Topic: Soulsborne Series Thread

Agreed. It's a shame it falls to modders, but I'm very glad they exist.

@Pizzamorg Yeah, it’s not messing the game up for me if modders mod the game.

That’s the thing I don’t really understand about some community’s, like why shame someone on looking up stuff? Summoning players? Why does that bother people, in my opinion elden ring is as hard as you make it, hell I cheesed two fights so far because I thought they sucked.

And in a game like this were there are so many different ways to play it, people really shouldn’t expect hive minded gameplay, like come on. Other then then that the community is very nice and helpful.

Sorry for writing all of that Lmao.

Well, writing off someone as a troll is always a good way to handle a disagreement! Shows that you're really willing to listen to the other side.

Also, for the record, even though I know you obviously aren't going to read this, I don't follow you around to constantly argue with you. I followed this thread because I actually own the game and aim to talk in it once I play more of it. The whole reason I constantly reply to you is because you feel the need to reply to what I say, and I don't agree with your takes all that much. They all effectively boil down to "These devs aren't good, because they won't add options!", completely disregarding that video games are an art form, and devs have the right to make games that they envision, with it being up to the player to decide if they want to buy the game or not. If the game isn't for you, then fine, don't play it. If you don't like the lack of options, play something else. There's a whole industry of experiences you're looking for.

I'd definitely say it's better to use some mods if that helps you enjoy the game .... I might look around at what's available if I replay Elden Ring, too! That's definitely something I like about PC, there tend to be lots of mods around, even if I don't end up getting them very often. I naturally had quite a few for Skyrim when I got around to replaying that, though

Yeah some of the most vocal parts of the Souls community are pretty toxic. If you used items or systems in the game to beat it, then someone telling you you "didn't beat the game" is really silly. It is funny too, as many of those same players will exploit items, abilities or systems not working correctly themselves to gain an advantage, which is why there has been so many Elden Ring patches to correct these things. So really they spoil the game for everyone really and they should get in the sea.

Personally, I know I won't beat Elden Ring "officially" as I will be modding my game, but honestly, I am sorta over it all at this point, anyway. The dev team have taken the stance of "our way or the highway" and I simply reject such a notion, so if I need to work with mods to add in all the things the game should have from the beginning and make it an enjoyable experience for me, then so be it.

I fundamentally haven't changed any of the game's systems or mechanics, just found mods to tune the game to my skill level, to me I think this is a true experience but many will disagree as they believe FromSoft can do no wrong. Well that is up to them, no point in letting their insecurities bother me.

^ It isn't really about "right" or "wrong", concerning your comment about the devs when you say "fans believing they can do no wrong". They design their games a certain way deliberately. They like their games like this, we the "fans" like their games like this. Don't forget, the Ubisoft open world design IS the standard, it's the way almost every open world game works. Why would you discourage the 1 percent to be different when you already have what you need in abundance?

It doesn't help this game got so much hype and praise, which on one hand I love because it means I'll get more of it but now everyone and their mothers think they also need to like it or there might be something wrong with them, which is of course ridiculous.

EDIT: I wouldn't really classify ER as an open world TBH. It's definitely open but there is quite a bit of restrictions when you go beyond the first area. For me it feels like more like a Xenoblade world (not counting X) other than it being a completely different game. I actually started playing Xeno 2 again and I'm quite enjoying it.

Because an Ubisoft game offers options to allow you to make it harder, more obtuse, more aimless to suit your tastes. So if you enjoy the story, or the systems, or the characters or whatever it might be, you can pick up that title and tailor the experience to your skill level, tastes and needs. Make the experience your own.

A Dark Souls game offers no such thing, you have to accept the mountain of difficulty and other inconveniences if you want to engage with the parts you are interested in, there is no choice given to these players, like there are elsewhere and I will never have my mind changed on that being a really ***** thing.

I know we will never agree on this, but I remain completely baffled about why these things are always fine to work in one direction, but then aren't allowed to work in the other. Games of a more casual mindset are often forced to add in extreme difficulties and other such things to pander to a 1 percent audience who would cry if not included, but yet everyone thinks it is high art to gatekeep a title behind a Soulsbourne label.

Thankfully, this sort of "our way or the high way" mindset though is certainly dying, games like Sifu and Dead Cells are exploring things to allow a broader range of players enjoy their titles, not changing any of the mechanics, but just allowing them to tune things to their skill level. This is really the way every game should be, but again, I know you will never agree.

I also want to make it clear, it isn't hype that drives me towards Elden Ring. There are few games that offer the RPG depth, complexity and build flexibility as a FromSoft game does, those are things I love, but have always been locked behind what is - for me - an unnecessary mountain of difficulty made for only the one percent.

Previously, I didn't know fan made balance passes existed for FromSoft Titles, but I might have to go back now and play through all of the titles rebalanced for my skill level so I can finally get a chance to enjoy all the parts I have been interested in over the years.

Hmm, I’m not sure if I agree that casual games are forced to add harder difficulty, they might add it due to request tho, Sifu added it because they wanted too, they wanted more people to enjoy there game, dead cells wanted everyone to enjoy there game, so they did, some devs just want a specific player, and wile yes that sucks, I’m not to angry about it personally, if they add a higher difficulty to a easy game great, if they had a easy difficulty too a hard game, great as well.

I just think there are some times we’re this “I’m the dev so I can do whatever I want, and I know what is best for you” mindset is taken to far, and wile yes I wouldn’t say from is saying I know what’s best for it, and I’m not talking about them.

The biggest example of this I can give from what I know is splatoon, those guys think they know what’s best for you ignoring what everyone else says about it, good or bad.

Sorry for butting in lol.

If you think disabling some or all of the systems in a Ubisoft game would fix any of the problems I have with it's world design, then you don't get what I love about it in the first place. An Ubisoft open world game NEEDS those guidelines and handholding because the world isn't designed well for you to explore the world in a natural way.

"This is really the way every game should be" - this sounds WAY too authoritarian for my liking. I feel like you get too personal about something you don't even like.

BTW, Kirby and the forgotten world is so far one my favorite games this year. I might even like it more than Elden Ring... Felt like adding that since people like to put you into a box

That is fair, but if you fundamentally don't like the game design of an Ubisoft title like at it's very core, then obviously you wouldn't play that one. I think people often blur the lines when these arguments are made and I want to make it clear, that at least for me, I am not arguing games should be made for absolutely everyone. I know there is no way you can make a game for everyone, at least not a good one, certain audiences will always need to be sacrificed. But to me, making it too hard for all but the one percent is not the answer. Again, we won't agree, I know. I just think difficulty is not a flat line, people have differing skill levels and other such factors, everyone should have a chance to play a game. Not be artificially walled out due to a lack of choice or options.

I also don't take it personally, I just seem to constantly get dragged into this same argument, which is why my ignore list grows by the month. Every time a poster on here drags me into this argument multiple times, I just add them to my ignore list. I'm not convincing them, they aren't convincing me, yet they will still go out of their way to reply to me every time. Eventually enough has to be enough.

@Pizzamorg Fair enough. And I don't want to come across as if your opinion about what you want out of a game is in any way invalid, it's not. Like you said, you can't please everyone. And I think that's the only think we fundamentally disagree on, in that, the only thing a dev should be bothered with, in my opinion,is the game they want to make.

Dark souls has always been sort of a niche and it gained a lot popularity over the years and entered the mainstream so it's only logical it will receive criticism, some valid, some not. But I respect them for sticking to their guns when it involves some of their design philosophies and say "no, this is what we make". You clearly think differently which is fine.

I do certainly admire their singlemindedness in making a game for themselves and if people enjoy the title as well, then that is a bonus to them, rather than a goal. There is a lack of truly unique visions in the gaming landscape, versus other media platforms, at least outside of the indie space.

I would agree a lot of series, publishers and developers often ruin a good thing by buckling to mainstream pressures or the chasing of trends. Although it can go in different directions, for example, I never once cared about the AC franchise when it was a stealth franchise, but then when they changed direction, it resulted in one of my favourite games of all time in Odyssey. You could argue Ubisoft were right, as Valhalla was the most successful AC title of all time financially, but many hardcore fans of the original games will tell you the worst thing that ever happened to the franchise was this change in direction.

Like I say, the shame here, is Dark Souls games would probably be games I loved, had they not been behind a truly unyielding difficulty wall. I have played through games like Remnant From the Ashes and various Monster Hunter titles, often compared to be similar sorts of titles, and adored them, but they offer far more accessibility than any Souls title has ever offered, to allow me to fall in love with them. However, thankfully, mods exist, so I should be able to enjoy Elden Ring too, once a quest overhaul mod is located (or made).

@Pizzamorg It actually sounds like you might enjoy Nioh a fair bit. Nioh is a lot more challenging in my opinion and it doesn't have the dark fantasy aesthetic of Souls games but it has quite a lot going for it and the world isn't open, it's mission based and is more akin to DMC in that sense.

Don't know if you're still looking but the two halves of the medallion for the left hand side of the snow area are located in Castle Sol north of the aforementioned snow area and at the Albinauric village bottom left of Liurnia of the Lakes. Once you progress through the new area, there will be a warp to yet another area at the end of which is Malenia, the red-haired lady.

After 269 hours I'm finally done with the game. 3 journeys completed, 3 endings seen, lots of fun had along the way. Great game.

I certainly don't care about anyone who might say I didn't beat any game properly for using things in the game that they might call 'cheesing' or even cheating, @Pizzamorg ....
There's always some lunatics who want to invent a lot of extra rules for themselves, which is fine but forget others don't want to play the same way
Some of those would say I didn't beat some games because I looked up guides, too! But often reading how to do it & actually pulling it off is still quite tricky
Obviously, there's some difference in online playing but for single-player, I'll tend to try to work it out before looking so on but I don't mind doing whatever is needed

@yegs88 thanks for responding, but I already the medallions long before but it seems I was at the wrong elevator or I just didn't notice the UI showing I could have used the other medallion.

I don't get this dude. Like, he's acting as if it's a huge insult that the Elden Ring dev team made the game as a passion project, and had a specific vision they wanted for the game. Like, you'd think that someone buying a game from these devs would understand they make niche games that are supposed to be hard. I'm fine with someone modding the game itself, I don't really care how someone wants to play the game personally, but the fact that he acts like the devs are "Arrogant" or not great people just because of not putting options and making the game hard makes me just want to put my head through a brick wall.

Yeah, I have similar preferences, as I've said, @VoidofLight .... But I'm not so bothered about them being in the game as they are If I like the game enough otherwise, I'll find ways! As I did with Elden Ring

Welp I think i've hit my wall with Elden Ring. Malenia. Im not sure I can beat her. Usually with challenging bosses i can kind of feel when I'm improving, but with her its like no matter what i try she just does her sword dance and thats it. Oh well. I'm not even that bothered by it. The only thing that really sucks is that it's a two phase fight. Man i hate those. If anybody has any tips i'm all ears.

I'd probably be more upset but frankly....i dont like the game as much as the other souls games. I dont like the big open map and the constantly reused boss fights. It feels like a double album with only enough ideas to support a single LP. Thats just me though and if people dig it then i'm happy they like it.

@Losermagnet Yeah, i definitely think some of those points are valid. I like the world but my impression hasn't stayed as positive as it was in the beginning. The music overall feels a bit off as well. It's not on Bloodborne level, not even close. The little dungeons are also very samey, there are some nice ones here and there but sometimes it feels like a drag. I probably share more of my opinions later when I finish the game.

Funny, i just stumbled upon her and yeah, she's insane. I now have 4 hours worth of fighting her. I know the whole first fase except for that one Sekiro like attack, which I think you are referring to. It seems impossible to dodge it all. In Sekiro such a move made sense but not here lol. When I dodge the first attack, the second attack hits. It seems impossible, but I must be missing something. At the moment I block the first 2 attacks and try to dodge the 3rd and 4th attack, which seems doable.