Temple. Not too many timed puzzles and the enemies are also relatively easy to manage. The final bounce-ball puzzle was not easy, but manageable.

But that boss... even with 35% shock resistance i am not getting further than phase three. I see no way to bounce the shock ball so that he does not deflect it. And even dashing it's almost impossible to dodge his attacks...

If you didn't find it yet, one of the boxes in that temple has a good sword with some HP regen (unless they are actually random and I just got extra lucky?), which is in general really nice vs shock since they are difficult to avoid (the wave skill tree has decent HP regen somewhere). There is a trick to the third stage and once I found it I was able to quickly defeat that boss. I might have needed to use one or two of the best sandwiches available at that point to deal with the damage, I don't remember. The cold skill tree has a guard all sides and up option somewhere, although I don't remember if I had that yet or if it is even available at that point. I think I just took the damage and defeated the boss quickly.

I won't spoil the trick for you, but someone posted youtube videos of the boss battles if you give up and just want to move on (which I found due to the boss in the Zir'vitar Temple; the trick there was the only one in the game that didn't feel fair to me and the only boss I looked up, but possibly the specific thing that messed me up was revealed earlier and I just forgot it and there is a minor visual hint at least; it is otherwise the easiest boss in the game IMO, but the rest of that temple is harder). It is hard to figure out the tricks when you don't have much time :/.

[edit] Wait, I think that boss uses wave attacks, not shock, so I don't think shock resistance would help (but maybe you ment wave resistance?).

About the resistance type...
By now (still not having defeated that boss) have started the other temple. And there was a comment by C'tron about just that: The enemies are using the opposite element than the temple theme ;)
I will see how i fare with this boss though. The temple puzzles are harder, but at least i have the proper resistance already ;)

EDIT: Ok, Zir'Vitar Temple done. It took me too long to figure out the triangles, but that boss was relatively easy and i got it without dying *g* Took me four turns of the boss healing though on the last phase before i got it right. The resistance gear helped a lot i think. I have not found a cap with that high of a wave resistance though...
The sword with health regeneration... do you mean Aehre? I already had one of those during the boss, but found a second one now exploring the jungle with wave.

I will see tomorrow how i fare :)

Yeah. I don't remember when I got a second one, but I used two of them for a while.

I normally didn't have much elemental resistance (and actually had -25% fire for much of the game) but for some boss battles (and I think the entire Zir'Vitar Temple) I would change the Mighty Strand I usually used for one with at least +10% resistance for each element plus extra HP (I think I used the Miner's Helmet from one of the later Begen quests). I bet the Zir'Vitar enemies would be easier with more shock resistance; I barely made it past a few of them.

I'm glad you didn't have too much trouble with the Zir'Vitar boss. I could stay alive, but the asymmetrical aspect made me think I had tried eveything there was to try several times when I gave up.

Did Emilie say anything when you left the So'najiz Temple before completing it?

Hmm, to be honest i do not remember anything specific that Emilie said. Just the usual about needing a break i think.

I was able to defeat the So'najiz Boss. The extra health of the two Aehre Swords, the additional levels i gained, and the correct resist gear helped a lot to stay alive *g*
Honestly though, i'm not entirely sure how i defeated him. I somehow bounced the electric ball twice at him, but was sure that his shield moves always in my direction, so i though this was futile. Boy was i surprised when it hit :)
And very relieved that that was the last bounce ball phase.

I need a break before going far into the next dungeon though...

Aaaand i'm stuck again :(

Sooo close to the end, I am stuck in Vermillion Tower on the second floor. The south door, the second room. The first puzzle in that room was relatively easy, but the second puzzle has me stumped.
I admit to even have looked up a video showing the puzzle, but the solution there does not work.

https://youtu.be/5RW-63GFOhE?t=100

I do it like that, but the rocks on top of the ledge do not blow up. Am i missing something?

I think I'm done with this game.

The fact of the matter is, it's way too hard. I managed to get through the ice cave all right, but only after maxing out everything I could. But in any given environment, it's only ever possible to attain two or maybe three extra levels, and better equipment is always tied to later environments, so you can't really grind even if you really wanted to.

I haven't got a snow cone's chance in hell to even manage the standard "defend the trek for two minutes" mission in the desert area. And this isn't even one third of the game. I don't see how I can manage anything that comes later.

This is a nice game, and evidently I really wanted to like it, but it's made for 14 year olds with the reflexes of jet fighter pilots and the patience of the galapagos giant turtle, two things that seldom go together as it is.

I've passed the big 40, now I don't get to play the games that are built after the blueprints of the games I loved as a kid because the developer doesn't get the difficulty under control?

Come on, you can't be serious! :(

It's an optional side quest you can easily ignore. It also gets much easier once you have a 3-player party. Also did you notice there's a "!" above the enemy that is about to attack the wagon?

Really struggled with that one too, but then came back later to it with a full party and won on first try.

Not saying you don't need really good reflexes for the game, but I think a difficulty that pushes you to your limits without being unfair is the perfect difficulty.

Thanks Rya,

the problem is that every single quest, especially the side quests, are such tedious endeavours that leave the fun somewhere in the gutter. I'd like the developer to watch every single one of those hundreds of attempts in the countless ice caverns for 30 experience and a bunch of metal shreds, just so he understands what an utter waste of time they made.

Maybe I'll emulate the Super NES classics, or I'll just buy the new Tomb Raider. Because this is pretty much just shredded nerves. :|