No fancy post this time sadly. Just down to brass tacks for my update for you and @BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN.
Seeing as Stormveil was giving me a bit of grief I decided to look at the recommended level per area that Souls games usually have (The one and only thing I'll look at) and... Well I found out I'd basically missed out on everything else I was supposed to do in the surrounding areas first
So I've spent the last few days mopping things up on the Weeping Peninsula and West & East Limgrave.
Beat the Tree Sentinel, beat the dragon in the swamp, too many dungeon bosses to count. I did the castle Morne boss first try that I completely forgot his name and didn't actually realise he was supposed to be the area's big event 😅
Found my first Teleporter trap at the... Return tower which ended up taking me to the capital. Wasn't really much of a trap though!
Not much else to really say that I can think of at the moment. I'm at 25 hours now I think and at level 36.
I do think I might be a bit overpowered now though as my flasks are quite plentiful (7 Crimson, 1 Cerulean) with a +4 to them if I remember right. Godrick'll probably be a piece of cake now when I head back to Stormveil!
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
Seeing as Stormveil was giving me a bit of grief I decided to look at the recommended level per area that Souls games usually have (The one and only thing I'll look at) and... Well I found out I'd basically missed out on everything else I was supposed to do in the surrounding areas first
You wouldn't believe much much early game stuff I subsequently discovered I'd bypassed completely on my blind first run. We're talking 60+ hours later lol
Your post was fun and well-written. I enjoy this sort of role-playing immersion in video games. The minimalism of FS games only adds to it.
Damn, this is really making me want to grab the DLC and do a whole fresh run of ER and the expansion, the latter of which I never played.
You wouldn't believe much much early game stuff I subsequently discovered I'd bypassed completely on my blind first run. We're talking 60+ hours later lol
I can totally believe it and that's the one and only reason why I looked at one of those levels per area chart in an otherwise completely blind playthrough. I just didn't wanna curb stomp everything so many hours later.
Gonna get round to the others in the main souls series? You've still got Dark Souls 2 and 3 right alongside the Shadow of The Erdtree expansion for ER?
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@HallowMoonshadow I really should. I keep waiting for the games to go lower in sales, but FS is like Nintendo and sets a high-ish limit of how much they're willing to devalue their own products lol
I've heard so many extremely questionable things about DS2, and I detest how DS3 just turned into medieval fantasy Bloodborne (at least, based on the footage I've seen), so I've never been hugely motivated to pick up either, but I probably should.
DSIII is probably my favourite of the series I'd say. But DSII is the game in the series I've actually played the most.
I do quite like DSII. It's unique and definitely feels distinct. It has it quirks though and it's actually quite the long endeavour. @Th3solution just went through it not too long ago so you can pick his brain too about it too if you like for a more fresher perspective~
Whereas DS3 really can feel like DS 1.5 or as I like to say "Now That's What I call Music Dark Souls". It's the safer option, plays faster and introduces the weapon skills (Which ER expands on to the Ashes of War system).
I would say DSIII probably, maybe? But don't entirely count DSII out.
Hope that helps?
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@HallowMoonshadow Very impressive progress, ifirc I was much deeper in the game before I had that many flasks, and I completely ignored the Tree Sentinel for fears of being obliterated again by him, it sounds like you are comfortably leveled for Stromveil!
"Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won’t see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, you’ll miss the entire forest. Don't be preoccupied with a single spot. See everything in its entirety...effortlessly. That is what it means...to truly "see." "
@HallowMoonshadow@Ralizah I ended up really enjoying Dark Souls 2, for sure. But I also can see why people have been critical of it.
I looked through my posts over on the Souls thread and there wasn’t any concise impressions to point you to Ral, but overall there’s something about DS2 that really made me obsessed last year.
I think the biggest drop off from DS1 is probably the map and areas not being as well crafted as DS1 or even Bloodborne. The game does end up being much easier to travel around in though because bonfire fast travel is unlocked from the very beginning. So you can jump back and forth to hub anytime you want, and easily revisit areas.
The other complaint is often about the mobs of enemies, especially in the Scholar of the First Sin version. DS2 has a tendency to have enemies gang up on you. Another complaint you may see is about the inconsistent hit boxes, and honestly I didn’t really feel bothered by this. I’ve always considered the From games to have a little jank in this area.
The bosses are also not as diverse and creative, collectively speaking.
The game does some intriguing things though. The fast travel, as mentioned, the despawning mechanic after killing enemies several times, elemental weapon infusions, the hybrid of both refillable healing through estus flasks and also consumables which you can find and purchase like in Demon’s Souls, among other innovations.
Having not played DS3 yet, it’s hard to recommend it over DS3, but I can only report how much I enjoyed DS2. It was my favorite game I played last year and at one point I said it might be my favorite FromSoft game so far. I still don’t know how I feel about that though. There’s definitely recency bias with it. I would probably still say Bloodborne is my overall favorite, with DS1 and DS2 tied for a close second, followed by Demon’s Souls.
I have DS3 on the docket to play this year, then will finally get around to Elden Ring. I’m doing them in chronological order. And that brings up another point - if you care about the lore and story, there’s some narrative threads that build from DS1 to DS2 and so I assume the same for DS3. Honestly the story and lore isn’t why I play these games and I only saw connections when diving into YouTube videos and reading some of the wikis. I’m sure it’s fine to skip DS2 if you feel like you want to try the more traditional and universally accepted entry.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution@HallowMoonshadow I've never been a gigantic fan of the interconnected level design in DS1, so the lack of that isn't really a hit to me. It's usually just confusing for me lol
I probably should consider the heavy level of criticism as well as coming from the cult of Miyazaki.
I've played both versions of Dark Souls 2... But I really don't remember the original version on PS3 and how different the enemy placements are to Scholar as I know you can buy both versions on steam (And I assume you're going to be playing it via steamdeck)
So it might be worth looking up the differences between them? Potentially?
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@HallowMoonshadow@Ralizah My understanding is that Scholar is generally accepted as more difficult. The enemy placement and numbers will tend to be harder, but there are isolated exceptions to that also, with a few areas supposedly being easier. The big draw for Scholar, outside of the improved technical polish, is the inclusion of the 3 DLC packs, which are among the best parts of the game, imo. They could always be purchased a la carte with the OG DS2 though, should you prefer to get the original game. I look forward to hearing how it goes for you, if and when. 😄
Edit: Oh and to be clear, there’s still aspects of the interconnectivity and “open-linear” aspects of the DS2 maps, akin to the other FromSoft games, with discoverable short-cuts and whatnot. The hub home base, Majula, has some branching paths that can be done in different orders, and each of the individual areas can sometimes be approached from a few different ways, but its much easier to jump back and forth from bonfire to bonfire as opposed to DS1 where there was a lot of trekking through shortcuts instead.
@HallowMoonshadow@Th3solution Will 100% be playing on my Deck OLED. Even at 30fps, DS1R was such a neat experience on my Switch OLED, and as far as I can tell DS2 should run at a solid 50-60fps on the Deck (might cap to 45fps, which honestly still feels really good to me). Gotta have those deep, dark blacks again, and curl up around dungeons with a comfy handheld! And probably play offline again, because being able to stop and start the game at will is so much more valuable than random little death ghosts and cryptic messages that are either trolling or only useful after I've already messed up.
SotFS seems to be far more updated as well as the most optimized for decent play on the Deck. Plus lower MSRP and it goes on sale for the same price as base DSII on Steam, despite the former coming bundled with a bunch of extra DLC. So I'll be going with that version.
And that progression sounds perfect. DS1 had waaaaay too much twisty-turny interconnectivity for me, which, yes, meant bonfires often didn't take me exactly where I wanted to go.
@HallowMoonshadow Apologies for the late reply! Stormveil will still have tricky moments even if you're a little overpowered. Besides, you'll still be able to enjoy the sheer scale of the place. It's epic. You're probably already there actually!
Good job, Parappa. You can go on to the next stage now.
No worries @Gremio108 I've certainly got a fair bit further since that post.
In fact I have 3 Runes now which you and @BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN will no doubt be interested in hearing having beaten Rennala and Starscourge Radahn.
... I'll be honest though. My earlier concerns of the open world aspects have... Unfortunately come home to roost.
I've spent about 55 hours in the game now and I'm definitely experiencing some fatigue with the design choice of such a huge map. I feel like I've been zipping past most of it on Torrent.
Caelid in general is kinda bad in my humble opinion. Radhan being an interesting fight lore wise with the festival... But honestly kinda bad in every other way. I'm not even sure I explored the castle right leading up to him as it's kinda a mess to navigate.
It's funny I've never experienced burnout before on a souls game but I think it's happening here and that's a darn shame as Limgrave and Stormveil were fun to explore but I didn't feel that nearly as much in Liurina or especially Caelid.
So I guess I'll be taking a break from ER for the time being.
@HallowMoonshadow IIRC you only need 3 runes to proceed to endgame? I agree that Caelid and also the Snowy Mountains are a big of a drag... but Farum Azula (near-endgame area) is breathtakingly good.
Agree though that Limgrave and Stormveil are just... immaculate. I think most of the game's best content is front-loaded, and I felt this way about the DLC as well.
Elden Ring is still a GOAT'd game, but Sekiro remains (IMO) a much tighter experience - and all the better for being more streamlined
@HallowMoonshadow I'm sorry to hear about your experience of burnout, with regard to Elden Ring. Might I suggest making some, perhaps limited, use of a guide to make your playthrough into a more streamlined experience? I did that. when I played it, myself, and felt little burnout or fatigue as a result.
"Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won’t see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, you’ll miss the entire forest. Don't be preoccupied with a single spot. See everything in its entirety...effortlessly. That is what it means...to truly "see." "
I'm on my third playthrough proper of Elden Ring (although I've also messed about in Limgrave with a couple of experimental characters that didn't get off the ground) and each time I play through the game, I gain a new appreciation for an area that I previously disliked. On my second run it was Leyendell, on my third it was Liurnia. It hasn't quite happened with Caelid yet but I'm getting there.
I'd definitely stop for a bit. When you come back to it, hit Altus Plateau (the next area) and hopefully it'll be like a new game again. Or just dip in and out from time to time; look at it as a long-term project!
Good job, Parappa. You can go on to the next stage now.
Agree though that Limgrave and Stormveil are just... immaculate. I think most of the game's best content is front-loaded, and I felt this way about the DLC as well.
Yeah I have no idea when I'll get to the DLC (If ever) but good to know that you think that's somewhat similar, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
HallowMoonshadow I'm sorry to hear about your experience of burnout, with regard to Elden Ring. Might I suggest making some, perhaps limited, use of a guide to make your playthrough into a more streamlined experience? I did that when I played it, myself, and felt little burnout or fatigue as a result.
I very well might do so. I'll be giving ER a little break for a week or two to focus on some smaller titles in the meantime but... I may actually look at a spoiler free guide to see the intended path a bit more closely.
I'm on my third playthrough proper of Elden Ring (although I've also messed about in Limgrave with a couple of experimental characters that didn't get off the ground) and each time I play through the game, I gain a new appreciation for an area that I previously disliked. On my second run it was Leyendell, on my third it was Liurnia. It hasn't quite happened with Caelid yet but I'm getting there.
I'd definitely stop for a bit. When you come back to it, hit Altus Plateau (the next area) and hopefully it'll be like a new game again. Or just dip in and out from time to time; look at it as a long-term project!
Glad I'm not the only one here who thinks Caelid is just a mess
It's just kinda wild to me I'm saying that I've got a bit of fatigue with it.
I'm the madwoman who got into the series by beating my head against the wall that was Demon's Souls 10 times over with multiple characters until it finally made sense to me.
Who loved Dark Souls III so much that after I beat it I went straight in with another build and did it all over again
Getting only a third (?) of the way in ER and thinking I need to take a break is just something unprecedented with my experience of the series.
Hopefully after a little break I'll be ready to dive back in~!
@HallowMoonshadow True, but it kind of makes sense in a way. Although Demons and Dark Souls threw those obstacles at you, it was always fairly focused in terms of what you had to do.
It's a totally different type of fatigue when you come to a new area in Elden Ring that doesn't land with you. Because then you're left thinking "oh god I've got to do all this again". Especially when the alternative is another massive area you don't like. So I get it! Definitely worth breaking the experience up into smaller parts if you're feeling that way.
Good job, Parappa. You can go on to the next stage now.
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