Wizzard_Ook
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Post by Wizzard_Ook on Sept 7, 2024 17:34:31 GMT
Persona 5 Royale (Switch)
Time: 80 hours
Sort of completed it. In my pretence and naivety of being nice I got a rather abrupt and bad ending 😂. I might go back a save and carry on (stupid dickhead, despite the warnings saved over my main file) but I’m actually tempted to leave it for a while and start the game again as i wasn’t really aware of the conditions to open up the final semester and would like to see more of the confidant stuff through to the end. It’s only Takemi side story I got through to the end in that regard but want to see more. Played for a lengthy 80 hours and it’s only sort of now I understand most of the elements to the game (even if I ignored the fusion stuff).
Otherwise I really enjoyed it. It’s stylish, vibrant and has a well told and engaging narrative with a cast of characters you really root for. I started the game wayyy back In January and I really enjoyed just picking it up here and there and spending some time with it. In a way its been my Saturday morning cartoon for a good while. It’s a good Jrpg for newbies too, there isn’t any friction there, aside for a certain boss battle 3/4 the way through. Even though there’s no real challenge to it the way it presents itself and its battle mechanics means it never feels old and just about stays fresh all the way through. Look forward to trying other games in the series and the SMT series.
5/5 - I can’t really find any reasons to fault it on a technical level, it’s that good.
P.s. Swich version is good. I can’t really see any other way to play it other than on a portable console. Loses a tiny bit of resolution in handheld mode but you just get used to it. Still looks the part.
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Post by uiruki on Sept 8, 2024 12:49:03 GMT
33. Warhammer 40k Shootas Blood and Teef - September 7 - PC - 3/5
A fun distraction for an evening. Lots of fings to krump, a good sense of humour and some nice voice acting as you trundle through the levels but it’s a bit short and I found I already have enough dakka about halfway through. Enemy and level variety were good and, I think, could have supported something longer than the three hours or so we got from them, and I’d have loved to see more and more powerful guns. I ended up just using the bolter for most of it. The only real complaint I have is that aiming felt a bit too fiddly on controller and I ended up falling back to mouse and keyboard.
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Duffmangb
New Member
Locust Forever
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Post by Duffmangb on Sept 8, 2024 13:02:44 GMT
Once again on a Sunday I have completed 2 games!
Nobody Wants To Die 6/10
KCD after 90+ hours I have finally got to the end credits. 8/10
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malek86
Junior Member
Pomegranate Deseeder
Posts: 3,169
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Post by malek86 on Sept 8, 2024 21:28:29 GMT
Agatha Knife (PC)
The sequel to the surprisingly weird point and click adventure Mecha-Nika. Play as seven years old Agatha attempting to create her own religion so that she can slaughter farm animals at her leisure. It's about as irreverent as it sounds, and Agatha is a likeable main character, but... it's also way too padded. You are constantly going places, usually far apart from each other, for seemingly no reason other than to make the game seem longer. It's more expensive than Mecha-Nika, so I wonder if maybe the devs thought it needed to last longer. Still, that's not the way to do it. Also, while the story works as an obvious satire on organized religion, the dialogue is not quite as funny as I had hoped. Not all adventures need to be funny, but given the absurdism on display here, I hoped for a matching script.
Anyway, it was free with Prime. Can't exactly complain for that price.
6/10
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Post by Nanocrystal on Sept 8, 2024 22:35:40 GMT
The Callisto Protocol (PS5)
I actually really enjoyed my time with this. I'd heard beforehand that the combat could be frustrating and the checkpointing unforgiving, so I played it on the easiest setting with some combat assists turned on and that really smoothed things out. Ended up having a blast. It made it more of an action game than a survival horror, but that was fine by me as I'm not generally a horror fan. The fundamentals of the combat were pretty solid and grabbing an enemy and impaling them onto a spiked wall never got old. And my gosh this is a pretty game, perhaps one of the best looking games I've ever played (though these days I seem to be saying that a lot). The story, setting and characters were very generic but perfectly serviceable. It's not going to set the world on fire but it was fun and is worth a go if you want an RE4 type experience in a sci-fi setting. Now I want to play the Dead Space remake!
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Sept 8, 2024 23:09:18 GMT
Go on then... Shadow of the Erdtree
I fucking hated it. For context, Elden Ring was 11/10 for me - my gateway into the Soulsborne world. I played through this with a weird cultish devotion, like I _had_ to finish it despite not enjoying it. That and having shelled out 40 quid or whatever it was to buy. I've reached Radahn this weekend, seen how laughably ridiculous he is and finally can't be arsed anymore.
I looked up a few videos and it would require all manner of re-speccing holy, buffing a shield, blah blah blah. This is exactly why I hate the DLC. I managed the entirety of ER without resorting to guides to beat the bosses. Sure, I grinded and over levelled for some of them, but exploring and levelling up in the base game was rewarding. In this, the levelling up system is such dogshit - you have little to no understanding of how the Fragments/Spirits actually affect your stats and a lot of the time it's just far more efficient and less boring to just ride past all the garbage, endlessly spinning and slashing enemies to grab the Fragments/Spirits. It's such an unsatisfying gameplay loop.
What else... environs are a mixed bag: some incredible designs and architecture, some really bland remixes of previous biomes, just with a different shade of grass. The lore looks like it could be interesting, but is delivered incomprehensibly as usual. Will look that up. Some interesting new weapons, but hard to care much about when there are so many dickbag enemies, it's just easier to default to an effective build.
What a comedown after the ecstasy of discovering the original.
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Post by Nanocrystal on Sept 8, 2024 23:25:44 GMT
Sounds like somebody needs to git gud.
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Post by ToomuchFluffy on Sept 9, 2024 6:31:25 GMT
Sounds like something I've heard before
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harrypalmer
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GREAT ASS
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Post by harrypalmer on Sept 9, 2024 8:05:03 GMT
I don't want to diminish someone else's opinion, but I don't get how you can love the main game and hate the DLC! But then I didn't find it hard until the last boss (yes, I have massive testicles). If deviating from your preferred playstyle annoys you then I can see why it could be a chore, they should make it easier to respec. I'm happy to adjust my build to get past any roadblocks. The last boss is horse shit to be sure.
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Sept 9, 2024 8:12:59 GMT
I just summon for things that I'm having a lot of trouble with, then move on with my life.
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Sept 9, 2024 8:18:25 GMT
Also...
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (on Switch)
Wow, this was pretty good! Much better than I was expecting it to be, I think I might like it more than Dawn of Sorrow!
It's very different from normal Igavanias, but that's not a bad thing imo. There's a good mix of linear and exploration stages, some great boss designs, and a banging soundtrack.
And it's pretty hard! You have to switch equipment around, because resistances actually matter. And the bosses aren't fucking around either, you actually have to learn their patterns and not get hit. Which seems pretty elementary for a game, but it's not particularly common in modern Castlevanias.
Highly recommend if you haven't played it before.
9.5/10
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harrypalmer
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GREAT ASS
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Post by harrypalmer on Sept 9, 2024 8:32:12 GMT
I just summon for things that I'm having a lot of trouble with, then move on with my life. Oh yeah, I summon for everything. Not interested in making my life any harder than it already is!
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Post by RadicalRex on Sept 9, 2024 9:43:46 GMT
I don't want to diminish someone else's opinion, but I don't get how you can love the main game and hate the DLC! In my case, SotE has much less of what I liked in the base game and doubled and tripled down on everything I hated. I fell in love with the base game too (first From game), it rekindled my joy in playing games, it became my most played game in recent memory, it made me play the Souls trilogy and try other From games, it felt like a series I could be really hopeful about in the future. Then SotE happened and even though my expectations weren't even that high, it was the worst gaming disappointment in my life since Mass Effect 3*. Knowing that this is the direction where the series is going, SotE is the end of the road. There's no future in the series anymore for me and that made me fucking bitter. I vented too much about it on here and I want to apologise to everyone for that, I honestly don't actually want to impair anyone else's enjoyment. It just made me very emotional. *not sure I've mentioned it before, I did not like Mass Effect 3.
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Post by rhaegyr on Sept 9, 2024 9:54:40 GMT
Yeah, I don't get the hate for the Elden Ring DLC by people who enjoyed the main game.
It's no Artorias of the Abyss or The Old Hunters - it just felt like more of the same as the base game.
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harrypalmer
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Post by harrypalmer on Sept 9, 2024 10:05:28 GMT
Wow, I'm sorry it disappointed you to such a degree! I'm not sure I get what you mean about this being the direction of the series though.
I'm by no means trying to be a gatekeeper to the series, I came to them quite late too after Bloodborne got me hooked, but Old Hunters was similarly derided by some for being far too hard, it's just kinda what they do sometimes for the DLC it seems. I don't want to rake over your disappointment though, I'm just genuinely baffled by the hate for it as it seemed to be more of the same with a shit boss at the end.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Sept 9, 2024 10:13:56 GMT
Re: people not understanding, it always seems to come down to people who have no problem using summons or any other advantage vs people who would rather play it without. It's an incredibly different experience- the challenge will be the same in the DLC if you're relying on summons, etc
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Sept 9, 2024 10:20:37 GMT
I wouldn't dream of saying git gud! I'm not very gud myself!
But in a game with this many options to help you out in tough fights, I've never really understood the "I must solo everything" mindset. If the game gives me tools, I am going to use them! It feels like a better option than banging my head against a brick wall for hours.
(not that I have an issue with people who want to solo stuff, I'm just saying it's not for me personally)
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Sept 9, 2024 10:28:32 GMT
People who enjoy the challenge, I suppose. It wasn't a problem with previous games, even the DLCs. Some harder fights but nothing you couldn't beat by learning patterns
Also coming from a background of stuff like Mega Man, Castlevania, etc, it's just what you do- learn and beat enemies/bosses. I did start a new playthrough using summons and just found it quite boring, to be honest. There's no challenge, didn't care about the bosses or what I was doing, just going through content. Not really what I want or got from previous games. There's no satisfaction in it
(I deleted the git gud part of my post in case it came across a bit inflammatory- sensitive bunch)
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Sept 9, 2024 10:33:32 GMT
Yeah, I don't play those games for the challenge. I like the storytelling, the atmosphere, the creature designs. I go for high challenge on turn based strategy stuff, but I haven't completely soloed a Souls game since... well, Dark Souls.
So yeah, I try to solo stuff in ER, but if I'm having a lot of trouble I go straight for the summons. I doubt I'd be able to finish even the base game without those.
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Post by JuniorFE on Sept 9, 2024 10:36:55 GMT
Filthy summoner opinion here, but to me it just feels like a weird argument to level against the DLC specifically when a) the entire game has been based around the availability of Ash Summons (as a core game mechanic rather than a sometimes thing), not just the DLC, and b) even with that in mind I've seen so many people by now (not challenge runners or no-lifers, mind, just your average Joe Schmoes) beat the game, DLC included without them anyway, and not with the cheesy/OP builds either (unless you wanna tell me that unga bunga with Radahn's swords, for example, is considered an OP strat now).
Would I want to do it (beyond self-imposed challenges on a second run)? Probably not, on a first run especially I use as much as I can of what the game offers me and see no reason not to. Did it take more time for them? Maybe (not all of them had death counters or whatever going to compare), but the point is they did do it...
Anyway, I'm done pissing in people's cereal over this. At the end of the day I'd welcome a future entry without the Ash summons (and designed/balanced accordingly, obviously) just as much as I would welcome one with. Maybe it's that I didn't have prior hands-on experience with the series, just the hand-me-downs of watching DadFE, maybe I'm just more flexible in general, but that's how I feel. I understand that not everyone will share that mindset.
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Post by rhaegyr on Sept 9, 2024 10:41:52 GMT
To be fair I can understand people who don't like using the summons.
Boss fights are so much more memorable/satisfying in earlier FROM games when you can beat them solo.
I think there's a fair few bosses in the DLC who would be incredibly difficult to beat solo without a full respec or lightning reflexes.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Sept 9, 2024 10:54:37 GMT
You can solo it, but it takes a lot more time than in previous games, it's less fun and there's some attacks you have to hope you don't get too many of/outright avoid/deal with perfectly
I seriously don't understand how people resolve 'I use every advantage in the game/summons are a core aspect you're suppose to use' with 'difficulty is a vital part of the experience'. Most people go straight for the Mimic as well. Summons ARE optional, you can solo it and it's a single player game. The summons, in my opinion, are an accessibility feature that's poorly implemented (balanced) and undermines the challenge. Too easy with, too frustrating without
Discussion is moving towards difficulty again though and that never ends well (although I have some new thoughts on that if you're interested. I know, I know)
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Post by RadicalRex on Sept 9, 2024 11:01:57 GMT
For the record, I'm not complaining about the DLC's difficulty level (except the final boss, but that turned out to be cheesable so I won't even complain about that). For my liking it was adequate, and I played without summons and without changing my build up until that point. But I was playing ER nonstop at the time and was doing challenge runs, so I'm not sure that's a good indication that From hit the mark.
As for those guys who try to invalidate other people's experience because they use summons or OP weapons, don't listen to those fucking losers. I don't know how much more pathetic you can be than feeling superior to others because you're playing some video game in hard mode. And frankly it can be entertaining to see them belittled by others who play even harder mode, and so on ad infinitum.
I mean, if you use what the game has on offer, you are playing as intended. And if you're having fun the way you're playing, you're playing it right. Sure, there's always a chance that playing another way might turn out to be even more fun, but frankly that's true for almost any game, not just Elden Ring.
The reason that I started playing without summons wasn't actually to increase the challenge, or at least that was a minor part of it. I want to enjoy the fights 1 on 1, as they (at least single-boss encounters) are designed around with often intricately designed complex movesets and AIs. Summons just have a tendency to break their AI as they're clearly not designed to deal with multiple foes, just randomly switching around between targets while still doing their 1-on-1 routine. I don't find that satisfying and that's why.
Sidenote, this isn't even new to Elden Ring. In DS3 I used an NPC summon to help me with Friede, and that completely broke her as I could just backstab her over and over again when she was targeting the summon. Glad that I made an unenjoyable fight easier? Yes. Satisfied with a remotely engaging fight? No.
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Tomo
Junior Member
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Post by Tomo on Sept 9, 2024 11:02:45 GMT
I summoned everything in the game when I hit a wall (Rellana and Bayle being the two bits I got stuck on for a while), apart from online folks. I have no shame in using the tools the game provides. The summons make the bosses way less interesting though. Release a Mimic to take most of the heat and then spam attacks. gud game.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Sept 9, 2024 11:19:27 GMT
For the record, I'm not complaining about the DLC's difficulty level (except the final boss, but that turned out to be cheesable so I won't even complain about that). For my liking it was adequate, and I played without summons and without changing my build up until that point. But I was playing ER nonstop at the time and was doing challenge runs, so I'm not sure that's a good indication that From hit the mark. As for those guys who try to invalidate other people's experience because they use summons or OP weapons, don't listen to those fucking losers. I don't know how much more pathetic you can be than feeling superior to others because you're playing some video game in hard mode. And frankly it can be entertaining to see them belittled by others who play even harder mode, and so on ad infinitum. I mean, if you use what the game has on offer, you are playing as intended. And if you're having fun the way you're playing, you're playing it right. Sure, there's always a chance that playing another way might turn out to be even more fun, but frankly that's true for almost any game, not just Elden Ring. The reason that I started playing without summons wasn't actually to increase the challenge, or at least that was a minor part of it. I want to enjoy the fights 1 on 1, as they (at least single-boss encounters) are designed around with often intricately designed complex movesets and AIs. Summons just have a tendency to break their AI as they're clearly not designed to deal with multiple foes, just randomly switching around between targets while still doing their 1-on-1 routine. I don't find that satisfying and that's why. Sidenote, this isn't even new to Elden Ring. In DS3 I used an NPC summon to help me with Friede, and that completely broke her as I could just backstab her over and over again when she was targeting the summon. Glad that I made an unenjoyable fight easier? Yes. Satisfied with a remotely engaging fight? No. Not sure if that's aimed at me, but to be clear, I'm not trying to invalidate anyone's experience. It hits me the other way around. If you say you want to solo it/enjoy the challenge/bosses as is, then the summoners try to invalidate your experience by saying it's not designed for that and that you should be using them- it's your fault
There's just no way From designed every aspect, enemy and boss for summons. That's insane to even suggest. They're not coordinated at all. All their games are traded on being hardcore gamer games and people aggressively defend that aspect of them. If you're going to do that, don't then complain about other people who actually want to take on the base challenge the enemy/boss designs present. Again, I don't believe the bosses are designed with summons in mind
If people didn't harp on about the difficulty aspect of the games, I wouldn't care about people using summons. It's people getting angry over anyone suggesting anything about lowering the difficulty while also saying you should be taking every advantage you can get
Loads of games offer things that make the them easier or harder (usually difficulty settings :X), they're not considered mandatory though
Again, just to reiterate, I don't care how other people play or if they use summons, but if you do, you need to chill on getting fussy about people who want an easy mode. You can't say 'you're a loser if you enjoy playing a game on a higher difficulty than other people' and then be offended by the suggestion of an easy mode or, worse, 'not all games are for everyone'. The From community is the epitome of gatekeeping in this regard
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Post by dangerousdave on Sept 9, 2024 11:34:29 GMT
Doesn’t using summoning open you up to being invaded by other players, though? I played Dark Souls solo until I got to that very famous duo and just couldn’t see a way through it on my own. But the idea of some super elite player being able to wonder into my game and kill me put me off using those features again.
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Post by RadicalRex on Sept 9, 2024 11:34:43 GMT
Aunty TreatsIt wasn't aimed at you at all. The important difference is between criticising Fromsoft's game design decisions and criticising other players for how they play the game. That goes both ways, telling others that they don't have a right to complain if they don't use summons is BS too. It should always be allowed to criticise the system, and again I agree it's flawed.
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Post by RadicalRex on Sept 9, 2024 11:37:17 GMT
Doesn’t using summoning open you up to being invaded by other players, though? I played Dark Souls solo until I got to that very famous duo and just couldn’t see a way through it on my own. But the idea of some super elite player being able to wonder into my game and kill me put me off using those features again. Summoning other players maybe, I guess, I haven't ever tried that. But you can use NPC summons and spirit summons even when playing offline.
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Post by dangerousdave on Sept 9, 2024 11:41:24 GMT
Oh my dog. Turns out I’m just a moron then. I didn’t know that was ever a thing.
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wunty
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Pastry Forward
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Post by wunty on Sept 9, 2024 11:41:25 GMT
I can't really argue with the boss fight complaints tbh. They've been a bugbear of mine since DS3. It's not about learning the mechanics of a perfectly pitched 1v1 fight any more. It's more like "right lads, get him! Quick before he goes into phase 2!"
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