The Echrius Horror is annoying without stimpacks.

To be honest? I think it's less to do with the Horror itself and more that the level doesn't really prepare you in any fashion for the Horror. It's a complete shift, the mechanic for beating the monster is fundamentally different from all of the rest of the combat in the game. The level itself needs to set up some elements of the boss fight.

Like, if there were a spot or two where you needed to power up a mining laser like the one in the boss chamber to clear out some rubble in order to proceed. Or if there were weird Erchius Energy Pulses that shot out (like the sort seen in challenge rooms) and you needed to duck into safe zones. If you wanna get a litlte more overt, maybe have an NPC near that beam zone who says "Man, if I just had a good shield, I could block that beam." (Shield blocking wouldn't be REQUIRED to pass, but still.)

Or a small blast door the beams can't get through that is on a timer and only stays closed like four seconds, set up in the level with permanent versions to block beams. (You'd want to make sure we can SEE the door timer in the boss chamber, of course.)

Set up small, less-deadly variations of the boss chamber mechanics, then hit them with the Big Nasty Version.

 

I found the greatest challenge the door to the monster, once a player knows about the laser, the monster itself is easy, a player could just heal his/her way through, but the fall damage when getting to the monster has killed me more often then the boss itself. I think for the level that lets you fly through the stars its rather balanced.

 

Are people just not using the switches and hitting the crystal conventionally? Wouldn't the low/no numbers/mining gun be a hint? There are switches used throughout the level to illuminate ares and open doors.

Is it the platform physics?

 

Oh gods don't make it eaiser. The game is way too easy as is! I hadn't played in almost a year so the whole mission thing was new to me and i whooped him on first try with 0 issues. Figured out the laser right away by the lights coming on as i hit the obvious triggers! In fact i've just finished the penguin robot mission and have still not died on any of the missions. With the tons of ore littered everywhere it's too easy as it is! If anything make it harder!

 

I am one of those people who had no real problem with it when I recently did it again with my new character. I feel it is still vastly easier than the first incarnation. So, I don't know if you should worry too much. But you are the dev at the end of the day. Cheers and I am glad you check in on the forums still! Keep up the good work.