Loads of video games are difficult sufficient, however that hasn’t stopped individuals from making an attempt to make them much more difficult through unconventional means. We’ve seen Darkish Souls 2 crushed by somebody utilizing a guitar controller, a streamer attain stage 100 in World of Warcraft utilizing a dancepad, and plenty of different arduous sport/bizarre controller combos. Only in the near past, the YouTube and Twitch streamer Dr. Doot beat Hole Knight: Silksong utilizing an electrical saxophone.
Dr. Doot makes use of an “digital wind instrument with the identical key format as a saxophone” for his saxophone runs, as he defined to Polygon over e-mail. That “Dr.” in his on-line deal with isn’t only for enjoyable as he’s earned the title; Dr. Doot holds three music levels, one being a doctorate in music composition. He began taking part in the electrical sax throughout COVID quarantines, when getting along with different musicians in-person to collaborate grew to become a problem. He additionally began to get into streaming round this time, and rapidly included his new instrument into his streams.
He makes use of a thumbstick-like “mod wheel” on the again of the electrical saxophone for character actions, and a Bome MIDI Translator software program that “converts the MIDI alerts despatched from the instrument to the PC into Mouse + Keyboard Inputs” for every little thing else. When beginning out, Doc then realized it “would allow you to play video games by taking part in notes on the instrument.” He examined it out with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the famously tough Cuphead, “realized it really type of labored, after which did an All Bosses Playthrough of Darkish Souls 3 as my first correct sax-controlled problem.”
Dr. Doot has tackled different Soulslikes on the electrical sax, like Elden Ring, and his newest achievement is ending Silksong with 100% completion. Although, his early playthrough went like so many others’: “White-knuckling by means of Hunter’s March on launch day. I spent HOURS making an attempt to beat Savage Beastfly primarily with out upgrades — it was absolute hell.”
A part of the rationale it was “absolute hell” — apart from Silksong already being a testing expertise — is as a result of the software program Dr. Doot makes use of “is aware of *precisely* how sloppy my taking part in is” and a missed notice might spell doom. Nonetheless, although, Dr. Doot says “it’s surprising how little latency there’s between the aerophone and the sport, which is what permits me to do all of the issues that different problem runners can do with a traditional controller.”
It’s not good, nonetheless, as “false or missed inputs” are one thing he has to cope with, and the air-pressure sensor within the instrument is so delicate “reasonably loud sounds (like laughing/yelling/speaking/and so forth) can really set off the mechanism and play notes with out my mouth really on the instrument.” Dr. Doot says these false inputs have made him “by chance fall off of a cliff or assault an NPC on accident.”
Operating different applications similtaneously the Bome MIDI Translator may cause it to get “temperamental,” inflicting points with inputs whereas taking part in. Other than that, Dr. Doot’s greatest challenges are the identical as “any problem runner would face when studying a speedrun/hitless run/and so forth, which is simply studying the sport on a really deep stage.”
Dr. Doot notes taking part in by means of Lies of P on the sax was his hardest problem but, whereas “Sax Solo Nightreign runs have been tremendous exhausting.” He’s performed no-hit runs for Darkish Souls 2 and Darkish Souls 3 and was within the means of a no-hit run for the primary within the trilogy earlier than Silksong got here out, which he’ll be going again to now that he’s accomplished Hornet’s journey.
Whereas he’s sunk dozens of hours into Silksong, the “absolute masterpiece” Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains to be his favourite sport of the yr to date. Although, don’t anticipate him to sort out it on the sax, as its management scheme doesn’t lend itself to saxophone taking part in; it might be “type of a drag to doot.”
