EDIT
Okay, so I put a bit more thought into the idea, and here’s how I think it could be implemented where it wouldn’t feel out of place in the game.
When grappled, you can choose whether or not to struggle against your assailant.
Should you choose to struggle, you are then tasked with an input challenge having to press certain keys on the keyboard (or buttons on a gamepad) within a designated amount of time. The number of keys/buttons to be pressed and the designated amount of time you have to do it would vary on the difficulty the player is playing on. The punishment for failing the attempt would vary based on difficulty as well.
Differences in the mechanic based on difficulty:
Recruit: Fewest number of key/button inputs within a period 7 seconds (give or take). Failing the attempt will instantly down your character.
Veteran: A decent number of key/button inputs within a period of 5 seconds (give or take). Failing the attempt will instantly down your character with half of the red health bar missing.
Heroic: A large number of key/button inputs within a period of 3 seconds (or less). Failing the attempt will instantly kill your character.
Legendary: The mechanic would not be available for this difficulty.
Note: While attempting to struggle, your character would continue to take the damage they normally would if they weren’t struggling. If they enter the downed state (go into red health) while struggling, it will count as a failed attempt, and the corresponding punishment would be implemented. CHARACTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEMPT TO STRUGGLE WHILE IN THE DOWNED (RED HEALTH) STATE
End of Edit
Begginning of original post
I’d like to just really quickly say off that bat that I LOVE this game, and its predecessor. It is well made, and does so much right, from the overall mechanics to the voice acting to the feel of combat to the… I could go on for a long time with this, so before I brought up my idea, I just wanted to establish that I love the game.
So, with that being said, I’d like to suggest something I believe the game could benefit from. And that is THE ABILITY TO BREAK OUT OF SPECIAL ENEMIES’ GRAPPLING MOVES ON YOUR OWN.
This could be done with a sequence of button input that you have to do after being grabbed, or something that would require some sort of skill. As it is, I just don’t feel like much of a mighty hero when a lone enemy combatant can completely take me out and I can do NOTHING to get away on my own…
I understand the idea of being helpless until a teammate saves you; it promotes teamwork and vigilance, and I’m totally on board with that, but this mechanic would still compliment the idea I’m proposing, because, as is seen in the game already, relying on teamwork can break you out of these grappling situations almost instantly if you’re teammates are paying attention and are nearby.
However, if you are by chance, the last man/woman standing, or happen to get knocked away from your companions by a boss enemy or for some other reason, and then get nabbed by one of the many special enemies, I don’t think its too much to ask for a method of escaping them on your own.
The method to break out of these grapples should NOT be instantaneous. It ought to require some sort of precision and skill on the player’s part, and that will separate it from the escape via teamwork method. This way, you’ll still take damage, and may not even be able to save yourself in time anyway, but you won’t be completely helpless when you are caught out on your own. Also, perhaps if you make a mistake in the input while trying to break free, you take an extra burst of damage and must start a new sequence of input from scratch.
I really hope people will consider this. Its always been a bit frustrating when I’ve been playing extremely well and have most of my health even during an extended fight, but because my teammates are all down or have gotten separated from me, I end up getting attacked by an enemy that I cannot defend against and must watch helplessly as I’m brought down because no one is around to save me. It robs from the experience imho.
Just so it is clear of what enemies in particular I am speaking of, I will list them below.
- Gutter runners (sneak rats)
- Packmasters (hook rats)
- Leeches
- Chaos Spawn (boss) **This one I’m not as opposed to being unable to escape from because (a) its a boss, and (b) the attack is telegraphed enough to be avoidable. Still, if the mechanic I’m suggesting is implemented, maybe make the task you must perform to escape its grasp on your own particularly challenging because it is a boss.