Tbh I'm not the type who would do this too. Something about the boss movements and seeing how I was getting better each hour kept me in the frustration/motivation cycle. Definitely wouldn't do this again. At least not on this game....XDTo be honest, Elden Ring is a bit different to past Souls games, so banging your head against a wall isn't always smart.
Bosses in Elden Ring are tuned to be more difficult and enable use of spirits / war arts / variability in leveling.
A self-imposed hard mode is obviously your prerogative, but 12+ hours on the first boss is pretty insane.
As someone who solo-melee'd every boss in the past 6 games, using spirits and overlevelling has completely liberated me from needless frustration.
This post is a little bit weird, bro.Well you see Metroid Dread was too difficult so that should count against it, but Elden Ring is even more difficult so it should get all 10's.
It can be if your dex gets high enough but yeah the tradeoff is often not worth it or minimal. Seems to vary a lot by weapon though, so thankfully the ashes are easy to swap and check things out.Is it worth using an ashes of war to bump one of my weapons from D dex scaling to B dex scaling? I thought it would be at first but looking at the numbers, I lose 11 in base damage and only gain 10 in scaled damage. Doesn't seem like it'll ever become worth it unless it allows the dex scaling to be upgraded to A down the line.
The 10s are justified. It's an amazing game. And while plenty of people won't be able to finish it, there's a ton that will.That's why i see all these 10 and i get confused. If youre selling a product that regular players cannot actually play/finish/enjoy how can this be the best game ever...etc..etc...
Ah, that's a bit of a shame. Seems like it could have been a good system to allow for different builds to use a better variety of weapons. And yeah I agree, I don't want to put all my smithing stones into a weapon only to find out the scaling doesn't upgrade how I hope it does.It can be if your dex gets high enough but yeah the tradeoff is often not worth it or minimal. Seems to vary a lot by weapon though, so thankfully the ashes are easy to swap and check things out.
The only thing I wish we could see in advance is what level of scaling weapons will get at various upgrade points.
Put 3 hours in so far, but I think I'm gonna wait for a patch. The inconsistent framerate is very distracting on the Series S.
It's kinda bizarre they didn't. I'd honestly be minded to take a locked 30fps quality mode over 35-50fps framerate mode.The framerate is distracting at first but i'm playing the game on Framerate mode on Series S and i got used of it. 1080p 35-50fps, it's inconsistent but it's a From Software game : even if there's a patch one day we'll still have this problem.
They should have make the Quality mode 30 FPS locked at least.
Elden Ring does two things BotW doesn't - more variety in its underground locations compared to shrines and no loading screens when transitioning underground. These seem like relatively easy things for BotW 2 to improve upon. I have no doubt BotW 2 will become the new open world standard once again. The game is more ambitious than any of us realize, I'm sure.I posted this Tevis Thompson quote about BOTW in the ER hype thread, wrt a sequel: "Hyrule has heights & breadth but few depths. It’s the most wondrous surface, a truly stunning topography, but it’s an outside w/ no inside...(Imagine a Hyrule w/ final castle type structures strewn throughout/beneath it. Wouldn’t need to be ‘dungeons’, just architecture + threat.)...Also, with an inside or underground, a pervasive sense of the hidden extends beneath every surface. Mystery right under your feet."
after my session last night I realized that Elden Ring literally does this and it's incredible
Guy has a weird hateboner fixation for the game. I wouldn't afford the comment any kind of meaning or weight.This post is a little bit weird, bro.
I think Metroid Dread kinda just took people by surprise, particularly those that were expecting something closer to the rest of Nintendo's output, in terms of game difficulty. Metroid has always been relatively niche, even despite its acclaim, so with Dread, we had a lot of newcomers who were trying the series out for the very first time. Naturally, they were caught off-guard by the relatively unguided exploration, challenging bosses, and somewhat demanding controls. The knowledge of what to expect from a Metroid game just wasn't there, or at least not in the same way that Souls games are known for their difficulty. First original 2D Metroid game in two decades, and all that.
With Elden Ring, not only do people already know what they're getting, but the high degree of challenge is part of the allure. Plus, did a substantial number of reviewers even ding Metroid Dread for its difficulty, or was that more just the discourse surrounding it? I loved Dread, easily one of the most anticipated games of my whole-ass life, but even I wouldn't give it a 10. I think the 88 it has on Metacritic is fair.
people often criticize the lack of variety in the stuff you do in the open world of BOTW, which I think is largely overblown (though I think it does, especially late game, too often come down to shrines and seeds). I've played about 20 hours of Elden Ring, and this could end up evening out with time, but so far the variety of everything is unmatched, not just the underground locations. seems like an incredibly hard act to follow. but BOTW knocked me on my ass, and it wouldn't surprise me if they did it againElden Ring does two things BotW doesn't - more variety in its underground locations compared to shrines and no loading screens when transitioning underground. These seem like relatively easy things for BotW 2 to improve upon. I have no doubt BotW 2 will become the new open world standard once again. The game is more ambitious than any of us realize, I'm sure.
I've played ER for around 45 hours and there are definitely tons of cool "holy shit" moments throughout, but, like every open world game (even BotW), the game has plenty of repeated moments, events, discoveries, etc. Which is completely understandable, considering the scope of the game.people often criticize the lack of variety in the stuff you do in the open world of BOTW, which I think is largely overblown (though I think it does, especially late game, too often come down to shrines and seeds). I've played about 20 hours of Elden Ring, and this could end up evening out with time, but so far the variety of everything is unmatched, not just the underground locations. seems like an incredibly hard act to follow. but BOTW knocked me on my ass, and it wouldn't surprise me if they did it again
it's so dope to finally see a game that took the right lessons from it.Despite any issues I have with it (not very many, fortunately!), ER is the first open world game since BotW that I feel actually deserves to be in the same conservation as that game. It's incredible.
You keep saying this. But I don't have anything against this game. I have a problem with you though. So I will block you now.Guy has a weird hateboner fixation for the game. I wouldn't afford the comment any kind of meaning or weight.
See you in the parking lot, baby.You keep saying this. But I don't have anything against this game. I have a problem with you though.
Agreed. The open world is gorgeous and fun to explore, but can get a bit overwhelming at times. But the dungeons (at least, Stormveil, since that's all I've done so far) are phenomenal old-school Souls perfection.This game shines the hardest when you get to core main areas. These parts of the game feel the most like the old souls games. It's here where your teeth get kicked in IMO. The first castle is very well designed, with level design that overlaps on itself with plenty of shortcuts and checkpoints, as well as optional areas that have decent treasure. Just pure souls gameplay.
The open world design slows the game down quite a bit. You can spend hours before leveling up later in the game. Finding new items (especially armor) is pretty slow since you have to travel to areas on this big map, clear camps or small caverns/catacombs to get something new. And when you find something you likely can't use it based on your build. I think that makes it sting a bit because it takes forever to find stuff now. In the old souls games items and equipment come at a faster clip so the feeling of finding something cool that makes an immediate impact on your game was more present.
I think the issue is that the focused areas of the game are spaced out between hours and hours of open world exploration. It's almost required too, because you're pretty weak if you go straight for the major bosses. You'll also miss out on a ton of items, resources, level ups, etc. You can bum rush the main bosses but it requires a skill level I frankly don't have lol. Personally I find the open world enjoyable since I enjoy exploring and taking things slow. I'm not super rushed to progress.
That being said I'm 25 hours in so far and the complaints about areas feeling the same are moot IMO. I sorta started to feel fatigued of the starting location but rest assured, the sections of the game that open up after that first main boss are incredibly cool. This is when the game actually starts for real IMO.
Totally understandable if people don't want to sink in 25-30 hours before they start to experience the really cool stuff the game has to offer.
Also this is by far the most relaxing souls game. At least when in the open area. Most encounters are trivialized with the horse. It's fun to just feel super powerful and mow down mobs of enemies while on horseback. The focused areas are pure stress though!
Speaking of: I assume you mean Castle Morne? I have questions on that for everyone, I'll spoiler it just in case, but I feel like I'm missing something about that place:man, I cleared two whole ass castles to the south of the map before I even beat Margit.
Nobodu knows how to save Irena yet, apparently. I was devastated.Speaking of: I assume you mean Castle Morne? I have questions on that for everyone, I'll spoiler it just in case, but I feel like I'm missing something about that place:
So first you meet the girl on the road who escaped from there, and she gives you the letter to her father. I went to Castle Morne and cleared it out besides the island at the back, and gave her father the letter. I warped back to the girl, but she was now dead. So I went back to the castle, and her father was gone and I couldn't find him anywhere.
Anyway, I then went to the island and fought the boss (leonine misbegotten), and got a giant sword sword, but that seems to be the end of things here? I still have no idea where her father went (unless the boss WAS her dad or something like that?).
Finally, why are the Grace Lines (or whatever they're called) pointing me toward Castle Morne when there's not a greater rune there?
I hadn't considered the idea that I could have saved her. Oh.Nobodu knows how to save Irena yet, apparently. I was devastated.
Also, have you gone back to where you met her father since you got the sword? If yes, have you gone back to Irena's body since? I think there is definitely more to this quest, but I'm afraid we may have gotten the bad ending.
Castle "mourn" indeed.
I THINK I went back to where he was after I got the sword, but I could be wrong. I might do so again just to be sure later when I can play again.Nobodu knows how to save Irena yet, apparently. I was devastated.
Also, have you gone back to where you met her father since you got the sword? If yes, have you gone back to Irena's body since? I think there is definitely more to this quest, but I'm afraid we may have gotten the bad ending.
Castle "mourn" indeed.
I don't know, unfortunately. It seems like a really nice sword, but I'm assuming there are other katanas in the game that are probably better? I just haven't found any other ones yet.Can anyone say if the Uchigatana is worth properly investing in as a Dex build?
I'm posting on lunch break and here and there on my phone today, and literally all I can think about is planning out what I'm going to do next once I get home to play again. "I need to go back to location X, oh yeah check in with NPC Y, and then finally start main dungeon 2... and oh wait, there's that entire other area I keep forgetting to explore, too!" etc.Just popping in again to say this game is incredible and I can't get any work done
Also this is by far the most relaxing souls game. At least when in the open area. Most encounters are trivialized with the horse. It's fun to just feel super powerful and mow down mobs of enemies while on horseback. The focused areas are pure stress though!
Great point about the catacombs, mines and caves feeling like chalice dungeons. This is a much better implementation of that system imo.Agreed. The open world is gorgeous and fun to explore, but can get a bit overwhelming at times. But the dungeons (at least, Stormveil, since that's all I've done so far) are phenomenal old-school Souls perfection.
I also really like the catacombs, they feel like single-floor Chalice dungeons from Bloodborne with some cool rewards and some tricky puzzling/pathfinding. They don't get as boring or long as chalice dungeons though since they're so spaced out and broken up, which is nice.
If it's where I'm thinking of, I poked my head in and explored a little and then promptly noped right out of there. I'll come back when I've done some other places and feel a little more powerful to offset the oppressive feel of the area.Ahh, hmmm, yeah, about that. Wait until you get to a certain region that evokes anxiety and despair.
My friend told me about that elevator and my reaction was an out loud "what the fuck?" I love it.Had some time to sink this afternoon and made some good progress. Made my way through most of Stormveil Castle last time, but warped out of there to keep exploring Limgrave. Found an area with a bunch of smithing stones, a cool wolf man, took out three field bosses, upgraded some gear, gained maybe 4-5 levels. I also found an elevator in the forest that literally made me say "Wow"aloud, to myself lol. What a fucking game.
7 hours in at this point, so lots more to go. Can't wait to see some of the weirder stuff people are hinting at in the thread.
I’ve been wondering about this too. I felt like I covered the castle comprehensively and did everything but I had the same result.Speaking of: I assume you mean Castle Morne? I have questions on that for everyone, I'll spoiler it just in case, but I feel like I'm missing something about that place:
So first you meet the girl on the road who escaped from there, and she gives you the letter to her father. I went to Castle Morne and cleared it out besides the island at the back, and gave her father the letter. I warped back to the girl, but she was now dead. So I went back to the castle, and her father was gone and I couldn't find him anywhere.
Anyway, I then went to the island and fought the boss (leonine misbegotten), and got a giant sword sword, but that seems to be the end of things here? I still have no idea where her father went (unless the boss WAS her dad or something like that?).
Finally, why are the Grace Lines (or whatever they're called) pointing me toward Castle Morne when there's not a greater rune there?
The legacy dungeons in this game are no joke. They're among the best Souls areas ever designed!I had my second wow moment on a lift going up to the Academy. Elevators just don’t disappoint in this game.