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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 6:15:15 GMT
Good call wunty - I'm thoroughly enjoying the enigma that is Bleak Faith Forsaken - I'm not sure how many of us have played or will play it so feel free to discuss other lesser soulslikes here too: by which I mean Thymesia, Mortal Shell, Hellpoint etc. rather than Lords of the Fallen, The Surge series and so on: janky low budget small-ish team stuff that often goes under the radar....which Bleak Faith would have done had wunty not mentioned in in the what are you currently playing thread. It's a real mystery of a game, and likely to test the patience of anyone who likes systems to be clearly and explicitly laid out, or even, you know, having a map to look at so you know where on earth (or where in the Omnistructure) you are. I'm finding the lack of clarity on some points - perks, abilities, menu management, using certain weapon powers etc. - to be frustrating, but not to the extent that it's put me off and gradually, seemingly by osmosis, I seem to be coping better. But the exploration is great - the lack of a map and the simply massive levels, both vertically and horizontally, has meant I've just had to forget one of my souls pecadilloes i.e. the burning desire to go everywhere and see everything. Here it's very much more a case of head in a direction and see where you end up. Usually dead, and back at the last homonculus (i.e. bonfire). Combat is enjoyable and I'm doing a very rare thing i.e. going for a heavy armour, two-handed strength build - mostly as I didn't understand how the Technomancer (which seems to be the mage) worked. The post-rock / ambient soundtrack which sporadically kicks in really adds to the atmosphere but above all it's the mad, eclectic art design of the Omnistructure that is so compelling: part dark fantasy, part post-apocalyptic, part sci-fi, part Giger, part steampunk, part Brutalist, totally nuts. Graphically the game is poor in some ways (textures can be rough and pop in late, particle effects are shite) but the overall feel and atmosphere is wonderful even so. A (relatively) budget game made by three people. I'm only two bosses in and just wandering around wondering what the hell is going on - I've just entered a new area and am getting my arse kicked so I'd better retreat back and somehow find another area. There's no hand-holding, but the challenge doesn't feel unfair. In fact, new area aside, it seems to be getting a lot easier now I've levelled a few times. I do have a soft spot for janky souls games while I await the next big one to come along. Your mileage will certainly vary. |
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Post by roastinglbs on Aug 19, 2024 7:21:33 GMT
Just bought Hero of Nostalgia for a fiver on Steam, can’t play it for a week as on hols (& didn’t want to take the Steamdeck camping!)but will update on return
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 7:42:26 GMT
Oh, that looks pretty cool - another one that has completely flown under my radar. Let us know how it is.
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Post by Bill in the rain on Aug 19, 2024 7:56:05 GMT
Are you actually trying to find specific things/places in Bleak Faith Forsaken though, or does it work if you just go in different directions and encounter the things that are there?
There's a fine line between games that have great exploration, and games that are infuriating because you can never find the place/thing you're looking for to progress.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 7:56:38 GMT
The short answer is: at this point, I have no idea.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 7:59:46 GMT
Longer answer: you do eventually stumble on something - a new level (there's a prompt asking you if you want to transition to it), a boss, a homunculus. I will say the levels seem to loop around in an inexplicable way, at least so far, so I wonder if the design is funnelling you to a certain point.
But I think if you get impatient with meandering exploration and route-finding, steer clear - the game doesn't even give you a map ffs (at least I think it doesn't!).
A recent example: I stumbled upon a city, which is just a layer of a much larger level: it's something like a wheel with crazy spokes bursting in all directions, each spoke taking you to a new area or eventually bringing you back to a hub. But the city itself is massive, fully of alleys, nooks, crannies, mobs and there is simply no way of keeping track of where you've been in terms of landmarks, unless you decide to go properly old school and draw the map yourself.
And I have to say, I love this aspect of the design. It's refreshingly uncaring.
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wunty
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 8:36:03 GMT
PLus there are two waypoints that are marked. That's your ultimate goal at the moment. I have been to one and did what was needed. I did begin to work my way towards the other but got sidetracked and now I'm in somewhere that's quite simply fucking mental.
But yeah FF, I'm glad you're liking it. I'm maybe a dozen hours in now and if anything it's got it's hooks in more now than ever. Three bosses down and I've met another but noped out of it, so I'll do it later. There's still so many places to go but there's always cool stuff to discover so, similarly to Elden Ring, the exploration is joyful in itself, as opposed to being for the sake of it. That main hub area though... Been lost more than I care to admit and it's insane how it keeps looping back on itself.
There's definitely a place for these C-list souls likes. Don't know whether it's because the expectations are so low but I end up enjoying them mroe. I absolutely loved Hellpoint and Mortal Shell but you do need to be in a very forgiving mindset in light of the budget and amount of people taht actually made it.
Nostalgaia has been on my list for a while. Every time it's on sale I'm about to bit, so might do next time.
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 8:40:57 GMT
What was hilarious was one of the main routes from that hub area was basically found by me forgoing what looked like the main path (which actually turned out to loop back to the start), and instead squeezing between a small gap in a corner because I thought there might be an item there. There wasn't. There was a lift that took me to a completely different area.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 9:14:59 GMT
PLus there are two waypoints that are marked. That's your ultimate goal at the moment. Oops. I, er, completely missed them. Where are they marked, given there's no map? |
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 9:36:39 GMT
Are you on PS? Basically the first time you meet the handler she tells you about two calibrations that are needed. You hold triangle to bring up a contextual d-pad menu and press up on the d-pad. You do a scan and it shows the two markers. That's what you've got to make your way towards. I've got the one in the Deluge but there's another way up high somewhere.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 9:39:25 GMT
Ah, that scan function. Makes sense. Ta.
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 9:44:37 GMT
It only kind of helps tbh as they are so far away you really do end up just randomly exploring until you happen to get near one.
I ended up going down down down a very dark and scary place only to end up in one hell of an impressive looking location. I definitely shouldn't be here yet though so I'm weighing up which of the other 5000 routes I've seen I should head in.
I genuinely wasn't expecting this game to be so fucking massive.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 13:44:55 GMT
I've just roughly been following it, got distracted in the rain district sewers and am now at deluge, which seems to be full of angry deep sea divers.
I assume I'm getting close to the objective but either way I bloody enjoyed the exploration en route, have plenty of weird stuff to go back to, levelled up a couple more times and finally found a handler echo so have boosted my vampirism passive further. That plus the scavenger bonus is helping me keep my health topped up nicely when I kill and loot.
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 14:06:19 GMT
What I love is the fact it's more forgiving than your typical souls-like in certain aspects. The lack of losing exp upon death for example, and the ease with which you can craft more health items and ammo. I also am a fan of the fact that these items also top up once you're out of combat. So you only need to get past any particular encounter and you're full again.
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 14:10:17 GMT
Actually I just love it generally. It's messy and janky and ugly and confusing and just brilliant.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 14:42:17 GMT
Yes, agree with all the above. It's a very rough gem but a gem even so. Easily my favourite from the c-list types. I've just been trying to swim down to the waypoint in the deluge reservoir. With no success. How do I do that without drowning or being picked off by the serpent thing? I know I've been picking up oxygen potions in this area but it doesn't seem to help, I feel I'm missing something. |
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Post by wunty on Aug 19, 2024 14:52:04 GMT
Yes, agree with all the above. It's a very rough gem but a gem even so. Easily my favourite from the c-list types. I've just been trying to swim down to the waypoint in the deluge reservoir. With no success. How do I do that without drowning or being picked off by the serpent thing? I know I've been picking up oxygen potions in this area but it doesn't seem to help, I feel I'm missing something. Right. So....
From the Homunculus, take a left and go to the tower, down all the spiral stairs until you emerge facing the water. Jump in and down you'll see a red beacon. They refill your oxygen meter. So follow that one, get there, and you'll see another between some pillars. Swim to that and follow that passage through and up until you re-emerge on the surface. You'll see a ladder nearby. Climb that and go through that whole area. Towards the far side there will be a huge enemy. Kill him and either from him, or around there, you will get a recipe for a better breath potion. Go to the end of the ciurcular room, up the stairs and you'll be over looking the water. I put my spare homunculous checkpoint thing down there, as next, you'll craft the better breath potion, drink it, and dive in. Follow the red markers deep down into the depths. Each time you get to one wait until you're happy the big serpent chaps won't catch you, and swim to the next.
Just keep following them. [/spoiler] [/div] |
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 19, 2024 15:18:31 GMT
Red beacons! Got it, cheers, that's great.
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Post by wunty on Aug 20, 2024 9:06:55 GMT
I'm not far off the second recalibration point but fucking hell I just found a shortcut back to a much earlier area. Good to know I can get here from there much sooner if I need to! Nuts though.
I then got sidetracked down a lift just before reaching said recalibration point. I'm now in a ghost town, which is like some kind of eastern bloc apartment complex, where I am dressed as a knight, fighting robots.
Of course.
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Post by wunty on Aug 20, 2024 9:08:07 GMT
I'm not actually sure how long I have left to go. I think the area I found earlier is a latter area so once I get this recalibration I think I can head there. But there's still a boss elsewhere I've ignored and don't know what's past him.
I also need more handler echos.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 20, 2024 9:30:49 GMT
I'm itching to get back to it but my son was on the xbox yesterday and I'm working now (as you can see).
It sounds like it might be on the shortish side, which is probably a good thing? Or have you put loads of hours into it?
I've found a grand total of one handler echo - it's the sort of thing wikis are made for but this game is not made for wikis...imagine trying to explain where to go to find an item.
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Post by wunty on Aug 20, 2024 9:34:39 GMT
Ha yeah exactly. Plus there's so much hidden shit in areas that normally you wouldn't even think to look. It's nuts.
Not sure... I think I'm around 15 hours or so. My gaming time has either been this or Hunt and I'm loving it. Turns out all I need is a game that I can get completely lost in and I'm happy.
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Post by wunty on Aug 21, 2024 11:48:08 GMT
Right. Gone and done the second recalibration point. The boss before was a bit tricky due to one special attack but once I realised how to avoid that he wasn't too bad.
Off now to, what I think, is the last area or at least a precursor to the last area (probably the latter).
What I have discovered - and looked up to see what it meant - is that there is an enemy type who can permanently delete your character and progress if they kill you enough. Which is a bit nuts. Entropy build up. Granted, it's slow, but if I'm not careful...
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 21, 2024 13:24:04 GMT
What I have discovered - and looked up to see what it meant - is that there is an enemy type who can permanently delete your character and progress if they kill you enough. Which is a bit nuts. Entropy build up. Granted, it's slow, but if I'm not careful...  Bloody hell. That is not good. I did the first calibration point (cheers for the tips) and then wandered around, opening up new routes in the sewer / rainy area. I've still only fought two bosses - way back at the beginning; there are though some big spider bastards in my way now. Pleased to see my health potion capacity has gone up to three too - I must have picked something up that does this as I only noticed later on. Right, going in for a couple of hours... |
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Post by wunty on Aug 21, 2024 13:40:40 GMT
Like I say though the Entropy build up is small. I think 0.5% with every death so they've got to kill you 200 times. There may even be a way to negate / reduce / reset it, I'm not sure. Nasty though.
Yeah there aren't a lot of bosses. You can go hours and hours without fighting one. I forgot about that extra one near the start so went back to him. Killed him in three hits. There are two bosses I've sacked off just now and will go back to, and above that I think I've fought and killed four. So not millions.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 21, 2024 13:42:17 GMT
I'm quite happy with that.
Btw, I've just found a handler echo in the asylum - did you get that one?
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Post by wunty on Aug 21, 2024 13:48:03 GMT
I'm quite happy with that. Btw, I've just found a handler echo in the asylum - did you get that one? Yeah under some stairs? Just got one echo to find, hoping it's in the area I'm in now. |
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 21, 2024 13:55:27 GMT
That's the one. How many are there in total?
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Post by wunty on Aug 21, 2024 13:58:17 GMT
Five or six I think. You can see a little icon top left of the inventory screen (or it might be when you speak to the handler) with a circle split into sections (pretty sure it is five) and you can see how many you've filled. My spear thing is strong as hell now and my armour is full of crystals increasing weapon damage. Regular mobs are getting killed in three or so R1s so not finding too much that's difficult (apart from the red armour entropy chaps). one enemy I'll never get a handle on is those spiky jumping skeleton things. They're nuts.
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Post by FlexibleFeline on Aug 21, 2024 14:04:38 GMT
Yeah, I've focused on increasing damage too - with the same results. I was starting to think the game's getting a little too easy when I stumbled upon the Plague Nemesis just now. Even so I got him down to the last chunk of his health bar.
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