THE DWELLINGS DOLDRUMS | Spelunky 2's Worst Zone

[@ElBlargho]

Just to clarify: the Xanagear quote at the end truly has not been doctored IN ANY WAY and is in fact 100% accurate. It's plain ludicrous for you to suggest otherwise! >O

[@noah_craw614]

hi

[@binuuls5747]

11 hours ago 😳

[@X_XSleepless]

@@binuuls5747 ikr

[@spiritwicc3953]

@@binuuls5747 He keeps uploads private and makes them public later

[@flaco3462]

i am a verified lineologist and that is perfectly legit

[@colbyjack8592]

I think the dwellings being tedious is only a part of why it feels like such a chore. 7-1 and similar levels also have an insane amount of things to do but because of how far you’ve gotten they feel intense rather than tedious. In the dwelling it’s too easy to just instant restart if the udjet eye needs a rope to get or if no kali alters spawn with the turkeys. The main issue for me is just how often I’m in the dwellings, no matter how good I get i just always end up spending 20+ minutes restarting in the dwellings but as soon as I leave I can often get all the way to sunken city and beyond.

[@merekj4716]

The repetition of rooms is the worst for me. You could recognize the rooms in spelunky hd, but they didn't have the same solution each time. In spelunky 2, it feels like you do the same thing each time with the occasional time-wasting lizard or mole.

[@nilevelum]

As if you peace Lego together, you already know all of the structures.

[@popkorn256]

Yep, I'd add that level 1-1 is often empty (money and crate are rare!) and 1-4 is always the same :( I can't stand doing Moleman all the time :D

[@spiritwicc3953]

I really do agree the Dwellings need changed. I love this game but just the thought of getting through it is enough to make me say "Eh, I think I'll play something else today."

[@alphalupus7527]

My exact thought process through the dwellings, but I try to believe that I just need to get better

[@starkadex3530]

I strongly agree, that feeling has happened to me so much.

[@chestnut3898]

Dang I cant believe he managed to convince Xanagear that the Dwelling was bad off camera! Truly amazing stuff.

[@NostraFnDamus]

If that quote from Xanagear seems doctored, it's because he edited out the horrifically foul language. Never heard the N word so many times in a single sentence.

[@sasquatch.8]

XanaGear: I'm a Big Christian. Press X to doubt

[@motherofpearls8108]

I can’t tell if this is a joke or not

[@sasquatch.8]

@@motherofpearls8108 why would it be a joke?

[@motherofpearls8108]

@@sasquatch.8 you right

[@thomasdowns2011]

1. Dwellings music: I think the problem with the Dwellings music is that it feels like a song, while the other levels are like ambient music (especially the dark levels). The Dwellings music commands your attention while the other music is only in the background and adds to the atmosphere. 2. Moles: One issue with the moles is that their i-frames go against expectations, one would expect they would be the most vulnerable while popping from the ground (like whack-a-mole) but instead they are invincible! It would be better if they could be one-hit KOd during this time as a nice risk-reward. 3. Lizards: They aren't too bad except that pop up they do at the end of their roll, which is absolutely brutal (and sometimes hilarious) as it takes away the most natural escape path of jumping up a ledge. Removing or at least reducing the pop up would help this, but part of me kind of likes it how it is. 4. Moleman: Agree, he is tedious, especially since he is so finicky in making him go where you want. This sucks because the entire point of the level is to pick the next area. He also takes way too many skulls/rocks to kill him. 5. Udjat Eye: I really don't understand why we can't take this out of the room. It would be a nice quality-of-life improvement if we could. 6. Moods: Having more moods and having them occur more often (especially in the Dwellings) would add variety! 7. Blargh!: While I loved when you were making daily videos (easily the best commentary in the Spelunky community), it is content like this that will be more worthwhile in the end, especially if it prompts discussions and real changes. Great video!

[@treattrick8991]

Your asking a death sentance

[@SqwimpyTF]

@@treattrick8991 I know 8 months but, ???

[@hngldr]

Oh man I almost forgot about the level feelings... I NEVER thought I'd say I missed the spider feeling but now that I think about it, I genuinely do - just for the variety. Also I know this is about dwellings, but I miss the jungle castle. "The undead are restless" is such a shell of its former self...

[@pointynoodle]

I played spelunky hd and only got to the jungle 1 in every 5 runs. Even with that, I never got sick of the mines. The first level of any roguelike needs to be its best, because it is the most common.

[@disgustingrat4839]

1 in 5 is better than me

[@chandl34]

The game, as a whole, isn't using as much randomization as a roguelike should. Why do I need to see Yang and his turkeys every run? Or the jungle girls, walrus lady, or Van Helsing? It would've been nice if a lot of these non-critical set pieces were mixed up more.

[@ElBlargho]

I have a BIG AGREE for this one!

[@jumponeverything]

They should bring back the rare music tracks from spelunky hd like when it would play a spelunky classic on a rare chance which always made it exciting

[@calinguga]

it didn't play a classic track, it had a whole new set of 8 bit style music, on top of the multiple tracks per area. worth mentioning classic's tracks were also only one per area and suffered the same critique of being tiring (the mines especially), which influenced the musical diversity in hd (according to derek's book on spelunky).

[@sasquatch.8]

I loved those songs

[@periclescomoeddie5215]

They should just bring back HD OST in general.

[@sperinthalakkat9831]

They should add the old music as some sort of reward, maybe something to do with the journal or hard completions

[@OliverKlozzofff]

This vid really hit me where I live. For me, most of the pain of dying in Spelunky 2 is knowing you'll need to retread the dwellings. It isn't always a hassle but when it is it really is.

[@chellietron]

completely agree with everything you said! my favorite was when you said that the problem is friction and it’s starting to chaffe, absolutely man

[@lisahaik]

My extremely valuable opinion on these: 1) I would leave out lizards, they're fine. They are very predictable and very easy to just bypass. Moles on the other hand are indeed the worst enemy in the game. Not the hardest, but definitely the most annoying and "please die already" kind of enemy. 2) No objections here. Udjat eye system of Spelunky HD was better. This restriction may be an intentional way to annoy players, just like the extraordinarily absurd item pickup priorities! 3) I like the track, it's one of my favorite tracks in the game, but variety is indeed more valuable than this dynamic nonsense that nobody cares about. It's a shame, because this definitely wasn't easy to implement, but the result was clearly not worth it. 4) I agree. Uuu, I expected this to be a controversial rebuttal, instead I'm just agreeing with every point! Anyway, there should either be fun and varied bosses or no bosses at all. 5) Huh, I didn't expect this one as your main complaint. But yeah, I see what you mean and I agree. Rooms are too distinct and unfun to get through. It's hard to appreciate the "spike pit room" while you curse the game for making you spend a rope to descend and get the key at the bottom of it. 6) The moods are a really weird game design choice. They removed the fun stuff (snake pits) and now all of them are either inconsequential (dead are restless, volcana junk, tide pool jails) or actively annoying (long levels, dark levels). I don't mind level moods that make the level harder, but this should be balanced with a reward. Like the spider levels of HD that are annoying, yeah, but at least give you a paste and lot of money! Also, problems #4 and #6 can both be solved with a simple solution: make minibosses a level mood, just like in Spelunky HD! Change the big fish and Moleman to be the enemies you may encounter sometimes, instead of something guaranteed on 4-2 or 1-4. Regular bosses like Olmec can't be fixed as easily, but still it's a good idea, I think. Another problem I have is that 1-1 has nothing. I mean, yeah, it prevents people from restarting to get a good seed, but... why? Why must they be prevented from doing this? Just let them do what they want to do in a game, regular players will play normally anyway. And they will definitely appreciate the possibility of a shop/altar spawning in 1-1 instead of it being an hollow hellhole full of despair.

[@Cloiss_]

as a speedrunner, I often reset for a 1-1 that takes under 10 seconds to complete... all time spent in 1-1 is time wasted! And then I arrive in 1-2 to see a shop with climbing gloves, pitcher's mitt, and 6 ropes...

[@HexPhoenix]

The Dwellings definitely feel... much different than the Spelunky HD caves. I was surprised at how many new elements were added, and still feel like they are an overall good zone for the game. However i do agree with basically every point in the video. Most of the problems of the Dwellings are frustrating, because I still enjoy the zone quite a lot. Also, they're all problems that feel like they could be fixed, which contributes to the frustration of them being in the game. I really like the song, but it definitely lacks in variety, especially considering the BANGERS of the Spelunky HD caves. I think I'll start looking for a mod to get the old songs with the Dwellings' theme, just like in HD. I love the fact that you have so much more to do already from 1-2: there's the Udjat Eye, the ghost jar, the damsel, Antonio Banderas, the shop. But, considering the limited resources and mobility due to, well, having just started a run, it can get tedious. Especially with dead ends and annoying mini-puzzles. I feel like Moleman is an absolutely great addition to the game. This is probably the only point i actually disagree with the video, because despite taking some time doing a repetitive action (throwing skulls at the guy), it can perfectly be cut short with a ton of tools and just a small amount of skill. You could throw a bomb, but it's not guaranteed to hit, so you gotta time it well. And he also drops 3 bombs, so it's not a bad time save. Or you could shoot it with a shotgun, but if you do it from too far and can't see him, you can't know if something went wrong, if some pellets missed him. And if you shoot after he died, the bomb bag explodes. And in all of this, you still need to stay focused, because one mistake in execution or judgement and you're back to the start. The lizards are way too punishing at times, but I still overall like them. Maybe avoid putting them on the exit of a background layer, because that's just bullshit. Do i have to comment on the moles? Fuck the moles. Less RNG, less health in my humble opinion. Either that, or slow them down just a tiny bit so they're more reactable. Also less invulnerability. Also just delete them directly :^) Actually, maybe this is a good way to sum up my feelings: the Dwellings feel... Harder. More punishing. A bit longer, which doesn't help with the tedium of some of the room designs. While i can claim i learned to get through the caves in HD, I still struggle a bit, getting through the dwellings. And while, obviously, no amount of experience will ever guarantee you to get through the first zone in both games, Spelunky 2 is gonna kick my ass in the Dwellings for quite some more time. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Heck if I know lol

[@orionng195]

I agree wholeheartedly with the Udjat chest change. The moles and lizards, I've learned to notice and avoid, most of the time. As for the music, I don't mind it too much BECAUSE I DON'T DIE IN THE DWELLING GIT GUD SCRUB and also because it's a genuinely great track. The rooms are a pain too, and the lack of level feelings in the game as a whole kind of make it feel a little more samey than HD did. The change to Moleman that I think should be implemented is to have him sleep in the centre of the stage. Then, he rolls in whatever direction you land. That way, you can actually control where he rolls instead of him randomly walking in a direction.

[@ennead322]

First: it is not a great track. It is mediocre af. Second: they really needed 2-3 tracks on the first zone, not one. Third: drums in 4th level are shit. Why do they keep playing after the death of a boss? Why don't they sound like drums? Oh, and boss also sucks.

[@orionng195]

@@ennead322 The first point is subjective, so if you don't like it, that's fine. I do think that more tracks would be welcome though. As for Quillback, yeah, he's not great. I never even thought about the drums stopping after his death; that would be awesome. I'm ok with how the drums sound, but now that you mention it, it would be better if they stopped after you murder him.

[@danielvuchetich5398]

Sometimes i just take the 1-4 shortcut to volcana and say "maybe there will be enough bombs to get to vlad" instead of going to the dwellings

[@Frrk]

Same. It's much safer than the drill too. When you start you can also go up and fight quillback to get the extra bombs.

[@evanwright365]

Its so depressing when youre on a good run and then die, and have to force your way theough that level again

[@Keevstar]

The constant running music is a neat idea but there was just somthing so magical about spelunky HD with the 4 different themes and rare egg music. I really hope they bring that music style back.

[@suddenllybah]

The ugjet eye change makes a lot of sense. HD basically had the same rules as you presented

[@suddenllybah]

@@Clem-hp5sx ah, I think I wasn't clear. his proposed changes make sense, and they would make 2 mimic HD's design. .. besides introducing the back layer as a thing that matters.

[@suddenllybah]

@@Clem-hp5sx Oh, I am fine with putting important stuff in the back layer, hell the black market is much cooler as a back layer rather than as a separate level. Just letting you take the chest out to find the key, rather than forcing you to gather the key first is the change I think makes sense.

[@psewdymcpseudonym9852]

YES. EXACTLY. All my homies hate the dwelling. I genuinely feel like i play the game IN SPITE OF the dwelling.

[@jumponeverything]

Exactly how I feel, I enjoy the game tenfold after I get out of the dwelling which is usually inconsistent too making it all the more frustrating as I enjoy the game less for longer every time I fail

[@eclecticspaghetti]

I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here: I think the reason level feelings are largely absent (or mostly negligible) in 2 is because they wanted runs to be consistent. If you really wanted to go to the spooky castle in HD, you were just out of luck if you couldn’t get a restless dead level, and then your run feels wasted. In 2, now the spooky castle equivalent appears guaranteed, and you will always be able to reach it as long as you’ve taken all the right steps. It makes the run feel much more within your control. I’m not exactly sure if this is BETTER than more unpredictable variety, but I’m saying that I can understand the reasoning behind it.

[@CactusforceX]

thats a good point, though it hardly feels consistent when I get the occasional 4 pack-o-moles or a level generated where you cant proceed without bombs!

[@RoseaSword]

I agree

[@commentpolice4694]

Vlad’s (Dracula’s) Castle appears in 5-1 In Spelunky HD. You’re thinking of the Haunted Castle

[@eclecticspaghetti]

@@commentpolice4694 Shit, I am. My bad, I knew I would get those mixed up one way or another.

[@limonero8757]

@@commentpolice4694 ENGINEERS! A SENTRY BUSTER HAS ENTERED THE AREA!

[@Nennecatgirl]

I love how he brought up Isaacs bosses as a good example, but showed Ragman for the footage

[@Jacksonrox13]

Still not as bad as The Bloat or Delirium.

[@reiniskrasausks4668]

Lets also not forget the brutaly difficult arrow traps, that sometime block the main path and require you to get items to throw in front of them. I think arrow traps would be ok if they came in a bit later on.

[@popkorn256]

I don't have a real issue with the arrow traps, but sometimes, geez, you can find 5 of them in a row... :(

[@legendmasterxyz]

Mole i-frames and easily recognised generation make it kinda stale after a while

[@Dakugotto]

I think i speak for everybody if i say: We need Spelunky 202.

[@AleK0451]

what happened to spelunky 3 through 201

[@pietrodelatosca1709]

Yeah ! Why not a extension ?

[@0Wayland]

Spelunky 2 DLC is honestly is in my opinion a much nicer idea than waiting for a whole new game when it comes to extra content. I'd be happy even with 'simple' music additions.

[@kungfusion5906]

if the music bothers u the only solution is stealing from the store (keeping the shopkeeper alive and staying on the run) since it will change the music... or bringing a dead turkey to the turkey guy... so yeah i feel like the music encourages u to be criminal in this game..

[@KevinDavisKPD]

Gungeon nostalgia run?!? YAAAASSSSSSS! Watching you play gungeon is awesome!

[@ReliableDragon]

Agree entirely! It makes me sad, too, because I love playing Spelunky 2... Until I die and realize I have to play the Dwelling again. Oftentimes I'll just decide to do something else, because I just don't feel like doing chores in order to get to play the parts of the game I actually enjoy. :/

[@AfroRyan]

My biggest issue with Spelunky 2 is the lack of alternate tunes. In a game where you die a lot, hearing new music helps eliminate some of the redundancy/tedium of restarting. Don't get me wrong, I *like* Spelunky 2's music, but I LOVE Spelunky 1's. Not only does 1 have more music per biome, but it does a lot of bold things like strange time signatures and arguably mismatched theming (the jazzy Ice Caves theme is so funny but I love it).

[@austinw6632]

I think the lack of variety even between the dwelling levels is the problem. 1-1 will always be an empty level, so just get through as quick as possible. 1-2 and 1-3 are always a task, either turkies or the udjat eye, and of course 1-4 is moleman. It's set in stone 100% of runs

[@Geo07ism]

Nuke has been deployed, we've now entered the endgame. Derek Yu won't let this go unanswered.

[@yigitomerkayhan5369]

You are absolutely right in every way in this video. I muted my music just because of the Dwellings and I really like the soundtrack. The Dwellings feel more like a chore than gameplay. Like waiting until your shift's over to get back home and play -- that's basically the Dwellings. Lizards and Moles just make me ragequit after dying in a good run and they should be nerfed at least. Easily the worst part of the whole game, and I love this game I've put many hours in it.

[@AnnieBee43]

After 130 hours I’ve completely forgotten, but within my first few hours of spelunky 2 I thought “wow these levels seem much less randomized than in HD” and I’m glad someone feels the same

[@Noah_Canton]

i really wish there was more of those special levels to spice things up. like the flooded mines from that documentary was such a good idea that should have been in spelunky 2

[@JohnSmith-fc5wr]

I'll give my opinion on each of your points 1: Lizards and Moles From my perspective, Spelunky 2 intended for each area to have its own unique quirks and shenanigans. That includes the enemies. In the first game, the mines didn't have spectacular enemies out of the ordinary (Except for the giant spiders, which even still share mostly the same actions as regular spiders do.) All the other areas in the first game had completely different enemies with pretty unique behaviors, unlike the mundane spiders and snakes. That's why I think moles and lizards are a thing. While it's they are a pain in the ass, they're not as hell to deal with as cursed scum, magma men, magma dinosaur, egyptian crocodiles, aimbot witches and those green dwarfs shitting a dangerous explosion upon contact. I'd say just go easy on them. Obviously they're the ones we remember the most since these are the ones we see arguably the most in the frickin game. 2: The Udjat Eye Chore I kinda have to disagree with you on that one. The udjat eye is meant to be obtained for the hard ending/beyond, which is why it seems fair to sacrifice ressources, since you're going down a difficult path. However, as mentioned by an earlier commenter, you can just instant restart if the udjat eye is too hard to get, which removes pression from the player but also screws up the intended experience of not making a run too dependent on a certain level. However I do agree that it's a significantly harder task to complete in the process of reaching the hard end than others, such as accumulating enough money to buy the hedjet, killing kingu and grabbing the ushabti (I feel like getting the crown and killing the duat boss are harder tasks than getting udjat eye). Either they should nerf the udjat eye chore by making the key spawn closer to the udjat cave or flat out buff some other parts to balance difficulty (Hedjet?/Kingu/ushabti???) Though it is kind of dumb you can't get the chest out of the cave. Too bad! 3: The musi- wait nevermind 4: MOLEMA- I also agree with that 5: THE ROO- I agree 6: Absent level moods This doesn't apply only to Dwellings, but the whole game. It's too bad they're not here as often, but I guess it was part of derek's plan to not make runs too dependent on sole factors such as level feelings (In other words I agree)

[@goldgrieferplayz4899]

Maybe DLC that allows you to switch music in-game? You can play Ice Caves music while in the Jungle, or maybe you want to hear Volcana tunes while in the Olmec fight. There are so many possibilities for this.

[@solaire3870]

Everybody gangsta till blargho mimics the Dwellings tune

[@crystobatman6436]

I super strongly agree with the points about the bosses and level feelings, but tbh I feel the key and chest spawns are a little less BS than in Spelunky HD, where I recall often needing resources to get both of them, if they were hidden away in a closed off part of the level.

[@meduckie1143]

I'll be honest, the dwelling doesn't bother me in the slightest. (though the chest thing would make things easier.) the bigger problem imo is how lacking temple's rewards are. it'd be nice if they buffed elixir in some way, or increased the amount of treasure and crates that appeared in the temple levels. i just don't dwell on the dwellings. I can get through them easily enough and idk the level chunks are satisfying. moles could do with 1hp less health, maybe? temple vs tide pool makes me sad because temple looks so cool and feels cool to go through.

[@silverstar4505]

Completely agreed. The only reason I ever went temple is 1. I was in co op and other people wanted 2. Alien Compass 3. Journal. It's just too dangerous for too little a reward.

[@limonero8757]

Imo, the reward for going through the temple is the absurd amount of money you can get from the City of Gold.

[@silverstar4505]

@@limonero8757 usually you won't really care about gold at this point of the game though, and it requires a lot of bombs to excavate

[@meduckie1143]

@@limonero8757 yep, and that's all it's really got. i still have my highest score ever from going there before dying in duat to Apep. i didn't even complete the game and it made BIG money... but Elixir is just TOO weak compared to the incredible clone gun.

[@stanzenjoyer1275]

i dont even know what the reasons are yet but i agree

[@Philip1916]

its even worse because most players most deadly level is 1-1 or an other part from the dwelling

[@YQMaoski]

I like the music too, and I have it muted the whole time I play, unfortunately. I cannot stand the tune in the dwelling any more! I play a random playlist in the background usually. Sometimes, I turn on the Spelunky 1 OST on KZbin. And I wish there were more variety in miniboss encounters too! I end up dying in the dwelling a lot, unfortunately, so it's just rough to get through.

[@piotrdomagalski5096]

Another solution to the udjat eye question: make the chest spawn only on the last two floors, while the key spawns on any but the last.

[@TJ-ck3fp]

Strongly agree with all your crits, and judging by the comments and like ratio, it seems the vast majority of players feel the same way.

[@sapphiric6921]

The Dulling

[@rott3nmilk]

I probably enjoy spelunky 2 more than spelunky hd but I agree with you in almost every point you made. Hope Derek watches

[@toadboydude5015]

You make some solid points, i love the theme of the dwelling and think Quillback is an interesting challenge at times. Although I can definitely see where you're coming from on the level moods, room layouts and *moles.* I'm not opposed to new music at all, in fact I would welcome it with open arms. Great video, israel.

[@warmaster1084]

I hope we get more than one nostalgia enter the gungeon run.

[@ODISeth]

It’s so weird. Spelunky HD was, in my opinion, the perfect game. Spelunky 2 managed to improve on it, making it far better in most ways, but there are just enough small issues and irks like these that make it not perfect.

[@hngldr]

I 100% do think moles SHOULD be fixed, but just the i-frames. Everything would be WAY more tolerable about them if they weren't so invincible. OR, at the very least the player should not be able to be hurt by them while they are still invincible. If they must have those i-frames, make it a two-way street. This is especially notable for when you're stuck in a one to two block area with them

[@gearsofgames]

I am with you all the way, on your reasoning here, Israel. Would actually love to see some changes done here. Especially eradicate the "Your voice echoes" completely and utterly! 😁 Even though I believe they have lowered the chance of it happening to close to zero, at least it feels like that.

[@gearsofgames]

@@liamtaylor9806 YES! That is a very good suggestion! Just had one today, the ghost was on me before I was anywhere near the Udjat chest, with my key!! 😁

[@pirateglock9969]

I completely agree with all you said. Even a slight change in the layout of the dwelling would be fantastic but as of now I usually short cut ahead of it because of how tired I am of going in to it.

[@JohnnyandStuff]

I just came back from the eye doctor. And they put stuff in my eyes. And I feel I’m seeing stuff like a high person would

[@osp4277]

Totally agree on this one. The dwelling can be ESPECIALLY annoying because most of the time you might restart there (bad seed, getting hit, etc.) Like you said, PLEEEASE add more tracks and change it up more. Like you said the dwelling is mainly consisting of a bunch of elements that are the same like the long hallway, long drop with edges to hold onto, etc. Excited to see more of your content!

[@motherofpearls8108]

Bro this is such a perfect video. I have the same problems and this video makes it so much easier to explain those problems to my friends instead of just ranting about them. 👍

[@ColdIronKing]

The music dude. Thats the biggest thing for me. Spelunky HD had the most killer variety, I miss it.

[@ReaperspearX]

A big reason why I loved the mines in HD is because it had several different types of music, different types of layouts and it felt open with not many annoying enemies to deal with. It was a great introduction into the game and I think the Dwelling is off the mark in that regard.

[@thetajuice]

I can’t believe xanagear would say that!

[@thomasdowns2011]

If you ever do a general Spelunky 2 critique video, you should add your jetpack idea, the one where you get a few seconds to take it off before it explodes! I really think it is a great idea that would lead to hilarious moments of trying to take it off while panicking and failing miserably.

[@jacobc2850]

Honestly that really is it the predictability of the Dwelling. You know you got the same Udjat Eye, the same boss, and the same music all the time.

[@gringomoderfoquer8287]

You simply nailed it. The rooms and level moods are things that I never really thought about, but are major reasons why I despise the Dwellings. Also, I think Tide Pool's rooms are very predictable, boring and annoying as well. At least it doesn't force me to waste many resources like the Dwellings

[@vmoore409]

12/10 would rather listen to a clip on repeat of blargho mimicking the dwelling music than actually hearing that tune again while playing

[@96Jambones]

Yeah I agree with the music variety, chest not being able to be moved, and level feelings. I really hope there’s more in store for this game like what you said, DLC wise. Good vid. Hope you keep playing the game though, cuz even with the minor annoyances I still genuinely love this game. And hope it gets more of the content it needs to extend that love.

[@KansaswithaK]

The worst part about the adaptive music is when you restart, sometimes there's a minor part near the beginning instead of a major one which comes off as really passive-aggressive. Like, "What was so sad about that run, mr. dwellings? Not perfect enough for you?"

[@argie9914]

The entire dwellings feel like a chore simulator with added bullshit

[@Why-wd3zg]

Finally someone to share my sentiment. Ooh and the reasons are the same too, truly felt the music section.

[@MKSTAB]

On your comment about Hans, the best way a Roguelike has actually done minibosses is something like how Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup handles its Unique mobs. They have set depth ranges they can potentially spawn in, in specific branches/alternate areas of the dungeons, and they usually carry obscenely strong loot, or are guarding it if they can't actually make use of any equipment. Spelunky 2 does not have that. The most that a boss can drop is gems, or in the case of the cave spiders, paste in addition to gems.

[@patatje6974]

There is an easy solution to the boring dwellings: Tunnel Mama. I use it all the time. I take the tunnel to Olmec, defeat it, take the Ankh, collect the money and the go straight to the casino.

[@youssefhajar1522]

I totally agree with you!

[@vibestm1846]

Oh boy I love finding the Udjat Eye Cave in the relatively high area of the level and the Udjat Eye Cave at the *literal fucking bottom of the level gurading by every enemy in existence plus an angry shopkeeper.*

[@calinguga]

i don't have any particular issue with the dwellings. i still die a lot (especially trying to spice up the quillback fight - so i guess i agree with you there), but i wouldn't have anything changed yet; only about 50 hours in, curious if i'm going to change my mind later on. overall though i agree with what you said in a previous video, that spelunky 2 is more flawed than hd. it's much more complex and that left some loose ends. it's also more difficult (not even counting cosmic ocean), and i tend to think i was enjoying hd more, although returning to it now feels antiquated and limited.

[@goonished]

I bet once a mod comes out that replaces the music with HD's music, my playtime will double.

[@maxw799]

I feel as though an alternative first level would be nice, as it would fix almost all of these problems by just not having them for a while, with the option to return to the dwelling, of course. Perhaps an unlockable, second door that takes you there. It would still go to jungle and volcana, but it would add a lot of variety to early game.

[@starkadex3530]

I’ve heard the dwelling music so much that I get a headache when I hear it.

[@bubblemage]

A few zones of this game need to be changed, honestly. The first zone FOR SURE, but I'd change the jungle as well, it feels way too "everything is so close to everything that it's just boring". Also the "feelings" mechanic. I need that back. I know it's "back", but meh, it's really not, and it sucks SO much.

[@goose9735]

Personally I can agree with the unneeded Iframes on moles and how tedious they become, especially because they have access to the whole stage, but I very much like how lizards are designed. Like an arrow trap you need to have some sort of forethought, if that be running under their jump, jumping over them while they’re rolling or throwing something at them while they’re tumbling at you to stun them. I think they get a lot of flack like arrow traps because of their ability to wreck house really quickly, but failure from negligence (for the most part) is an idea spelunky 2 champions.

[@dev614x]

I 1 zillion percent agree with the music rant. I mute it until I exit then unmute the rest of the game. Then as soon as I die I re-mute it. I wonder if there's some neurological explanation considering my emotions of anger and annoyance just after dying is always followed by that same freakin song. My brain has decided it's the "you lose, try again" song.

[@a_blind_sniper]

I personally dislike dwellings because of how many tasks you have to repeat to set up good runs, especially in only TWO LEVELS. The first level is insignificant unless you die or are collecting money. But then, in the next two levels, for good runs you have to: 1. Complete udjat eye quest 2. Find the turkeys and return them to yang 3. Pray for a Kali Altar, then backtrack with the damsel to sac it 4. Stock up on items at shops 5. (for Jungle) find enough gold to afford hedjet 6. Any damsel saves you try to pull off Each of these is a significant time and resource investment, and the level generation fights you along the way. Maybe yang's pen is inaccessible without bombs because he's behind the shop. Ok now go up and around. Oh look udjat eye room on this level too. Alright gotta backtrack there too. Well there's a lot of enemies so I better kill them. Crap, most have 3hp. And to have all of that ended by a mole or arrow trap or unlucky lizard roll is brutal. Other areas feel much better because there is usually only one or two things to do per level, and more minimal backtracking. Having 4 real levels per area to spread out tasks makes it less tedious. I wish that something could spawn on 1-1, because fitting ALL those tasks into 1-2 and 1-3 is getting tiresome.

[@pancakesandsyrup1233]

Oh Xanagear, he really hit the nail on the head with that statement of his! Definitely, his own words right there.

[@boopynooby1172]

i completely agree. i would kill for a update or mod that makes the 1-4 shortcut give you the udjat, some money and maybe a shop or something, so you can just skip it with no consequence.

[@Cahooster]

One thing about the dwelling that wasn’t mentioned that I think needs to be changed is the shop variety. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a 1-2 shop with a cape, climbing gloves, and both boots, or a shop with a power pack and a ton of weapons. 99% of the dwelling shops have no appeal and you’ll use very little of those items as soon as literally the next level. The fact you can’t even get a dice shop for a chance at something interesting makes them that much less appealing IMO. Besides the shops, I 100% agree with this list entirely, and it’s sad that I have to put in my own background music to prevent dwellings insanity.

[@The_Nicktendo_Nerd]

I think you and the comments made a lot of good points about the dwelling, so I’d just like to add this extra bit: The 1-1 mines never had a Kali Altar, Idol or Shop (like Spelunky 2), but it also didn’t have scorpions or cobras either. That little detail made the mines a bit more friendly imo as it helped ease people into the beginning of a new run. The dwelling, meanwhile, will not hesitate to throw its annoying lizards and moles at the start of the game. While it is extra challenging (that’s fine honestly), it’s also less welcoming and makes me feel like the dwelling itself doesn’t want to be liked.

[@Ruok98Reborn]

I suck at dwelling and I keep thinking that it seems harder than other places. And I think you’re right. The set up isn’t as obvious on how to traverse the level and it a lot of times forces you to use items you really can’t afford to spend.

[@polyphorge6621]

other than the miniboss stuff i fully agree.

[@dewoiski]

Wow, Xanagear's opinion was well put, "not" manipulated in anyway! Joke aside, I actually agree with all you said, so here's an idea for a special level, only moles from top to the bottom, what do you think? XD

[@igorigor5342]

I like that

[@ElBlargho]

No joke, I'd actually DIG that, bahahaa

[@dewoiski]

@@ElBlargho I come for the videos but stay for the puns! XD

[@gilgamesh2538]

A counterpoint to many of the dwellings complaints I'd say would be difficulty scaling. The dwelling is intended to be harder and force you to spend resources because once you gain more throughout the run even areas like Neo Babylon become relatively easy.

[@DudeTheMighty]

I personally like the lizards. The moles, though, I agree about. The moles can frick off.

[@karmatose]

The Dwelling is why I stopped playing Spelunky 2 after about 25hrs after putting 800hrs into Spelunky HD. The tedium of the Dwellings (and the fact that 90% of my playtime will be spent there as I'm not what you would call good) just turns me off. I agree with all of your statements though. All of your points are extremely valid.

[@MaidofRage420]

I got all of the shortcuts for the different areas in Spelunky 2 but most of my deaths in runs always occur in Dwellings. If there was one word to describe Dwellings it's Buttsauce

[@LillLizzert]

Looking back, the Mines with the snake pits and giant spider levels and music variety, they do a much better job of standing out. And yeah, most of my negatives come from the Dwelling as well. I started playing the game faster until the second world, the game becomes much more enjoyable that way.

[@rowmacnezumi8953]

You changed Margo's model again! Don't think I didn't notice that eyepatch!

[@periclescomoeddie5215]

Don’t worry Blargh, everyone agrees. Also, they should just bring back the HD music in this theoretical paid DLC too.

[@Lil_Ms_Dipst]

I love how they tried to go for dynamic music, but the thing is, I think personally it was pointless. You don't stop to appreciate it at all, because you're so focused on not getting shot in succession 5 times by dart traps. Breath of the Wild is a wonderful example (in my opinion) of dynamic music. The music is always so quiet most of the time, and you really notice the music during boss fights because that's when it gets louder. When fighting a lynel for example, it gets all climatic when you're parrying or it's going to attack. I feel the music would be better in the Dwellings if it was either more quiet, or you could easily tell when the music becomes dynamic. Or maybe in a situation where you can't focus on the music, just remove it. I really love the time and effort they put into the dynamic music, but it just doesn't work.

[@ernestor9895]

This is a good video. I feel like the game itself would be better if there was just more stuff, like more variety. A good example was one you made with the snake pit. I would like way more thing like that

[@raoulduke2924]

My big thing with the moles is-- sometimes they will only come out of the ground when you are within one tile of them. Legitimately, there've been single tile spaces that I've had to walk/climb through with a mole in the dirt in one the surrounding tiles and have been pretty much be forced to take a minimum of 1 damage because they cannot be baited out of certain spots. Sometimes they are easy to manipulate to go where I want them, but other times they are definitely just bugging out in the ground and will only activate when they will 100% cause damage. Lizards I have almost no issues with, I think S2 would've been a better game with an alternative enemy to the mole, just something else that doesn't have the same mechanics but also poses a reasonable threat.

[@ChanceTheCheetah]

People have modded the chest outside of the door in dwelling, and it is indeed. 100% better.