Exile: Wicked Phenomenon

[Joe Redifer]

Wow.  This game is absolutely wicked!  Totally rad!  Well, it could be... kinda.

I thought I had beaten this in the past, but I checked and it looks like I never did.  It's ridiculously difficult.  The character walks about an inch from the edge of the screen making it easy to bump into unseen enemies.  Speaking of enemies, they take about a billion slashes with your weapon to defeat, and when they touch you they take off HUGE chunks of your life bar.  Even if you level all the way up to level 17 (the highest you can go), equip the best weapons and have lots of tonics, it is still nearly impossible.  I powered up to level 16 which required 19000 experience points.  Level 17 requires 65535 points so it will be awhile.  And I'll probably only gain a small amount of help from that. 

Supposedly Working Designs made it harder.  Why?  How much harder is it than the PCE version?  How far have YOU made it in this game?  I made it through the big pyramid, past the town that's after it and to some Pharaoh boss who throws a sword at you while you attack an orb (which only reveals itself once in a while).  Insanely difficult.  Also, why does the save file for this game take up about 2/3 of the total system memory?

[Turbo D]

I own it, but haven't played it yet.

[runinruder]

Supposedly Working Designs made it harder.  Why?  How much harder is it than the PCE version? 

Like I said in the other topic, the PCE version is stupidly easy; so if the US one is challenging at all, then Working Designs cranked up the difficulty level significantly.  As for why they did it, people say it's because the first one was criticized for being too easy. 

[Black Tiger]

Ten years ago I played the WD Exile WP up until a seemingly impossible boss and gave up. I haven't gone back to it since.

[esteban]

Joe, there have been some really meaty discussions about Wicked Phenomenon here in the past. Good ol' nodtveidt wrote about its virtues and he's the one who really convinced me to give the game a second chance. Since then, a bunch of folks have come out of the closet and have acknowledged that they've enjoyed parts of the game.

Personally, I've yet to beat it. I still find some aspects quite annoying (maybe I'm harboring my old feelings towards the game), but I actually dig the game now. Back in the day, I saw it as hugely flawed and dismissed it. Paying full price $$$ didn't help matters.
Slowly, I'm getting past this.

[Necromancer]

Wicked Phenomenon would be a great game, if it weren't for the loony level of difficulty.  Working Designs 'developed' in a metric shit ton of extra hardness for us more powerful gaijins.  They had the right idea, as Japan's version is definitely weak sauce, but their execution sucked (it's called taking something way, way, way to far).  I'm certain that I've beaten one of these beeotches, but it was likely the easier original.  I probably got about half way in, died a thousand deaths swearing like a merchant marine, gave up, and downloaded the Japanese version ('cause I'm naughty).

[Keranu]

I didn't think this game was nearly as hard as people made it out to be, at least until the last dungeon. I've made it the last dungeon several times, but never got past the sub boss (which is the hardest part of the game from what I understand). The last dungeon isn't even all that hard, it just requires a little memory and life conservation. I really want to finish this game sometime, but I'm gonna have to start it for like the fourth time if I do . I remember that Pharaoh boss, but just don't remember any trick to him. I know he was difficult at first but it took me a few tries to beat him. Wait until you fight Lawrence .

This game had a lot of potential to be really awesome, but the programming really ruined it. The scrolling was downright dumb, the difficulty balance is wacked, and it has probably the worst collision detection I've ever experienced. Otherwise I really enjoy the levels, story, and the ability to switch characters and all of their special magic. I also didn't like the soundtrack very much and wish it was more like the first one. In these regards, I prefer the first one a little more.

[GUTS]

The game seems so half finished and amateur even without Working Designs' difficulty increase, although I do really like the first one for some reason.  Mainly because Sadler is so cool.

[Joe Redifer]

Yes, I bought it brand new at release for whatever $$$ they were charging at the time as well.  Keranu, I already fought Lawrence and beat his sorry little ass.  Now he's on my Wicked Phenomenal team!  Or do I have to fight his punk ass again?

What characters do people use?  To get past the Icarus Mountains (or whatever they're called) on level 16 I had to switch back and forth between Rumi and Kindi.  Otherwise I usually just use Sadler.  Now I am using Lawrence.  I'd like to illegally download the PCE version.  Does anyone have an illegal link to assist me in my evil criminal activities?  Does the same save file work in both?  I wish the save file took up more space.

[TR0N]

I own it, but haven't played it yet.

DITTO  :oops:

[SignOfZeta]

The forum ate my original post. Basically I wrote that this game isn't that hard, IMO. You just have to be as cheap as it is. Tape the button down with turbo on to gain levels! Learn the magic spot to stand, etc.

I finished it back in the day without much trouble. I do remember gaining the last level was a real time waster though.

[sideshow]

I also have no idea if I finished this game.  I played it when it first came out and do remember getting all the way to the last dungeon.  The game is much harder than the first game.  I also didnt like the sequel as much mainly because the music wasnt as good as the first one.  Even though the middle eastern soundtrack of Wicked Phenomenon matches the atmosphere better than the hip hopish music of the original, the first games music just stuck to me more.  I remember the original game used fantastic asortment of colors for the backgrounds particularly a waterful dungeon.  I thought the pyramid level was the coolest area of Wicked Phenomenon.  Oh ya, isnt the claymation box art strange of WP?  When I first saw the box art back in the day I thought to myself WTF.

[esteban]

Oh ya, isnt the claymation box art strange of WP?  When I first saw the box art back in the day I thought to myself WTF.

[Turbo D]

that is a funny picture, aladin vs a brain face wall, haha.

[Joe Redifer]

Zeta, in Exile 1 you could stand there and level up as the enemies would reappear.  In Exile 2 once you kill them they stay dead until you exit and re-load the area, so you can't tape down the button.