So, it's time for me to post our feedback for Umami
,
http://www.igf.com/php-bin/entry2010.php?id=292The feedback we got was of high quality, and we've allready made a lot of changes to our game to improve it.
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Umami scored best in: Audio
And scored worst in: Overall
Here's me copying some of the criticism:
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The combination of the genres doesn't feel like it's totally thought through in all
places. The platform jumping sometimes messes up the rhythm play as you sometimes
can't see the arrows to press because you've jumped too high up.
The rhythm and music part would benefit greatly from more feedback when
hitting/missing notes, just look at Guitar Hero.
---
There does not seem to be a strong motivation for picking up coins,
however; I find that score is much less motivating than losing health.
Switching between vertical levels by jumping or falling is often frustrating because
arrows can pop up unexpectedly. It just doesn't feel good to miss an arrow, yet it
feels unfairly difficult because you don't see them until the last minute.
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Enemies, too, sometimes hurt the player, even when you've jumped on them - overall,
the game would benefit from providing more feedback on what's happening and why.
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Great idea. Mediocre execution.
The main problem with Umami is that it's not an elegant blend of the two game styles
involved. Once we can't move on our own free will, we have to parse the tasks of
hitting the d-pad for the beat markers and the jump button for coins and enemies.
But the challenge here isn't very compelling to begin with, it's like tapping your
head and making circles on your stomach, and then suddenly switching.
---
___________________________________
And some of the more positive notes
The best part of the game was the music, but I'm guessing this was not made for the
game itself, so it can't really count that much towards the total.
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I like the pleasantly chaotic feeling of having to juggle rhythmic skill with
platforming.
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The core concept of a rhythm platformer is clever and novel, and I like the way the
various abilities and rhythm buttons are divided up between the two sides of the PS3
controller. The challenge to 'rub belly while patting head' works well.
There's much promise in the game, though - it will be very interesting to see how it
progresses.
---
AUDIO NOTES
Good sound. The music is fun and well-made. I enjoyed the beat-matching, especially
when the bass drum connects. It felt like a nice audio treat, but I would like to
see more environmental and character identity through the sound design. High marks
for getting the rhythm portion down, and well.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The game seems technically proficient, with good load times. There were a few times
where, after jumping from one level to another, the beat buttons didn't make any
noise after I successfully hit them.
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And to finish it with a summary:
"Umami is a game with a lot of potential. It seems half-realized. Spend a lot more
time on the core mechanic, understanding what makes a game fun and addictive, and
distill it down to a simpler, more elegant blend of platforming and rhythm. Next,
design better levels. Think of surprising the player and about how to add more
variety. Then, give the art direction a little treatment. Do that, and you'll have a
great game on your hands that can be critically and financially successful.
"
All the feedback we got was very well communicated and in a constructive manner.
We will do our best to address the issues and to make our game better as a result.
We've allready started this proccess and feel happy with where it's heading.
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, Hideous, just come with any feedback, no need to seal lips 
