Sunday, May 21, 2017

All Digital Stores Should Have a Refund Policy

Because I seriously need one for Tumbleseed.  It's a bad game.  It tries to sell itself as a challenging roguelike, and yes, I did read the reviews and knew what I was getting into, but you don't really KNOW what you're getting into when it comes to a video game until you're actually playing it.  People said Dark Souls was really hard, and it was, but it was hard for the right reasons.  Tumbleseed is hard for the wrong reasons.

I have no history with roguelikes.  To be honestly, I don't really understand what they are, or where the name came from, but I do know they're challenging games that randomize their levels and power ups.  I guess Binding of Isaac is a roguelike, which I played and absolutely loved, but it was also a game where you still had a fair chance of surviving if shit hit the fan.  And shit hits the fan all the time in Tumbleseed, and most of the time it's out of your control.

If you don't know what Tumbleseed is, it's a game where you move a seed vertically across a floor with holes and enemies using a vine stretched across the screen.  Each end of the vine is raised and lowered independently by the left and right stick.  Left side higher, seed rolls right, and vice versa.  You can raise both ends together to rapidly move the seed further up.  The problem with this kind of locomotion is that it doesn't afford you the agility needed to get yourself out of harm's way.  For instance, you're moving up, but then you're rolling towards a hole, so you try to stop yourself.  At that very moment, you're hit by an enemy as it jumps itself onto you.

There are other problems with the game as well.  Holes can open up directly under you with no warning.  Spikes are an instant game over.  Most of the time, vital power ups that you need are not there when you need them, and some require opportune placements that just don't present themselves. Whenever you lose all your hearts, you have to start from the ground up, but it does have a teleport system ... that you have to work very hard for.  I got the first teleport to the next level, but in order to earn another one, a quest chain I have to complete has me stumped because of a very BAD mini game that I need to complete that doesn't spawn all the time, and doesn't let me repeat it when I fail.

The game is frustrating; cheap; infuriating.  I've pulled my fist back several times, struggling not to punch this 300 dollar screen and I've been successful.  So far.  The only reason why I keep coming back is because I'm deluding myself into thinking I'll get better;  I might have better luck and get farther next time.  I made it to the third level... and that fuels my disillusioned hope.  Whenever I DO get to the third level, I instantly die.  I try to play the game speeding along to avoid everything.. and die.  I take my time to save up crystals to buy power ups... and die.  Whatever I do, I die.

I haven't gotten rid of a game in a very long time, but I want to get rid of this one.  My OCD keeps me playing it, only because I still have it on my Switch and history has shown that if I delete a game, I'll only redownload it.  I want to return it.  I want my money back, or at least a partial refund, and then I know I won't play it anymore because I'm not going to buy it again.  But the problem is, most digital store fronts don't have refund policies.  Steam does, with a very narrow window of playing the game for no more than two hours, but it's something.  I learned within two hours that I don't want to play Tumbleseed anymore... but, I can't return so I keep playing it... GAH!

I get why most digital stores don't offer refunds.  Once you buy the game, they got you.  When you buy a physical game, you can return it at most places, or resell it, but you can't even resell digital copies.  It would be nice if publishers and store fronts didn't have such tight control over their digital products because in my opinion, they should be treated the same.  It's the same product, just a different delivery method.  And your right as a consumer should be to get your money back, or at least part of it, if you're unhappy with the product.

Also, I think it would be in their best interest to offer refunds, because there are a lot of gamers out there that don't want to take chances on digital purchases knowing they'll be out money.  If they knew they could get some of their money back, they'd probably take more chances on games.  That would have been the case here with Tumbleseed, but it would have failed for this publisher, because Tumbleseed is a bad game.  And I want my money back.

No comments:

Post a Comment