TheBigG753 said:I think in 3D, it can be a problem (I remember really not liking the swimming in Mario 64 and Sunshine). Devil May Cry and God of War had some swimming parts that were designed really poorly.
Yeah, the big problem with swimming parts in 3D action games is that suddenly enemies can come at you from above and below when all your attacks are designed to hit enemies on the same level as you, i.e. the ground. Fighting in the water means height and depth are suddenly a factor when on land you only have to watch where enemies are on the ground. And if you get slower in the water, that just makes things worse.
I don't mind water levels all that much in a lot of games. They're a nice change of pace in Mega Man. I thought they were pretty well done in the New Super Mario games as well. Rayman Origins was still quite good in the water. Hell, even in Sonic games I really don't mind the water at all; it gives me a chance to play with the fun physics in slow motion.
That said, they're
always a downgrade from the standard gameplay style, so the best you can hope for is that it's "not bad" in comparison.