[mrcharles]

As a long time game developer, the most impressive part of this game is that when you get to the end, and you don't have all the keys, you can simple break all the locks.

That's the kind of game design that the game industry needs to learn from.

[mcgwiz]

The only reason that's necessary is because the game advances you regardless of finding the keys. This is because there is much reduced expectation of commitment from the gamer, and if they can't find the key and get stuck, there's greater chance they'll leave before the advertising message is satisfactorily conveyed.

[mrcharles]

Yeah I know, but 'failure' as a mechanic is something that's a weak hold-out from a time when games weren't as good. Thus, the requirement for three hearts is largely negated.

Plus it's not like most AAA games nowadays punish you for anything at all to begin with, so having you actually hit a situation where you have to experience the inconvenience of loading a save that takes you back 30 seconds is ultimately just a waste of everyone's time.

[pilom]

But, SPOILER ALERT... If you don't break all the locks in time, you don't rescue the princess (though she does drop her flute)