Difficulty, and Yotta

[@LukeCorreia]

how have you been only been making video essays for like two years and you're already crushing it this hard. phenomenal work

[@BelisariusCawl]

Luke "funny voice man" Correia is a rushdown character????

[@chrispo7610]

Luke plays a zoner, silly

[@ClassicBentobox]

The lad

[@matthewyurechko3228]

@@chrispo7610 kkkiiiiiiiiiiiikkikkkbbbbbb prob but bb

[@elite9237]

@@chrispo7610 he definitely plays stance change, he's a voice actor, it's his job too

[@jaksida300]

Every Leon Massey video is a rushdown character.

[@sjjdkxjcbejsj]

No its mostly a zoner video but in some parts he can unga bunga

[@guyknack]

@@sjjdkxjcbejsj He starts with setting balls then he can get in

[@linvega671]

One bad take and ur a meme forever gg

[@Ganmorg]

area man learns about okizeme for the first time

[@california_wang8078]

Sajam comment huh

[@VanRukh]

You made an entire documentary about difficulty to show off your accomplishment in Dustforce. Respect.

[@felixc.4294]

You know, I think Jack-o’s design is legitimately compelling and adds great depth to the playspace of- Alright now that I have your attention Leon, have you considered making a video about how cancels can affect the feel of a game? What you’re allowed to cancel and into what changes blockstrings, combos, and neutral all at once. But more importantly, it opens up the idea space by replacing the risk of the canceled move with the risks of the moves used to cancel it. And in a similar vein, not being able to cancel a move can be a powerful part of a design identity. A DP is defined by removing its initial risk in exchange for a completely uncancelable recovery afterwards. Since cancels can also affect movement, like with plinkdashing and the KBD, they also give you the chance to explore ways to move in and out more frequently. I love cancels, and I think it’s why I’m so attracted to a lot of anime games. Being able to shuffle risk around leads to a more expansive and interesting range of options, while making the times where you do get caught even more explosive.

[@meatykyun5981]

youre sick and twisted you know that? had me in the first sentence ngl

[@ArthurGNogueira]

expanding this to other genres, it's common that fg skills can be used elsewhere. I recently played Skul: the hero slayer and I was clearly IADing, canceling, dash cancelling things, among many examples. cancels make for a good topic, for sure

[@wuhoh5274]

Anomaly detected: Smart person in the youtube comments

[@Flavourius]

You smooth bastard, that is some high quality clickbait here.

[@felixc.4294]

@@ArthurGNogueira For sure! I think it'd also be interesting to explore how freeform combo games like the DMC series use these principles to make the player feel powerful, instead of reactive.

[@ghostly-toaster3766]

2:52 that transition was so smooth.

[@kolelpryor]

Checked the comments to make sure someone called that out. So clean!

[@B-Frosty97]

It was just *chef kiss*

[@flavoredchin]

English video game talk man is my favorite genre on KZbin. In all seriousness, I like how you've chosen to branch out from fighting games.

[@adamwlove]

Why is NOBODY talking about the transition at 2:50? It's incredibly well done.

[@thetessellation]

Regarding Yotta, there's an additional goal you can set for yourself beyond simply clearing the level once. Leon mentioned that you only unlock Yotta after getting a perfect rank on all of the normal levels, but what if you want a perfect rank on Yotta itself? This is a task that dwarfs simply clearing the level, a task that already feels like a mammoth accomplishment (my first completion of Yotta took around 90 minutes of straight gameplay). Getting a perfect rank entails collecting all the dust, and beating the level without dying. Not even once. In a 2-3 minute long level with the toughest gameplay Dustforce has to offer. This is a task that only 231 people have done, out of the over 100,000 people that have picked up the game at least once. Getting a perfect rank on Yotta is an absolute behemoth of a task, that utilizes the three types of difficulty Leon mentions in this video incredibly well. The execution is as hard as the base game gets, the comprehension requires you to devise strategies yourself for each obstacle that are consistent, to give you the best chance of clearing the level deathless. And the size? Well. As an example, getting a perfect rank on Yotta took me around 70 hours of gamplay total, over a few weeks. This might actually be a slightly above average time to get this rank, but it's definitely not uncommon. What's the payoff though? Literally nothing, not even an achievement. The only reward is the satisfaction of being one of the very very few to accomplish such a feat. And that satisfaction is intense (I may have actually cried, I don't remember). Yotta isn't the hardest level in Dustforce. There exists one level in the base game even harder, that most people (including myself) just ignore because it's so outlandishly hard. That level is referred to as Infini Difficult. But, in my opinion, Infini is hard in a way that's incredibly unfun. Yotta uses it's monolithic difficulty well, to craft an experience that is incredibly challenging to the player, but almost never unfair. Infini's gameplay doesn't flow nearly as well. It feels like an incredibly hard level crafted by someone who doesn't know how to make hard levels still enjoyable. I'm convinced that there are certain sections that were only tested briefly, just to verify that they're possible, not to verify that they feel good to play. Ultimately, Yotta is a level that uses its difficulty amazingly, and its older sibling Infini sadly doesn't. Finally, I want to mention that Dustforce has an amazing community of mapmakers who produce stunningly high quality custom maps. Some of them feature custom scripts which turn the game into, quite literally, something brand new. There's a custom map where you can play as Meat Boy, and I'm not even joking about that. But more relevant to the topic of this video, some of the mapmakers create hard maps that I feel are even more enjoyable that Yotta. Nine years since the game's release, plus an incredible level editor, have allowed the community to make some of the most fun experiences in gaming I've ever had. Some mapmakers truly understand what makes a hard level fun, and have created levels harder than Yotta, that feature some of the most enjoyable gameplay in any level of any game. If you're a Dustforce addict, and don't know of any of these maps, I'd highly recommend the following few: Coloboma by Nerphs Moon by Delotrix Tired and Hungry by JM Cyber Complex 3 by Temp, Alexspeedy, Maddy, mister_simon, CommunistOrc (that's me!), and Delotrix This last one in particular is probably my favorite map ever. It was a collaboration between six different people to make one long map (around seven minutes long), and the gameplay, aesthetic, and difficulty level are all pretty much spot on. I'm incredibly proud to have helped create it, and I think it truly shows what mapmakers are capable of in this game. Anyway, that's my needlessly long post over. Dustforce is my favorite game ever, and I can't imagine myself being sick of it anytime soon. Oh one more thing. Thank you Leon Massey, for making a video about this game. I love it when Dustforce gets positive attention. It's an amazing game and it truly deserves it.

[@antinumeric7218]

No long map will ever beat "For Indy"

[@pirateray]

cyber complex 3 and 2 are both absolutely stellar maps

[@b.blobbentein5774]

It's funny to me that you can do the whole final point but replace every "dustforce" with "celeste" and every "yotta" with "farewell" and it's basically the exact same. Kinda wild how many characteristics are shared there.

[@bryanbiscoll5519]

Spider deck isn't even a meme anymore it's actually just good.

[@pepsimaxwillhealmywounds]

Dustforce is indescribably underrated

[@ultimatebada55]

This is one of the most high quality, well written and from-the-heart videos I've ever seen! I've been subscribed since the "fighting games are for everyone" video, and to see your already top tier videos escalate in production quality with every release has been such a great experience. Thank you Leon; your videos are genuinely worth of the title of "bangers".

[@gekinetic]

0:50 first Jiyuna, and now Leon? This Sajam clone experiments have gotten out of control

[@oopsiexistnow]

He’s striking back since Sajam got his pressure going and has become a rushdown character

[@15kosher]

Can't believe you would spoil Stephen's Sausage Roll, I expected more from you.

[@GoddamnILoveBison]

I can't believe he would spoil QWOP's in-depth and complex story.

[@zeetch4575]

this new psychology class is hittin different

[@wewserlethaldude9]

This game introduced me to Dustforce. Today, I have an SS Rank on Yotta Difficult. It took 30 hours of attempts, for I am bad at video games, and I do not wish to go for Infinidifficult at all. Thanks, Leon Massey.

[@millerwrightt]

Katamari was immediately what I thought of when you brought up difficulty of size. Failing a level by time out when there was a 40 minute time limit is gruelling

[@syrelian]

Every time it happens I feel pain, and to this day I'm never sure if its more painful to be a wild amount away from the goal, and questioning how the hell I didn't accrue anywhere close, or to be mere inches(sometimes in both literal senses) from victory

[@EthanGhere]

No one’s talking about the incredibly smooth transition at 2:50. I appreciate the attention to detail

[@easygoingdude9990]

Damn that was slick. I didn't even notice it

[@cockmanbuttfart7661]

Came here to say this. Dude just dropped that shit and didn't even mention it like it was nothing.

[@cndlmst]

I went straight to the comments to see if anyone noticed it

[@rayline1583]

I feel like I learned a lot and got to think about some things differently that I'd always taken for granted. These kinds of discussions are what keep me interested in video games as an adult. Thank you!

[@auroricaura]

You've taken the FGC video essay world and now you're taking regular gaming. There's a lot I like to mention like thank you for mentioning rhythm games as I'm super invested in those and fighting games. The second being... I don't actually like learning things about fighting games. Going to the lab in skullgirls and bringing up skullheart feels so damn horrible. But I still do it and love it. Because I know that winning in one of these games is such a great feeling of fulfillment. Learning about, watching and understanding smash got me to realise this, and plunge into the world of traditional fighters that I'd never really been into. It was great.

[@trimur1070]

Ok but that portal transition at 2:50 is something else. Phenomenal job

[@ppnbful]

He talked for 25 minutes just so we understood how hard he was when he finished Yotta xD Jokes aside, Great video!!

[@XC11301991]

I love Dustforce's music. Still listening to it to this day.

[@GolemAvalanche]

I feel that there's something more as to why that Undertale boss is so difficult. This is a character who won't fight you under normal circumstances, even if you kill those closest to him; you have to force his hand by proving that not only will you kill anything that enters battle with you, but that you'll go out of your way to find every last thing you can fight and eliminate them all. By the time you've reached him, your goal of total annihilation is almost complete, and he's the last thing standing between you and the end. So he fights you with everything he's got, not only being much more powerful than you'd ever imagine, but even breaking the established rules of the game thus far. But here's the thing: he knows you won't stay down if you lose, and that him trying to fight you at all is just giving you the opportunity to eventually strike him down. So he throws all that nonsense at you to give himself the highest chance of victory in the short term, knowing that you only need to win once for everything to go to hell and that you can keep coming back as many times as you want until you succeed. And that's the beauty of it: he's not difficult because he's trying to make you lose; he's difficult because he's trying to make you give up. If he can frustrate you enough that you stop trying to proceed and keep killing everything in your path, that's the closest form of success that he can hope for.

[@meathir4921]

Oh baby first a new Theory Fighter vid and now Leon is at it too?

[@CacoPholey]

As someone who is an absolute SIMP for difficult precision platformers this video is of one if not my favorite video essay on the entire platform Not only does almost every joke hit but the actual discussion points have serious gotten me thinking about what types of difficulty I even enjoy (BTW this video got me to pick up Dustforce today and I love it so much aaaaaaaa)

[@free_playstation_2]

This friday's gonna be good

[@Mewtic1]

Fnf

[@oziaus]

You are one of the best FCG channels and I love when you branch into thw more abstract concepts as well. Great stuff.

[@noVva555]

Dustforce is basically: ''You need to be a speedrunner perfectionist or a TAS expert to play but hey the Ost is godlike''

[@Tak3034]

Don't feel bad Leon when I first fought that horse in Shadow of Colossus I got stuck for like 3 days. I was like 13 at the time, but yeah it's the first time the game ask you to actually use your brain.

[@gungy_vt]

0:50 damn he's good. Also, I feel like a concise way to explain what each type of difficulty caters to is: Execution rewards discipline, comprehension rewards creativity/analysis, and size rewards time spent. Not to say that people who play grindy games aren't creative, or anything like that, but when you think about the traits/actions you have for overcoming each kind of difficulty, I feel like this is what you get.

[@pirateray]

Dustforce is like playing an instrument. There's so much tech in it, the game feel is so silky smooth, I feel like I learn a new trick or improve every time I boot the game up to grind some times. Even after 600 hours, opening up some of the many creative custom maps just makes me feel like a complete new player when I come across some totally new piece of geometry I have to learn to navigate. I've never played a video game in my life that rewards your effort and respects your time more than Dustforce.

[@Fury64]

I love these kinds of videos from you! Talking about genre spanning concepts that many game likers can feel but can be hard to articulate. That's some tasty content

[@lumosmaximus7243]

The transition at 2:53 is awesome.... Damn

[@shaymincar]

Those are some nice transitions you got there Leonard. 👍

[@collinsgichuhi8255]

I have Dustforce in my library and I have never even viewed its page in my library before this video. Installing it rn

[@slumberyclub]

Dustforce...that's a game i haven't heard in a long time

[@FeminineSludge]

Leon your videos are honestly so interesting and you somehow bring up every game I think of moments after I think it should be brought up. Absolutely incredible work with really well researched points I love your videos

Everyone who sleeps on Dustforce need to experience it. It’s so absurdly good.

[@namepending5620]

Awakening from my slumber since someone mentioned dustforce

[@BlodiaSolt]

The fact that you use your own gameplays is what make me sub to you, i found you yesterday but i know im gonna enjoy the journey keep up the great work!

[@suburiboy]

As a recent fighting game fan and a long time puzzle game fan, I am entirely in favor of this channel talking about more puzzles. You rock Leon.

[@AdamSrgnt]

Finally, someone giving Dust Force the shout out it deserves

[@karue7581]

Wasn't expecting much out of this video, but I have to say, it's become one of my favorites in this channel. Great job!

[@MK-xm2nh]

Your editing is very fluent and well paced, it shows you put a lot of work into it.

[@jamiojadeux6512]

The editing and writing on this video are stellar and it's crazy seeing a youtube improve THIS quickly, good shit Leon

[@LettuceGod1]

“Do or do not. There is no try” - yotta

[@sskeletorr7822]

the editing in this video is so well done, it makes the video not only visually appealing, but the flow is so satisfying and all the jokes land so much harder. bravo sir

[@KYUBIMATIAS]

Leon, you're getting fancy with these transitions. Love it, dude.

[@mf_nia8249]

you make me buy Dustforce, and holy shit the game is so amazing. Havent been able to put it down past couple of days.

[@jamalyoung5797]

I can totally agree with the dust force part, The Slipping, Sliding, and Slashing feels like playing a light tune before the crescendo of the final level. Everything said from 21:55-23:05 can also be said about a little gem called Indivisible published by 505 games. (Play indivisible lads Its got a parry mechanic.)

[@ThePyroMan3000]

I didnt even finish the video but i just wanted to say that 2:52 was the sickest trasition i've ever seen. 10/10

[@talon5091]

i keep coming back to this video again and again. really fantastic work here

[@raychangalarza179]

This video is great as always, can’t believe you put so much effort in scripting, editing, and researching just to show your accomplishment on Dustforce

[@l.benjam8676]

(Gonna be a long one) Damn, this is proof that I gonna witness something actually good on youtube. everything just feels creative. I thought the youtube metagame was fucked entirely but there is hope. This man talking about things no one ever has and make it as interesting as Core-A vid. this is just so damn awesome to see this man grow and succeeding because of it, just god damn hella respect to him for this one. like damn sajam I so excited for whatever you got next. I don't care how long it takes cause that you putting love into. don't change ever and keep it up

[@zaedis5629]

Not gonna lie, I completely forgot this video was about dust force until you brought it back up in the end

[@toddsmile5139]

Great video. Watching you play these games on stream to get footage was a very enjoyable experience.

[@blankspotato7848]

The world burns: i sleep Leon Massey drops another banger vid: *golden wind plays as I wake up to watch*

[@tysonxavierz]

All of your transitions from game to game visually are all really good! And great vid as always!

[@HateSonneillon]

The horse fight in SotC was hard for me on my first time too. Took me a couple hours I think to figure it out. I don't think theres anything wrong with that though because its more of a puzzle than a fight. Especially on the original version as it seems to not be as consistent as one would hope where as the remake has made it so players can sometimes accidentally solve it.

[@Faulheit]

yo can we talk about those game transitions?

[@ultimasurge]

Yes and why hasn't magicka taken over the world of spellcasting in video games yet! no seriously.

[@steel5897]

Dustforce is criminally underrated. Though, no, I did not think of Celeste or an old SNES platformer when you talked about the greatest one, I thought of DKC Tropical Freeze, another criminally underrated game that is 2D level-design perfection.

[@nintenjermi5325]

Damn this is very true hell even beat em ups like mother russia and yet some RPG can be difficult like Caravan Stories and Genshin Impact it's pretty insane in my book yet Eiyuu Senki is hard asf if you get further in the game like literally the difficult and yet their are harder games like getting over and jump king but honestly it's something else like cuphead is the most hardest game of all time and yet you have a parry mechanic if pink to parry and made me realize I now know why games and difficulty are important in gaming in general wow thanks leon it's something I needed in my life

[@jpmadison98]

Leon, your videos are phenomenal. Truly interesting and well written.

[@gabrielfeitosadecarvalhoba6457]

I just wanted to say thank you for actually listing the games shown in the video

[@mawillix2018]

There are three types of difficulty. They are as follows: Execution Comprehension Rushdown

[@homecomin]

This is an amazing video. I was impressed by your videos on fighting games but this is on a different level. Outstanding job!

[@byakazyaka]

I subscribed for fightan game memes, and suddenly you're making video essays? That's awesome, dude, keep it up.

[@PSORules]

Yotta is the only level in dustforce I could never beat. Amazing game

[@TheOblomoff]

The feelling for controls is subjective. (I reset like 8 times when I was beating the second or third level) I'd beat any single Megaman before I'd beat half the Dust Force. Because it throws high scores right into my face. I can't bear to play it less than close to perfectly, but my perfectly is apparently like 2/3 of the way up.

[@Walpurgisnackt]

Wow finally someone else talks about how the spawn point of firelink shrine points you in the wrong direction. So much of Dark Souls difficulty is knowledge checks like that but people talked like they were execution gods or something for beating it

[@cupsoup7244]

Honestly this is probably the most underrated KZbinr with very good editing and fantastic videos you deserve success and hopefully soon you will find it

[@andandampersand8202]

When it comes to difficulty in size i think a good example is in rhythm games, where having longer stretches of action have more difficulty. Two challenges could have the same amount of technical difficulty while one requires you to play for longer, and your own stamina is a factor

[@andandampersand8202]

Longer levels are harder levels

[@Shahars71]

wtf I literally agree with every single point you made about Dustforce, how is this game so underrated??? Also, I think most people who bought Dustforce think about it like so: "I've had this game for literal years and I still haven't finished the last forest level"

[@jasperbartram784]

Your recent videos have all been great keep up the awesome work!

[@sodasodahero]

That Dustforce game looks cool

[@cynicalchemist8477]

Really like this channel, the videos are getting more entertaining and funny as time passes.

[@oh_gosh]

I LOVE DUSTFORCE

[@Shomomomo]

Highkey one of your best vids dude. Keep going and doing what you’re doing 👌🏻

[@tylercafe1260]

21:30 For Shadow of the Colossus its difficulty isnt necessarily the Boss themselves like their attacks killing you. Usually its being keenly aware of you sorroundings, the monster's body, behaviors, and the environment its in. This horse is a notorious wall in SotC because of how you have to manipulate its behaviors to get on top of it. You can also cheese a jump onto its back with the mounds. Most players aren't used to manipulating AI behaviors in such a way so it ends up feeling really arbitrary if youre just waiting and expecting the monster to present its weakpoint.

[@EchoHibiki_VTuber]

I think you could talk about music in games and how it's important to immersing the player in its setting. Also great job, your videos are perfect for stimulating critical thinking! Keep it up.

[@junkbot4032]

I like the added effort into the editing of this video, it looks really cool!

[@sleepybinch]

Sheesh there's some smooth transitions in this vid

[@ListlessWither]

I'm not even at the half way point of this video but gotta say this is one if not you best videos.

[@BIuejoker18]

This made me download Dust Force. :>

[@SoShiBias]

That is a lot of work to sell Dustforce lol. Quite enjoyed the video, though do you have any reference point on the "3 types of difficulty"? Gotta say the title of the video is pretty classy. Did you make that "Difficulty" out of leaves in the level creation feature? And congratz on the achievement !

[@breaka666]

damn Massey, your editing is getting really good

[@EHyde-ir9gb]

well dustforce is now on my wishlist

[@DoomRater]

Also yay new mannequin I can add to the collection of players on this modded Minecraft world I have. I'm collecting a lot of Minecraft names all of a sudden

[@Cleobirdwell]

Thanks for making a video promoting Dustforce. You should grind out Yotta SS. That in itself is its own experience.

[@ozy667]

"Do or do not, there is no try" - Jedi Master Yotta

[@maybetta]

this Dustforce game looks cool 👀

[@stonefirexiv4648]

These transitions are wild, keep up the good work, Leon.

[@TheDocbach]

Nioh 2 is basically every difficulty type described in this vid with even more difficulty types.

[@Grgrqr]

24:18 glorious, yes, but anxiety soon sweeps over as you realize you have to SS the level.

[@twurtz]

i’d love to see your perspective on the kaizo scene of SMW from how well versed and educated you are in platformers of all kinds 💖

[@kumwagen]

this video made me buy dustforce.

[@PopTartMan-dk2qq]

the amount of effort you put into your videos are insane, keep up the amazing work homie 🔥

[@ciege5109]

"A final boss so hard you can nickname him 'Johnny Sins'." Oof... that one got me... my soul is still laughing.

[@platinumplatypus_]

Dunno if it's been mentioned yet, but there's actually a level "after" yotta called infini difficult. It's basically just a clusterfuck of all of the super crazy tech that isn't required elsewhere.