So often, in video games, people dread any swimming sections, usually citing that controls are janky and hard to work with, even if the rest of the game is smooth and works well. So, I ask, why is it so difficult to design good swimming controls/levels?
In: Technology
Games lend themselves well to responsive movement. Swimming is inherently unresponsive due to humans not being very capable in the water. So it’s never going to feel particularly good.
There is a correlation between input and a sense of satisfaction. Nintendo know this best. When movement is done well buttons and thumbsticks should feel like they have a very real weight to them. You can achieve this with swimming, but it’s a lot harder and unless swimming is the primary focus of your game you’re unlikely to have the time to invest in it.
It also requires considerable knowledge of game feel, character locomotion, and various areas of expertise to pull off.
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