Note that the "GIT GUD" meme is real in these games. If you replay the game a second time, even if you follow the same steps as the first, the game feels infinitely easier... Because you got GUD.
That's the thing people expect people to just suddenly "get good" Even though it's not something you could just do overnight. And in my opinion, it's just a lazy thing to say when somebody doesn't like a game or thinks. A certain Segment in the game is too hard
My first time through I had SOOOO much difficulty with Margit. I would fight him six, seven, eight times before I'd get frustrated. But then I'd just leave and go do something else for a while. Then I'd come back and fight him six, seven, eight times again. It probably took me somewhere before thirty and fourty fights before I finally beat him. God, I hated him so much. But after I beat him I found out that you can fight him again, twice. And goddamn was I exited to fight him again. And on each successive play I also really look forward to fighting Margit/Morgott now.
Bro I was 13 and got demons souls for free because it was a used game and I thought it was dumb but I really felt like a knight so I kept trying and I finally beat my first real boss and the game told me I can go *checks notes* anywhere absolutely blew my mind every area felt so big compared to me and then I slowly rose up to the top Shit felt like a anime journey and it was amazing
I think my favorite part about elden ring is the endless amounts of new players if I'm being honest I never thought the community would ever get this big back in the demons souls days and I absolutely love it, like hearing someone go through an area in elden ring and it reminds me of one of the first times I got lost in the depths in dark souls 1
That is just not true at all, I've been playing since the 80s i was one of the first to play demons souls from Japan at the time, and yes it is unique and amazing, the "series" is revolutionary but in no way I feel like i can't get satisfaction from other games. That is just a "you" problem, maybe you are too limited in what you like, or your expectations are too narrow, there are very satisfying games out there that really made me fall in love with them, and an example is Dead Cells just to name one. This is the problem with the souls community, they attached themselves to fromsoftware and now they have blinders in their eyes, anything that doesn't feel exactly like souls is not as good, which is ridiculous and that's just being a fanboy. I'm sorry if i sound too negative, that's not my intention. I would agree that it is very unlikely that a AAA game will feel as good, but AAA gaming sucks 😂.
@@Re-PhantomZero if you go to their profile they play other games as well. All they said is that souls games give them most satisfaction. they did not say other games are not satisfying. plenty of people play only gta and rdr2 or only fighting games etc, because it is their preference tho. I don't think souls community is somehow at fault because they enjoy those games the most. strange comment.
I played through all of ds3, bloodborne and elden ring and I've yet to have this mind blowing experience everyone is talking about. They're good games but not masterpieces like everyone says imo
best since morrowind no clear quest markers bosses don't level with you great weapons and talismans to be found in dungeons dozens of legitimate playstyles allowed
@@Rik2BitNothingI've played these games for a long time and at some point you get a feeling for the kind of fuckery From does with enemy attacks. The first big jump in my gitting gud journey was when I stopped panic rolling after being hit. It makes such a big difference to defeat the reflex to hammer that dodge button because A LOT of enemies are programmed to perfectly catch you out of your panic roll with their follow up attack (even more important if you dabble in pvp). The dogs are similar but they are masters of dodging and punishing any attacks you miss. Try keeping them at like 15 feet distance to lure their charge attack and you can mostly just step out of the way and punish. In general, try not to swing wildly as they are programmed to perfectly punish and stun you after a missed attack. :)
@@peterlem1Whenever I've taken a long break from ER and come back I always make my way to the "Artist's Shack" in Liurnia after defeating Godrick to practice with the nearby Leyndell Knight. Imo he's got the perfect moveset to prepare you for most of the rest of the game, doesn't have a huge health pool, has a variety of parryable attacks, and has a nearby bonfire. I will repeatedly fight him until I can reliably finish him off without using a flask. tl;dr - Go to Artist's Shack in Liurnia and practice on the nearby knight to prepare for the rest of the game.
Exact same experience here! I hated games like this, got Elden Ring this past Christmas, and have completely been converted. I even have a list of the next Souls games and the order in which I will be explore them. Thank you for expressing what I have been feeling for the past 5 weeks and keep up the great work. You’ve earned a follow from me.
Thank you so much for the follow. Its been really tough to accurately explain were the original thought process came from to actively dislike something without fully embracing what its all about. Took me a while to find the words and I still dont feel I could explain to people how we feel about these games but im absolutely with you on being a convert now. Looking at what other treats are hidden out there now!
Started Elden Ring about a month ago and it's my first "souls" game. Totally hooked. The accomplishment you feel after defeating a boss who's stomped you multiple times is immense. Good vid. And your first Baldur's Gate playthrough I recommend Tactical difficulty and choose Dark Urge character (which you can still make any class/race you want). Subbed.
Yes totally agree it's like a self inflicted challenge overcome 💪 makes you feel good! I will get round to BG soon and I hugely appreciate the support.
The first souls that I played was Dark Souls 1 prepare to die edition, with integrated graphics on al laptop around 2014 with an Xbox controller. It was the freshest yet most memorable gaming experience of my life, then I started to invest more time in the lore around it and blew me away even more. We must protect developers such as Fromsoftware whom are one of the few thar continue to truly care about how we experience this art
Great video, I was also afraid of playing souls game but it just looked so good and I tried. 150 hours later and I have beaten it twice, and it was a great journey, now I don’t know how to play some other games, they are just trivial in terms of fights
Thank you so much! I know right? Prior to it I'd never have the guts to purposefully make a game harder for the sake of it but now that rush changes it entirely. It's one of the reasons when I decided to try Doom after all the years to add Brutal Doom but only change the monsters behaviour and damage values so it felt more survival based now. Thank you again.
@@Rik2BitNothingI also thought that playing in Normal difficulty is intended by developers, before I played The Witcher 3. I finished it in normal and than played in Hardcore, and honestly, only in hardcore all game mechanics made sens. In normal you just go and smack everything, in hard you have to think, make potions, bombs, oils, read descriptions. Its harder but it make the game so much better. After playing Elden ring I wish the Witcher to have even harder mode:) But yeah, normal mode is for bigger audience, and it makes sense for developers. I love how FromSoft solved it. Elden ring can made muuuuch more easier if you want to. You just get spirit ashes, good weapons and few more levels and you can win almost all fights MUCH easier. But if you want, you can make it harder. All up for player) First time I beat the game with ashes, than I just wanted to beat without them, so I have had 2 great journeys)
Yes! I can absolutely understand your point about the Witcher though (As I have experienced it in other games now) as you often find on the "normal" or easier difficulties by the time you get to the end of the game you end up having an abundance of potions, boosts, buffs etc that you've hoarded throughout the game as you never really needed it.
Great video and you nailed the souls experience with the line about the game never being unfair, it was always your fault you died, but that feeds the rush when you succeed.
Hugely appreciate the comment dude. Yeah there were times i thought "wtf how is this...oh...right" and I'd find the solution. One was running a blood build until I came across the knights in the Farum palaces and I couldn't handle them until all it took was using a 2 handed colossal sword haha.
This is a great video! I started playing Elden Ring 3 weeks ago and every point you hit is SPOT ON! Last good game I played (in my opinion) was BG3 and it was fun and amazing but I overdid it. And I had that same feeling as a gamer where you just sit at your computer, look at all the games and maybe turn one on for 30 minutes and then just turn it off. With souls like games I always had that impression that its a game just to make people mad and angry for no apparent reason. But when BG3 won game of the Year I looked at last years game of the year it was Elden Ring. Finally I said screw it and got the game and turned it on thinking I was only gonna play it for 30 minutes and Turn it off. 12hours on a Friday night I was GLUED to the screen. I never thought id enjoy it this much and it does not hold your hand AT ALL. Haven't even beaten it yet because all I want to do is explore and find Hidden bosses and the world that is Elden ring. Since then BG3 has an honor mode now (no save scumming and if you die it deletes your save file) And I really wanna play it. Elden Ring gave me a drive to play more challenging games because its so much more rewarding when you do win because it isn't spoon fed to you, Its a hard but a very fair game. Thank you for making a video that had every thought that was on my mind. I cant wait to see more!
Thank you so much for the comment it means so much to me 😊 I've not played BG3 but I'm really excited to delve into that at some point as my gaming spark has been reignited. I'm really glad you understood where I was coming from and I know it's a bit convoluted and all over the shop but I think that's just how sometimes our brain works when trying to convey something that really does passionately impact us. Thank you again it means alot to hear that 😄🥰
Couldn't have been better timed with the DLC gameplay trailer coming out tomorrow Also I believe the biggest thing that makes souls-likes great is their focus on gameplay and the world. In a world where the best AAA games are all cutscene story driven games, here is this new genre that goes back to the ways of old (like 20 years ago).
17:24 - And it's much more immersive that way. You're also actually pushed to take advantage of elemental weaknesses and attacks, whereas on lower difficulties you can just spam whatever and ignore most of the combat system which is such a shame. Overall, I believe it's really hard to get difficulty right, especially when you offer multiple difficulty levels. I've been playing games on the hardest available difficulty on my first playthrough ever since I (foolishly?) decided it would save time when trying to 100% games about a decade ago, and what I've learned is: - When done right, difficulty can be positively transformative and increase immersion - It's often easier to adapt than we assume. A game can go from frustratingly difficult to enjoyably difficult after a game session or two (sleep matters), and can become normal/easy after 20 hours or so of game time. I believe we're more adaptable than we tend to assume. - Some games devolve into an unbalanced, unpolished, unfun mess on higher difficulties. There are countless games that can be much harder than what Fromsoft typically makes, but that doesn't mean they're enjoyable at that difficulty. It's easier to appreciate Fromsoft's games when you've sampled other games that become unfun on higher difficulties or if you try a bunch of Soulslikes. For example, animations, stagger (poise), stamina, and health are often comically unbalanced. Whereas Fromsoft designs starting enemies to be weak, with low HP and poise, but still dangerous in numbers, imitators often make starting enemies too tough: too much poise, too much damage, too much HP, and attacks that aren't sufficiently telegraphed but can still two-shot you. And more casual games tend simply increase enemy HP and decrease player damage, turning every fight into a marathon.
P.S.: I got both Horizon games late enough that I could start my first playthrough on Ultra Hard which is definitely _not_ what you're supposed to do. It's definitely NG+ difficulty. That said, IMO the first one handled it much better and made the game even _more_ immersive. I actually felt like a mere human trying to go up against powerful machines. I had to use stealth, traps, and overrides and corruption arrows to reach the endgame, at which point Aloy transforms into a demigoddess who can easily bully a frozen Thunderjaw with a triple powershot to a weakspot. But the first 20-hours or so are almost like a post-apocalyptic survival horror game. And since the difficulty is meant for NG+, the prices are insane too ... which is hella immersive for a post-apocalyptic setting, IMO!
That's a really good way of looking at alot of the finer aspects that make the difficulty enjoyable. Especially about the animation quality regarding it as one as I've often found that to be a jaring thing if done incorrectly. And I think I'm bit scared to try a ultra hard on horizon haha 😄
@@Rik2BitNothing - I really don't wanna shame anyone, but games by the studio Spiders are a typical example. They're AA for a reason: they're interesting and enjoyable, but they lack polish, especially when balancing difficulty levels. I still love them and have 100%'d a few of them, but better animations and poise mechanics would have been a huge upgrade for their earlier titles, IMO. The studio *is* improving, though. I'm currently playing Steelrising and it's all-around much better than their previous titles! As for Horizon on UH, like I said above, early on, you get one shot by almost everything and barely deal any damage, but later on you become a powerhouse. It's a difficulty made with NG+ in mind, though in Forbidden West it's balanced around the overheal mechanic, which means 100% HP is almost always simply not enough 🤣
Hehehe and another person 'gets it' - welcome to the club. I hope you now start the wonderful journey of trying out the rest of the souls catalogue. So many wonderful experiences ahead of you. Well done for 'getting gud'
Same. ER was my first "souls" game and it turned me into a FromSoft fanboy. Like you it also saved gaming for me at a time when I was starting to assume that I was just too old to get any enjoyment from games anymore. When I bought ER it was a total long shot but it turned out to be the most unexpected and improbable gaming turnaround of my life lol. Also had the Commodore 64 in the house as a kid. My dad would bring home floppy disks from work and we'd explore the stuff on the disk looking for and running games.
ur not bad at explaining urself and you dont need to be apologetic ur video was very wholesome and you tell a good story -- transported me back to my first playthrough of ER
Well said my guy and great review.. I have the same difficulties with expressing my thoughts into words; and I would say, you couldn't have expressed yours any better. Same shared experience here, and after multiple ER playthroughs with multiple builds, I've gone on to beat and do the same in DS3, DS2, and would be playing Bloodborne, Sekiro, and DS1 sometime later this year.
Massive thanks matey! I do hugely appreciate the support. Oh wow so you are actually conquering the "like" universe from the originators. Hats off to you :O
Hey dude, brilliant video! For starters it's nice to hear a fellow Welsh accent in the YT gaming space! Secondly, I really enjoyed your chill tone, and your rambly style, it's really cool so don't worry about how 'professional' it seems or whatever, it's a strength o your style I think! Plus, I can clearly see you put A LOT of effort in the editing, the cuts, the memes, the general flow, fantastic job! And finally; welcome to the Souls club, once From has their fangs in you it's hard to get away lol! Hope you play and enjoy the other titles! Anyways, apologies for for the mini-essay but yeah, awesome video, a joy to watch, thanks! Cymru am byth!
Welshies Unite! Thanks for the comment dude it meant alot to me. I definitely have a rambly style and sometimes the excitement gets ahead of what im trying to say and comes out a bit blearrghegghr haha. Thank you again for that
I am really glad I found this video. What you said at the start about gaming depression really hit home for me. While it’s a sad reality, it was reassuring to hear that I am not alone, or was not alone, in feeling this way. Elden Ring has been a huge help in helping me as well to rediscover the true joy of gaming. The last time I felt this was with Mass Effect, and I am incredibly grateful to FromSoftware for creating this game. Enjoy playing, and go Elden Ring! Thank you for making this video!
I liked to hear about your experience with ER. I had a quite simmilar point of view, and journey, only I started with Dark Souls 3, after a friend talked me into trying it. That really changed everything. Pretty much in they way you explained it. It was interesting hearing about a simmilar journey. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I think you can cut back on the apologies for your ability to explain yourself. You did fine :)
Thank you for the support dude I really appreciate it. Oh I remember doing that but with the game 7th Legion. I had to find a school computer with a CD Drive in order to explore and see what games could be run. Floppy disk though? I tip my hat to that hah
It’s weird to think of where I would be had I never happened to read that review of Demon’s Souls all the way back in 2009. Something about that review stuck with me for years until one day I saw that it was marked down to $20 at Best Buy. I picked it up on a whim and proceeded to get my ass completely handed to me for the next 4-5 hours. I made literally no progress. It’s crazy to think that back then it was no guarantee that I would keep going. The Souls series has absolutely changed my life when it comes to gaming. And it is so awesome to see that even after all these years, all of these releases and all of their success, FromSoft has never compromised on quality, or their vision. It makes me smile to think that FromSoft is the AAA studio with the highest approval rating right now, and that these games are now fairly mainstream.
I'm a fromsoft veteran, played all fromsoft games since dark souls 1, and I've experienced the exact same thing with DS 1, great to see that Elden Ring brought so much more players to this kind of games! Also, loved your video, cant wait to see what you'll put out next, you've made a new subscriber today!
Ahhh man thats so awesome I hugely appreciate it! Yes im trying to bring some videos that I've thought out making a while back to light so its giving me a good bit of encouragement. Again I cant thank you enough.
For me, what made Elden Ring awesome were the quality of life changes that From Soft added, like the Stakes of Marika. Not having to repeat the parts of the dungeon that you passed made having to repeat the boss fun.
I jumped into this type of game with Elden Ring and it has changed my feeling of trying harder difficulties in other games and has encouraged me to see challenges as fun instead of frustrations.
Good video. I'm about to start eldin ring tonight. I've started it up twice and never commit to it because there is no hand holding and I've become so accustomed to some sort of guidance in modern day gaming. But after watching you're video, I have even more confidence I can find enjoyment in it. I need something to hold me over until dragon's dogma 2.
its funny that even tho i crawl trough these games cuz i carpet search every inch of these games and leave no stone unturned, i can still easily recognize each location you were at as you mentioned them lol.
the darksiders part was a surprise but a welcome one. you are absolutely right, darksiders 3 was controversial because of it's combat based on souls games, i absolutely LOVE darksiders 3 and usually people that didn't like, is because of the combat.
I must have downloaded Dark Souls 1 in 2014 & it took me like two years to fight through it. I feel you, man. My first impressions of these game were almost identical. Now, I'm an action game fiend & I've played & loved every single thing Fromsoftware has released in the last 15 years. Your story is so similar to so many in this community & we're happy to have you on board. Just in time for the DLC too :D On another note, I've noticed you're really down on your communication skills. I actually have a degree in creative & professional writing &, if I can be honest, you're just as eloquent as anyone else I've come across. Not only should you be proud of yourself for rising to an uncertain challenge in a video game, but it seems like you've also confronted an insecurity by making this video. For my money, you've done very well. Great job, man.
Ahhh I hugely appreciate the feedback mate it means alot and the support has been so incredible. 🥰 yes I'm really looking forward to the DLC which looks to put many DLC to shame with its size and vision.
I’m subscribing. This is a good video. Your mic quality is good and I think you communicated everything pretty well. Back in 2014 Dark Souls completely redefined how I look at games so I’m happy to hear that Fromsoft is still doing that to people.
Thanks for that! I think I need to get the mic levels a little better and clean up some clicks but hugely appreciate that mate. Oh yes I'm wondering what else they'll have in store for us now!
So glad you came to appreciate this style of game play and love this amazing game. I am interested however, in the mental gymnastics that lead you to thinking the unarmed naked guy at the very end of the character selection was the intended play experience 😂
When I was looking at the prebuilds I assumed (in error) that they were for people who previously played FromSoft games and KNEW what playstyle they wanted. I figured the Wretch was a balanced stated starter instead hah. But I felt Id progressed too far in to start again when I was told about it.
My friend tried to get me into these games for years. Each time a new game came out he's have me try it and I would call it ugly or too hard. Elden Ring then came out and at first I regretted it but decided to push through and beat it. Now I have over 100 runs in ER and have platinum the other fromsoft titles. Bloodborne has become my all time favorite game. These games have ruined everything for me, they have no right being this good... but they are.
Its funny for everyone who sticks to these series of games they have "THAT" moment where it clicks and the feeling of overcoming difficulty floods you with joy and leaves you hungry for more.
most games feel like the hardest diff is the game experience devs want u to have and everything below is an accessibility option (mostly demanded by publisher for marketing reasons), otherwise there would be no diff options and most games feel regular on hard if u are used to playing games.
I think thats where Im going to be heading now into the harder aspect of games. I think its unlocked it for alot of people now who feel they can come join the gang.
Very happy that you've decided to give a game with such a steep learning curve a chance. It really is rewarding to get the cadence of a boss fight down to the point it starts to look like a dance and the using the game's mechanics against enemy types you wouldn't expect is always fun. Take your time exploring the entire map, there is so much to offer there.
The level of depth and detail is staggering and while I loved my Horizon playthrough it did pale in comparison to the secrets you could unearth in ER. Still, two different kind of games but one really went the extra on exploration.
i literally thought my "gaming depression" was unique, im glad other people experience it. i finally have some free time, sit down, and stare at the screen like "wtf is wrong with me, do i not like games anymore? should i go knit?" something eventually brings me back but it can take awhile
Yup it's such a strange feeling. I know that when I feel it I know something isn't right and now I know to try and do something before it gets too late. Its weird but getting that hobby spark back is a good armour against the world.
Your video was honest, your genuine thoughts on an amazing game and its experience, job done dude! Feel proud and hope you're excited for the Elden Ring DLC.
Had to chime in and thank you for trying to express the ineffable feeling of being a soulslike newbie and getting hooked by Elden Ring. You’re 100 percent right about it making us better and happier gamers.
It was really bugging me when I was trying to explain to friends what the game was like so I figured lets just TRY and make a video explaining. I dont think I got it all but it was the general shell of what I think I was trying to explain haha.
I love this so much! I currently beat Horizon Zero Dawn as well, just 3 achievements left until 100% and i even beat Dragon's Dogma 100% as well which i fully recommend! Im currently working on Monster Hunter World, and after Dragon's Dogma 2 next month, im gonna start working on my full playthrough of Elden Ring! I played 6 hours of it when it first dropped, but i feel like the open world genre just wasn't cutting it for me at the time!
Zero Dawn was a joy to play and im really glad I went back to it. Though I felt the same as you and thought the open world was too much at the time and not cutting it.
I played the souls trilogy with a walkthrough and absolutely loved it . Having learned so much about “ ambushes, mimics , hidden walls, etc….) it’s given me the confidence to play elden ring blind for the first time which I started this weekend . Being able to freely explore wherever you want made me realize the beauty in difficulty . This game is absolutely wonderful and there are sooo many secrets out there to discover
Yes its been so good at revealing mysteries without actually flat out telling you I found. The messages left have been really cool too and its like sharing a secret.
I wasn't quite sure where this was going at first, but well done! I can relate to some degree with your struggle with being able to explain oneself, and it was quite interesting to hear your perspective when it comes to gaming. For me Elden Ring was my first Souls game, and it has been my most favorite game ever since. Elden Ring and the Souls games in general have rekindled a love for good storytelling (though admittedly I'm still trying to figure how to create quality stories of my own). Anyway, this is the first video I've seen by you, and I am impressed despite what flaws there may be in it. I hope to see you improve in the future. Also today being the announcement of the Elden Ring DLC, you should try and do something on it, especially once it's available to play June 21st.
Thank you so much for the comment and support dude! Yeah sometimes it's hard to put into words and easier to just try and talk it out. I try to get some breather clips in here and there once I feel myself going off on one haha
Video finished. Man it was a blast. Perfect video. Perfect video. You actually went with the flow, talked your heart out. and yeah. i'm glad i stayed. I knew it was going to be a good video. Take good care man.
Thank you so much for that comment I really appreciate the feedback. I hugely appreciate the support given over this video. Its really meant alot to me.
This was great it is very relatable. It is also funny that the game is 10 times as easy when you playthrough it a second time. It is the psychological advantage that you know you have beaten it before, I would also go so far as when you played a souls game and beaten it, you know you can get through that type of challenge, and they are very similar in difficulty level. In those I count Bloodborne, D3, Sekiro. What the difficulty provides is the sensation of a unforgiven harsh environment and it plays directly into the lore of the game that is the geniuses of souls games.
The way you 9:00 felt that surge of amazement at the menu music is equally replicated in Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne, never been so hyped in such a short amount of time as launching these 3 games. Bloodborne is even considered the best game by Fromsoftware by a sizable chunk of the community, even with the 30fps cap at 1080p with bad anti-aliasing, the sheer otherworldly aesthetic and execution of Bloodborne's style is unlike anything else I've ever seen
Elden ring was my first souls experience. I’d stopped playing for a year or so after getting bored of assassins creed and Skyrim. I remember at first saying “this game is way to hard why is it so popular!?” It all made sense hours later I was hooked. I totally had a similar experience
Your very first experience with Elden Ring was exactly how mine was. Now, I wish my buddy would come around to give it a fair shot. The backlash it got by casual gamers who didn't want to take the time to learn the mechanics really left a negative mark on some, and now they have no idea what they're missing!
I finally got around to playing Elden Ring this year, as well. I completed it last Friday. It took me 224 hours to beat the game and 242 hours total(I wrapped-up a few loose ends after beating the Elden Beast, just to be prepared for the upcoming DLC. I played the game on my Steam Deck Oled. Those last few bosses were absolutely brutal lol. There were many moments when I had serious doubts that I could actually complete the game. I agree. I really feel like I accomplished something here. By the way, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West are both amazing games....in my top 5 for sure. Forbidden West is getting a PC port in March.
Damn I feel you on the last bosses! They battered me haha. Im so looking forward to Forbidden West now but I hear it might be sandwiched between the DLC and some other major titles whose names elude me at this time. I do absolutely understand the feeling like we accomplished something though. Its probably the most rewarding game I've ever played in memory.
Just a helpful tip. Stop apologizing, you did nothing wrong... You put your thoughts out there and made an entertaining video, literally 0 reason for you to apologize. Keep up the good work!
Firstly, great video. Elden Ring had EXACTLY the same effect on me. You summed it up perfectly. I would highly recommend you now play Dark Souls 3 it’s very similar in design to Elden ring. The boss fights in it are some of the best in the souls series and it will really scratch that itch building up to the new Elden ring DLC.
I found this thoroughly enjoyable - and I can relate to the feeling of "gaming depression", which I thought was unique to me lol. You've given me the nudge to go and give Elden Ring a try - thank you.
Oh it absolutely exists. Its strangely a signal that lets me think "uh oh....downer is coming" and I try to fix it then. But yeah it sucks losing that will for something you enjoy.
Great video. I totally appreciate your presentation style. You sound very similar to me in terms of gaming history (master system, SNES etc etc). I've never been into RPGs. Never played any. None. I foolishly imported Demon's Souls in PS3 back in the day. I had a new born child at the time and I was trying to play it while also having to attend to a baby. No pause. Suffice to say I sold it pretty fast. Fast forward to Elden Ring and I was encouraged by a PC gamer mate to play it. We started at the same time and I pretty much immediately thought id made a massive mistake. He told me to keeo going and explore. I hit a wall and got so pissed off i sold the disc. But it was too late. The rot had got me. I couldn't stop thinking about it every day. So i had to rebuy it. I've recently finished NG+5 and can safely say its my favourite game ever. Playing it again makes it so fun, more arcadey, you can mow through areas with ease, but dont rest on your laurels. No no no! Three rats can kill you at any time if you make one silly mistake. Its also inspired me to look at other ARPGs. I'm pretty keen on Dragons Dogma 2. That looks like it'll really hit the spot for me too. Anyway, keep up the good work! 💥👍👍
Thank you so much for that. Yeah its wild how that one hook pulls you in and weirdly everything seems to make sense after it batters you about a bit haha. I was the same, I would be in work driving a forklift but thinking about ER haha
Awesome video , awesome content , awesome references and totally went through the same thing late last year to now. I legit had so much to offer day but ultimately I’m just doing a short comment, drinks are involved but appreciate how this video echos how I felt and feel. Thanks bud.
The "normal as standard difficulty" is a flawed mindset, in my opinion. What I do with a new game is I set the difficulty to my level of competence. Then, once I'm comfortable, increase the difficulty until I'm threatened. With Baldur's Gate 3, I initially started on hard because I thought "oh, I'm a gamer, I can do this." Then proceeded to get my shit kicked in by the tutorial. Had to knock it down to normal. But then, once I finished Act 1, I realized that at no point during any of the fights was I actually threaten. There was no risk of me losing-as long as I just went through the motions, I won. I was just cruising down the highway on autopilot. I don't want to drive down the highway; I want to drive in the Grand Prix. Bumped the difficulty back up to hard and it's a new experience. Suddenly, every enemy is a very real threat. I needed to lock in and consider my options carefully. I need to focus and use my head. Because that's where the real joy of gaming comes from: the flow state. And the only way to reach flow is when the task is just slightly above your capability. That's what FromSoftware games do in spades. After 300+ hours in Elden Ring, I need to challenge myself again. That's why when the DLC comes out, I'm planning to go in New Game+, No Hud, No Estus. Welcome to Soulsborne, my brother.
Well in my defence when I was looking at the prebuilds I assumed (in error) that they were for people who previously played FromSoft games and KNEW what playstyle they wanted. I figured the Wretch was a balanced stated starter instead hah. But I felt Id progressed too far in to start again when I was told about it.
You were half right, Wretch lets you organically discover what playstyle suits you without shoving you a certain way with stars. But no armor is rough, especially if you're not familiar with dodging.
My cousin always invited me to play Demon's Souls and Dark Souls with him back in the day and I'd always declined for the reason of: "I play games for fun and not to get stressed out". Many years later I started collecting every Playstation exclusive I could and Bloodborne was in the way, so I bought it and thought I might as well give it a try. From that day on, all I knew about video games changed forever, I went back and bought every Souls/Borne games and beat them over and over again. My favorites are: 1. Bloodborne; 2. Sekiro; 3. DS3; 4. DS1; 5. Elden Ring; 6. Demon's Souls, 7. DS2.
LIKED AND SUBBED. I’m here to whiteness your souls journey. Once you understand why the story delivery and world creation is so unique in the souls games it takes it to yet ANOTHER LEVEL as well. The story is discovered and shared BY THE COMMUNITY. It’s so endearing. And It’s honestly SO intense and kind of emotional to think that the souls series has had this very same unlock in SOO many people. It really and truly does flip a switch in your brain and you understand why this series has such a zealous following and why the hype is always real. Bloodborne is my all time favorite game even though it is limited and severely outdated by elden ring. The souls series really is a masterwork and we’re all lucky to have experienced it’s mental unlocking.
Thanks for that matey I really appreciate it. Yeah I'm finding it unique in the sense everyone is kind of in on the battle and really helpful to eachother too.
I'm glad to hear that the global change in gaming perspective dark souls 1 brought to the world over 10 years ago is repeated yet again with elden ring. I would also recommend branching to other action games, like DMC, monster hunter, and ace combat.
dont change a thing, humility is a good characteristic to have. personally i havent been back into gaming for very long, same type of situation, so maybe i will give it a try once i have gotten back up to speed with my new ps5! thanx for sharing mate!
Thanks for the feedback I greatly appreciate the support 🥰 yes you definitely should try it, I was so hesitant but damn it took me by the best surprise.
Cheers mate. Some other Soulslikes worth trying: Sekiro Remnant 1 & 2 Code Vein Hollow Knight Mortal Shell And probably the absolute best non-From Soulslike: Lies of P As for improving your videos… just be you mate. I found this video to be incredibly endearing and you earned my sub. O7
I pre-ordered the game and went through it in the final month and a half of my father's life in the Spring of 2022 (from March - mid April). I was in the endgame when he passed and I beat the game in the week of his passing. So, it's A SPECIAL game to me because of this. I felt as shattered as The Lands Between and overcoming the hardship of struggling against the Fire Giant, Maliketh, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, and Radagon/The Elden Beast immeasurably helped me bear the pain of this loss. I didn't go through the game again though until recently, and it's all I'm playing these days. I'm on NG +9 with Knightingale, the one and only character I've made so far: a high Intelligence, Faith, Dexterity build that can literally be described as The Sword Of Night And Flame. 40 Vigor 50 Mind 40 Endurance 40 Strength 50 Dexterity 70 Intelligence 60 Faith 25 Arcane I have done The Age of Fracture, Age of Order, and Age of Stars endings with her and won't touch the Age of Despair and Chaos endings because they don't fit who she is. Anyway,
I'm really sorry to hear about your father mate. Though at the same time I'm glad to hear you were able to find a level of comfort in the game. I think that's what some people miss when we talk about games being able to get us through stuff. Big respect to you.
@@Rik2BitNothing Thanks! Yeah, I wanted to beat Elden Ring of all games when I lost my dad because perseverance is what Miyazaki's games are all about... finding the strength/will to bear the hardships in life, to carry on and ultimately overcome. That's also why I'm in firmly in the camp that they shouldn't have an Easy Mode.
I went in to Elden ring completely uninitiated having played no souls game prior. So I really didn’t know how to feel, 4 hrs later I’m seriously considering uninstalling and never looking back. 6 hours after that I’ve leveled some and I’ve beaten Margit 3rd try and Godrick 2nd try. It just clicked and I was addicted,117 hrs later I’m saying this is the best game I’ve played in a long time. Now I wanna try Sekiro. Anybody that is curious about ER please pick it up and enjoy it
Not saying you want love sekiro but it is a different kind of game than elden rings. I not played a lot of it and I do want to dive into it but it’s not a souls game to me.
NGL I think Sekiro is *actually* the hardest game From has made. I'm not one to go "oooh my god Dark Souls so haaaard" but Sekiro is actually just sweaty as hell. Really a pure action game, really feels like it's own thing, it was going to be a Tenchu sequel but it kept getting less and less stealthy. It's like those moments where you get stomped on and think "gee I should go somewhere else", but no, you really do need to just bash your head against a wall this time. It crossed the line from fun to fuck this, personally. If you do it, you'll need to delete ER from your head because playing Sekiro like From's other games will kill you, and you'll probably do it even after *thinking* that you internalized what the tutorials said. It isn't dodge roll: the game, it's *clang!* the game.
Elden ring was my first fromsoft game. I went in completely blind as someone that had barely played any video games after the release of red dead redemption. Im not a huge gamer so i had no idea about fromsoft's reputation or that the game would be incredibly difficult. I started as a wretch and didnt much to level up prior to running into margot not realizing there are so many places i could have gone prior to him. I legitimately thought it was just made ridiculously hard to weed out casual gamers like myself so i took it as a challenge. It took me quite a long time but the feeling of beating that fucking fallen omen with a stick and well timed rolls was probably one of my favorite gaming moments in my entire life. The funny part is that after playing the game for a while i realized i made that so much harder on myself i was basically acting like a masochist with a glutton for punishment. I realized a lot of people did this and gave up. No regrets though, as this game changed everything in regards to how i view video games, though i learned a ore than a few harsh lessons along the way. . Its ahrd for someone like me with no much gaming experience to justify calling something a masterpiece but there is no game ive ever wanted to play again and again after beating it like elden ring. It is a masterpiece to me. Overall what made this game so incredibly goo, to me at least, is that when i raged over how i just lost to a boss it didnt feel like the game cheated and i was moreso mad at myself because i knew deep down i could do better and the only reason im failing is because i am literally choosing to not learn. that was an eye openeing experience i can easily say no other game has presented to me
Good to see people finding their way to the appreciation of Soulsborne games despite the false stigma of them being stupidly hard just for the sake of annoyance. I totally fell in love with the series starting with Demon's Souls back in 2009. Took more then a year to make it through the game and put my finger on why it was so great despite being so seemingly unfriendly. And after that there was no going back: Dark Souls became the go-to series I could play for hundreds of hours even when I couldn't force myself to play anything alse. I wish eventually more and more people will discover and enjoy these games for what they truly are: a tempting journey, a challenging pilgrimage into the unknown and mistreious world full of fragile beauty and menacing danger. An accomplishment to be fond of and an experience to remember for many years to come. Truly, it's only as hard as one wants it to be, and there's always a way to overcome an obstacle should one allow himself to do that in certain ways. Wether it means relying on the help of phantoms, grindning levels, altering character builds, coming up with dirty and cheesy tactics or just "getting gud" in terms of reaction and bruteforcing it with skills. There really isn't such thing as playing it wrong, as long as one enjoys his experience when the big bad monster eventually gets defeated. All that said my favourite game in the series remains to be Dark Souls 2 against the popular opinions. It's music and ambiance were just above and beyond, and it was a journey I enjoyed the most, despite many flaws and rough edges in terms of production quality and experimental features. With Bloodborne being a solid second in my personal "souls list". Thanks for the video. Hopefully it will help more people find their way to discovering this game series without prejudices.
I've heard people say that DS2 is the peak for quite a few. I have wondered the reasoning for that over DS3 🤔 but hopefully I can check them all out too.
First huge new player mistake = not using a shield . 2nd huuuuge mistake = a stamina bar twice as long as your Hp bar . that's the case for all Souls games ! ^^ But I'm glad you fought your own way through and still enjoyed it 👍
Dude, I cannot wait to hear about your experiences in other Fromsoft titles, if you haven't had them already. The SoulsBorne franchise is some of the best gaming out there.
It's always a pleasure to find someone who's played their first souls game. Calling these games "special" or "tough but fair" is accurate but doesn't nearly do it justice. Like calling the ocean "a body of water" or Mt Everest "tall". Experiencing that moment when you finally 'get' a souls game cannot be understated. There's little else like it in gaming. The video was excellent! Quality was superb at almost any level, let alone someone starting. The ability to express one's self will definitely come with time and practice, you'll definitely learn scripts or just talking off cuff works for you. Hope to see you try the other souls games. They lack the polish of Elden Ring in hindsight, but to quote Yahtzee Crowshaw; "For all one can quibble about a few extra rolls of fat, [they] can still power bomb you like a champ."
Thank you so much for the feedbackmatey it means alot. Its sometimes hard to express the feelings I had for it but its made such a huge impact towards how I approach games now as well as other mediums.
@Rik2BitNothing they do that to people so often it honestly needs to be studied. The one think I think need improment most on your video is simply try to get footage to match what your talking about. It's time consuming as hell but it makes the video more cohesive. Here's to many more videos!
Great video ! Mt first system was Nintendo way back when I was a kid.. had a ton of system going up. But once I got into my 20s 30s I was only playing sports video games! It's a long story but elden ring was my first different game I tried when it dropped, and now all I want to play is souls likes. Elden ring, lies of p, hogwarts legacy, God of war and now im playing sekiro which im about to fight the last boss. Elden ring has opened my eyes to what video games should be. Number 1 fun, what makes u have fun playing a game. 2 how much hours and content u get out of your full filling experience. 3 replay value should also be important in my opinion. The other big one does it change or enhance your life?
For me it was this old weird ass game called Demon Souls, kicked my ass so hard I legit rage quit all RPGs except for WoW. Dark Souls Prepare To Die edition is released on Steam and I took a chance, never looked back since.
Mate, fellow old gamer here (prob a bit older even :) ). I mostly play all the From games on loop the decade. Trust me, all old titles are still absolutely amazing. Do all of them!!! Sekiro, Bloodborne, DS Remastered, DS2 SofFS, DS 3. They all warrant many NG+ cycles.
The best feeling is when after struggling with your first character until you get the hang of the gameplay (i-frames, delayed attacks and all that), you make a second dude and realize that you, the player, have considerably improved. On another note, it's funny to see FromSoftware succeed by rejecting all the modern video game tropes, interminable cutscenes, overloaded UIs and hand-holding in general, spoon-fed story, and brain-dead easy difficulty.
I got killed so many times by so many bosses that now I'm replaying the game I just sit on the floor and let my spirit defeat for me as sweet sweet revenge LMAO
The difficulty of these games are very misleading. That first learning curve trying to figure out what’s going on is a lot at first but the you start deep diving on UA-cam. It’s almost part of the game itself. After that it opens up the game to play how you want to. Vary rewarding I started on bloodborne took me around 5 months to beat the game most of that was trying to figure out what insight was lol. When Elden came out I had it platinum in less then 3 months.im not bragging just saying after you get the hang of it you can make as easy or hard as you want. Elden ring is a wonderful one to start on and I would recommend going back and playing at least all of them. Great video
Yeah it was such a rewarding experience and the sense of wonder was incredible too. But I do understand what you mean. Once you find a tactic for a seemingly unbeatable boss its crazy.
I can relate to your story before playing Elden Ring. I was like, why do people like Dark Souls . Why do people want to play a game so difficult they can hardly beat it? Then I played Blood Born because I got it cheap and wasn't used to these games. I like why I am losing my currency. Why are those guys so tough? Why do I have to worry about weapons degrading . Then I gave Elden Ring a try because I was attracted to the art style. Thankfully, it also removed things like weapons and armor breaking, and I also realized I could fast travel whenever I get my ruined back a lot easier. Thanks too, Torrent, or just go around collecting golden ruins. And found it wasn't actually that impossible difficult, and I learned soul games keep getting easier and easier as you level up and advance. And I was also like, why are there so many werrid and creepy things in this world? I love it!.
Thanks for the comment and support mate 😁 yeah I absolutely get that, as it went on the game got easier but then I'm thinking WE got better too. And it'd I'd help being able to just go do something else until feeling ready to take on that seemingly impossible task or boss 😃
Note that the "GIT GUD" meme is real in these games. If you replay the game a second time, even if you follow the same steps as the first, the game feels infinitely easier... Because you got GUD.
Oh I can absolutely understand that. Smashing enemies that gave you a hard time feels like a boss revenge.
This is so true im on my 2nd play no summons and im beating bosses quicker than when i had summons. Its so good honestly
That's the thing people expect people to just suddenly "get good" Even though it's not something you could just do overnight. And in my opinion, it's just a lazy thing to say when somebody doesn't like a game or thinks. A certain Segment in the game is too hard
My first time through I had SOOOO much difficulty with Margit. I would fight him six, seven, eight times before I'd get frustrated. But then I'd just leave and go do something else for a while. Then I'd come back and fight him six, seven, eight times again. It probably took me somewhere before thirty and fourty fights before I finally beat him. God, I hated him so much. But after I beat him I found out that you can fight him again, twice. And goddamn was I exited to fight him again. And on each successive play I also really look forward to fighting Margit/Morgott now.
Bro I was 13 and got demons souls for free because it was a used game and I thought it was dumb but I really felt like a knight so I kept trying and I finally beat my first real boss and the game told me I can go *checks notes* anywhere absolutely blew my mind every area felt so big compared to me and then I slowly rose up to the top
Shit felt like a anime journey and it was amazing
Really fun to hear the experience of Elden Ring from someone who hasn’t played the Souls games. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the comment and it actually means a lot to hear that. Its given me a bit of a push now to keep at this stuff now.
Elden ring was my first souls game and my favorite and best game I ever played.
@@-thebatman- same here :D
I think my favorite part about elden ring is the endless amounts of new players if I'm being honest I never thought the community would ever get this big back in the demons souls days and I absolutely love it, like hearing someone go through an area in elden ring and it reminds me of one of the first times I got lost in the depths in dark souls 1
Once you go soulslike there's no going back. No other AAA title is not going to give you the same level of satisfaction which just sucks.
That is just not true at all, I've been playing since the 80s i was one of the first to play demons souls from Japan at the time, and yes it is unique and amazing, the "series" is revolutionary but in no way I feel like i can't get satisfaction from other games.
That is just a "you" problem, maybe you are too limited in what you like, or your expectations are too narrow, there are very satisfying games out there that really made me fall in love with them, and an example is Dead Cells just to name one. This is the problem with the souls community, they attached themselves to fromsoftware and now they have blinders in their eyes, anything that doesn't feel exactly like souls is not as good, which is ridiculous and that's just being a fanboy.
I'm sorry if i sound too negative, that's not my intention. I would agree that it is very unlikely that a AAA game will feel as good, but AAA gaming sucks 😂.
@@Re-PhantomZero if you go to their profile they play other games as well. All they said is that souls games give them most satisfaction. they did not say other games are not satisfying. plenty of people play only gta and rdr2 or only fighting games etc, because it is their preference tho. I don't think souls community is somehow at fault because they enjoy those games the most. strange comment.
@@Re-PhantomZero exactly
Not true
I played through all of ds3, bloodborne and elden ring and I've yet to have this mind blowing experience everyone is talking about. They're good games but not masterpieces like everyone says imo
Elden Ring best exploration gaming i never had before, i felt like a child again
best since morrowind
no clear quest markers
bosses don't level with you
great weapons and talismans to be found in dungeons
dozens of legitimate playstyles allowed
"The only thing I hate about this game is the dogs."
That's gow you know he had become a true Fromsoft player.
Literally programmed trolling.
@@Rik2BitNothingI've played these games for a long time and at some point you get a feeling for the kind of fuckery From does with enemy attacks. The first big jump in my gitting gud journey was when I stopped panic rolling after being hit. It makes such a big difference to defeat the reflex to hammer that dodge button because A LOT of enemies are programmed to perfectly catch you out of your panic roll with their follow up attack (even more important if you dabble in pvp).
The dogs are similar but they are masters of dodging and punishing any attacks you miss. Try keeping them at like 15 feet distance to lure their charge attack and you can mostly just step out of the way and punish. In general, try not to swing wildly as they are programmed to perfectly punish and stun you after a missed attack. :)
@@peterlem1Whenever I've taken a long break from ER and come back I always make my way to the "Artist's Shack" in Liurnia after defeating Godrick to practice with the nearby Leyndell Knight. Imo he's got the perfect moveset to prepare you for most of the rest of the game, doesn't have a huge health pool, has a variety of parryable attacks, and has a nearby bonfire. I will repeatedly fight him until I can reliably finish him off without using a flask.
tl;dr - Go to Artist's Shack in Liurnia and practice on the nearby knight to prepare for the rest of the game.
@@Rik2BitNothingat least you started playing after the insant kill dog was fixed
@@ZeallustImmortal wtf? Was that a bug or?
Exact same experience here! I hated games like this, got Elden Ring this past Christmas, and have completely been converted. I even have a list of the next Souls games and the order in which I will be explore them.
Thank you for expressing what I have been feeling for the past 5 weeks and keep up the great work. You’ve earned a follow from me.
Thank you so much for the follow. Its been really tough to accurately explain were the original thought process came from to actively dislike something without fully embracing what its all about. Took me a while to find the words and I still dont feel I could explain to people how we feel about these games but im absolutely with you on being a convert now. Looking at what other treats are hidden out there now!
BLOODBORNE
Without a doubt, the best game in the Soulsborne series.
Same! I started Bloodborne this past weekend and it’s awesome! Check it out.
@@OYME13reason why I got ps4 bloodborne
They’re all good idc what people say about ds2. I’d highly recommend going in order ds1-3. I didn’t haha
Started Elden Ring about a month ago and it's my first "souls" game. Totally hooked. The accomplishment you feel after defeating a boss who's stomped you multiple times is immense. Good vid. And your first Baldur's Gate playthrough I recommend Tactical difficulty and choose Dark Urge character (which you can still make any class/race you want). Subbed.
Yes totally agree it's like a self inflicted challenge overcome 💪 makes you feel good! I will get round to BG soon and I hugely appreciate the support.
@@bean9315 I guess if you plan on doing 2+ playthroughs then sure, save Urge. Otherwise, it's far more interesting/involving in the plot.
The first souls that I played was Dark Souls 1 prepare to die edition, with integrated graphics on al laptop around 2014 with an Xbox controller. It was the freshest yet most memorable gaming experience of my life, then I started to invest more time in the lore around it and blew me away even more. We must protect developers such as Fromsoftware whom are one of the few thar continue to truly care about how we experience this art
Absolutely agree with you. The fact they just do their own thing without interference is so good for such an accomplished developer.
Great video, I was also afraid of playing souls game but it just looked so good and I tried. 150 hours later and I have beaten it twice, and it was a great journey, now I don’t know how to play some other games, they are just trivial in terms of fights
Thank you so much! I know right? Prior to it I'd never have the guts to purposefully make a game harder for the sake of it but now that rush changes it entirely. It's one of the reasons when I decided to try Doom after all the years to add Brutal Doom but only change the monsters behaviour and damage values so it felt more survival based now. Thank you again.
@@Rik2BitNothingI also thought that playing in Normal difficulty is intended by developers, before I played The Witcher 3. I finished it in normal and than played in Hardcore, and honestly, only in hardcore all game mechanics made sens. In normal you just go and smack everything, in hard you have to think, make potions, bombs, oils, read descriptions. Its harder but it make the game so much better. After playing Elden ring I wish the Witcher to have even harder mode:) But yeah, normal mode is for bigger audience, and it makes sense for developers. I love how FromSoft solved it. Elden ring can made muuuuch more easier if you want to. You just get spirit ashes, good weapons and few more levels and you can win almost all fights MUCH easier. But if you want, you can make it harder. All up for player) First time I beat the game with ashes, than I just wanted to beat without them, so I have had 2 great journeys)
Yes! I can absolutely understand your point about the Witcher though (As I have experienced it in other games now) as you often find on the "normal" or easier difficulties by the time you get to the end of the game you end up having an abundance of potions, boosts, buffs etc that you've hoarded throughout the game as you never really needed it.
Great video and you nailed the souls experience with the line about the game never being unfair, it was always your fault you died, but that feeds the rush when you succeed.
Hugely appreciate the comment dude. Yeah there were times i thought "wtf how is this...oh...right" and I'd find the solution. One was running a blood build until I came across the knights in the Farum palaces and I couldn't handle them until all it took was using a 2 handed colossal sword haha.
Soldier Of Godrick
I thought this was a Quantum TV Post at first.
Brought back good memories XD
That would be hilarious
I have a small seizure every time I see the word quantum now.
@@ThatPlayerThereI always have moments of cognitive dissonance whenever I start a random video on cosmology n other space shit
I really enjoyed listening to you simply talking about your experience in a conversational style
Im really glad that you found that. It means alot
This is a great video! I started playing Elden Ring 3 weeks ago and every point you hit is SPOT ON! Last good game I played (in my opinion) was BG3 and it was fun and amazing but I overdid it. And I had that same feeling as a gamer where you just sit at your computer, look at all the games and maybe turn one on for 30 minutes and then just turn it off. With souls like games I always had that impression that its a game just to make people mad and angry for no apparent reason. But when BG3 won game of the Year I looked at last years game of the year it was Elden Ring. Finally I said screw it and got the game and turned it on thinking I was only gonna play it for 30 minutes and Turn it off. 12hours on a Friday night I was GLUED to the screen. I never thought id enjoy it this much and it does not hold your hand AT ALL. Haven't even beaten it yet because all I want to do is explore and find Hidden bosses and the world that is Elden ring. Since then BG3 has an honor mode now (no save scumming and if you die it deletes your save file) And I really wanna play it. Elden Ring gave me a drive to play more challenging games because its so much more rewarding when you do win because it isn't spoon fed to you, Its a hard but a very fair game. Thank you for making a video that had every thought that was on my mind. I cant wait to see more!
Thank you so much for the comment it means so much to me 😊 I've not played BG3 but I'm really excited to delve into that at some point as my gaming spark has been reignited. I'm really glad you understood where I was coming from and I know it's a bit convoluted and all over the shop but I think that's just how sometimes our brain works when trying to convey something that really does passionately impact us.
Thank you again it means alot to hear that 😄🥰
Couldn't have been better timed with the DLC gameplay trailer coming out tomorrow
Also I believe the biggest thing that makes souls-likes great is their focus on gameplay and the world. In a world where the best AAA games are all cutscene story driven games, here is this new genre that goes back to the ways of old (like 20 years ago).
Yes I just saw that too! Hoping to see what's released later today 😁
Welcome brother, its always nice to find people who can appreciate a good game.
17:24 - And it's much more immersive that way. You're also actually pushed to take advantage of elemental weaknesses and attacks, whereas on lower difficulties you can just spam whatever and ignore most of the combat system which is such a shame.
Overall, I believe it's really hard to get difficulty right, especially when you offer multiple difficulty levels. I've been playing games on the hardest available difficulty on my first playthrough ever since I (foolishly?) decided it would save time when trying to 100% games about a decade ago, and what I've learned is:
- When done right, difficulty can be positively transformative and increase immersion
- It's often easier to adapt than we assume. A game can go from frustratingly difficult to enjoyably difficult after a game session or two (sleep matters), and can become normal/easy after 20 hours or so of game time. I believe we're more adaptable than we tend to assume.
- Some games devolve into an unbalanced, unpolished, unfun mess on higher difficulties.
There are countless games that can be much harder than what Fromsoft typically makes, but that doesn't mean they're enjoyable at that difficulty. It's easier to appreciate Fromsoft's games when you've sampled other games that become unfun on higher difficulties or if you try a bunch of Soulslikes.
For example, animations, stagger (poise), stamina, and health are often comically unbalanced. Whereas Fromsoft designs starting enemies to be weak, with low HP and poise, but still dangerous in numbers, imitators often make starting enemies too tough: too much poise, too much damage, too much HP, and attacks that aren't sufficiently telegraphed but can still two-shot you. And more casual games tend simply increase enemy HP and decrease player damage, turning every fight into a marathon.
P.S.:
I got both Horizon games late enough that I could start my first playthrough on Ultra Hard which is definitely _not_ what you're supposed to do. It's definitely NG+ difficulty. That said, IMO the first one handled it much better and made the game even _more_ immersive. I actually felt like a mere human trying to go up against powerful machines. I had to use stealth, traps, and overrides and corruption arrows to reach the endgame, at which point Aloy transforms into a demigoddess who can easily bully a frozen Thunderjaw with a triple powershot to a weakspot. But the first 20-hours or so are almost like a post-apocalyptic survival horror game. And since the difficulty is meant for NG+, the prices are insane too ... which is hella immersive for a post-apocalyptic setting, IMO!
That's a really good way of looking at alot of the finer aspects that make the difficulty enjoyable. Especially about the animation quality regarding it as one as I've often found that to be a jaring thing if done incorrectly. And I think I'm bit scared to try a ultra hard on horizon haha 😄
@@Rik2BitNothing - I really don't wanna shame anyone, but games by the studio Spiders are a typical example. They're AA for a reason: they're interesting and enjoyable, but they lack polish, especially when balancing difficulty levels. I still love them and have 100%'d a few of them, but better animations and poise mechanics would have been a huge upgrade for their earlier titles, IMO. The studio *is* improving, though. I'm currently playing Steelrising and it's all-around much better than their previous titles!
As for Horizon on UH, like I said above, early on, you get one shot by almost everything and barely deal any damage, but later on you become a powerhouse. It's a difficulty made with NG+ in mind, though in Forbidden West it's balanced around the overheal mechanic, which means 100% HP is almost always simply not enough 🤣
Hehehe and another person 'gets it' - welcome to the club. I hope you now start the wonderful journey of trying out the rest of the souls catalogue. So many wonderful experiences ahead of you. Well done for 'getting gud'
Same. ER was my first "souls" game and it turned me into a FromSoft fanboy. Like you it also saved gaming for me at a time when I was starting to assume that I was just too old to get any enjoyment from games anymore. When I bought ER it was a total long shot but it turned out to be the most unexpected and improbable gaming turnaround of my life lol. Also had the Commodore 64 in the house as a kid. My dad would bring home floppy disks from work and we'd explore the stuff on the disk looking for and running games.
Great video! One of us! Great way to pass some time on this Elden day!
Thanks matey and thanks for the support :D
ur not bad at explaining urself and you dont need to be apologetic ur video was very wholesome and you tell a good story -- transported me back to my first playthrough of ER
That clip from office space toward the latter part of the video perfectly describes what it means when someone tells you to “get good”
Well said my guy and great review.. I have the same difficulties with expressing my thoughts into words; and I would say, you couldn't have expressed yours any better. Same shared experience here, and after multiple ER playthroughs with multiple builds, I've gone on to beat and do the same in DS3, DS2, and would be playing Bloodborne, Sekiro, and DS1 sometime later this year.
Massive thanks matey! I do hugely appreciate the support. Oh wow so you are actually conquering the "like" universe from the originators. Hats off to you :O
Hey dude, brilliant video! For starters it's nice to hear a fellow Welsh accent in the YT gaming space! Secondly, I really enjoyed your chill tone, and your rambly style, it's really cool so don't worry about how 'professional' it seems or whatever, it's a strength o your style I think! Plus, I can clearly see you put A LOT of effort in the editing, the cuts, the memes, the general flow, fantastic job! And finally; welcome to the Souls club, once From has their fangs in you it's hard to get away lol! Hope you play and enjoy the other titles! Anyways, apologies for for the mini-essay but yeah, awesome video, a joy to watch, thanks! Cymru am byth!
Welshies Unite! Thanks for the comment dude it meant alot to me. I definitely have a rambly style and sometimes the excitement gets ahead of what im trying to say and comes out a bit blearrghegghr haha. Thank you again for that
I am really glad I found this video. What you said at the start about gaming depression really hit home for me. While it’s a sad reality, it was reassuring to hear that I am not alone, or was not alone, in feeling this way. Elden Ring has been a huge help in helping me as well to rediscover the true joy of gaming. The last time I felt this was with Mass Effect, and I am incredibly grateful to FromSoftware for creating this game. Enjoy playing, and go Elden Ring! Thank you for making this video!
One of us, one of us, one of us.... ehem... I mean TOGETHA!!
I liked to hear about your experience with ER. I had a quite simmilar point of view, and journey, only I started with Dark Souls 3, after a friend talked me into trying it. That really changed everything. Pretty much in they way you explained it. It was interesting hearing about a simmilar journey. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, and I think you can cut back on the apologies for your ability to explain yourself. You did fine :)
Thank you for the support dude I really appreciate it. Oh I remember doing that but with the game 7th Legion. I had to find a school computer with a CD Drive in order to explore and see what games could be run. Floppy disk though? I tip my hat to that hah
It’s weird to think of where I would be had I never happened to read that review of Demon’s Souls all the way back in 2009. Something about that review stuck with me for years until one day I saw that it was marked down to $20 at Best Buy. I picked it up on a whim and proceeded to get my ass completely handed to me for the next 4-5 hours. I made literally no progress.
It’s crazy to think that back then it was no guarantee that I would keep going. The Souls series has absolutely changed my life when it comes to gaming. And it is so awesome to see that even after all these years, all of these releases and all of their success, FromSoft has never compromised on quality, or their vision. It makes me smile to think that FromSoft is the AAA studio with the highest approval rating right now, and that these games are now fairly mainstream.
It's truly a studio that deserves its status even from someone who's only played ER. it just oozed quality.
An encouraging tale! 'Glad to have heard it
Great video, as you speak i can hear the point in the story in which the dog in you truly awakened, when you truly locked in
Those things are just programmed trolling 😒
I'm a fromsoft veteran, played all fromsoft games since dark souls 1, and I've experienced the exact same thing with DS 1, great to see that Elden Ring brought so much more players to this kind of games! Also, loved your video, cant wait to see what you'll put out next, you've made a new subscriber today!
Ahhh man thats so awesome I hugely appreciate it! Yes im trying to bring some videos that I've thought out making a while back to light so its giving me a good bit of encouragement.
Again I cant thank you enough.
For me, what made Elden Ring awesome were the quality of life changes that From Soft added, like the Stakes of Marika. Not having to repeat the parts of the dungeon that you passed made having to repeat the boss fun.
I jumped into this type of game with Elden Ring and it has changed my feeling of trying harder difficulties in other games and has encouraged me to see challenges as fun instead of frustrations.
Good video. I'm about to start eldin ring tonight. I've started it up twice and never commit to it because there is no hand holding and I've become so accustomed to some sort of guidance in modern day gaming. But after watching you're video, I have even more confidence I can find enjoyment in it.
I need something to hold me over until dragon's dogma 2.
Do it! And KEEP fighting you got this dude!
its funny that even tho i crawl trough these games cuz i carpet search every inch of these games and leave no stone unturned, i can still easily recognize each location you were at as you mentioned them lol.
It's weirdly so specific in how it presents its locations. They leave a mark on you 😄
the darksiders part was a surprise but a welcome one.
you are absolutely right, darksiders 3 was controversial because of it's combat based on souls games, i absolutely LOVE darksiders 3 and usually people that didn't like, is because of the combat.
Honestly I enjoyed it so damn much but its making me now want another in the same vein haha. Fury was so good.
@@Rik2BitNothing totally, fury is my favorite horseman
@@frostman1214 love how they resisted the urge to make her "badass sexy" and just doubled down on "horrible violent badass" lol
Welcome to the club 👑
It feels good 🫡
Hey this vid was very well done! Thanks for sharing your pov on this gem of a game.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I related very much to this video and was cracking up at the bit about the theme music. Great job.
I felt totally pumped like it was a movie adventure. I was ready to get pummeled lol. Thank you so much dude!
I must have downloaded Dark Souls 1 in 2014 & it took me like two years to fight through it. I feel you, man. My first impressions of these game were almost identical. Now, I'm an action game fiend & I've played & loved every single thing Fromsoftware has released in the last 15 years. Your story is so similar to so many in this community & we're happy to have you on board. Just in time for the DLC too :D
On another note, I've noticed you're really down on your communication skills. I actually have a degree in creative & professional writing &, if I can be honest, you're just as eloquent as anyone else I've come across. Not only should you be proud of yourself for rising to an uncertain challenge in a video game, but it seems like you've also confronted an insecurity by making this video. For my money, you've done very well. Great job, man.
Ahhh I hugely appreciate the feedback mate it means alot and the support has been so incredible. 🥰 yes I'm really looking forward to the DLC which looks to put many DLC to shame with its size and vision.
You had me at commodore 64, loved it when you said computer game. Subscribed and good luck with your channel.
Thank you so much for the support it means alot. It was the accent on computer games wasn't it lol 😆
@@Rik2BitNothing you are welcome, yes. Bloodborne was my first fromsoft game and I changed my gaming landscape forever and for the better.
I’m subscribing. This is a good video. Your mic quality is good and I think you communicated everything pretty well. Back in 2014 Dark Souls completely redefined how I look at games so I’m happy to hear that Fromsoft is still doing that to people.
Thanks for that! I think I need to get the mic levels a little better and clean up some clicks but hugely appreciate that mate.
Oh yes I'm wondering what else they'll have in store for us now!
So glad you came to appreciate this style of game play and love this amazing game. I am interested however, in the mental gymnastics that lead you to thinking the unarmed naked guy at the very end of the character selection was the intended play experience 😂
When I was looking at the prebuilds I assumed (in error) that they were for people who previously played FromSoft games and KNEW what playstyle they wanted. I figured the Wretch was a balanced stated starter instead hah. But I felt Id progressed too far in to start again when I was told about it.
@@Rik2BitNothing Aaahh, ok I can see how you got there. Well I'm glad it worked out for you!
@@Rik2BitNothing Honestly you're not completely wrong
great video waiting for your gameplay updates and boss chalenges
My friend tried to get me into these games for years. Each time a new game came out he's have me try it and I would call it ugly or too hard.
Elden Ring then came out and at first I regretted it but decided to push through and beat it.
Now I have over 100 runs in ER and have platinum the other fromsoft titles. Bloodborne has become my all time favorite game.
These games have ruined everything for me, they have no right being this good... but they are.
Thats amazing. Especially to be able to keep going through it as well exploring every inch of the world too!
@@Rik2BitNothing it's crazy because I still find new stuff in Elden ring.
Its funny for everyone who sticks to these series of games they have "THAT" moment where it clicks and the feeling of overcoming difficulty floods you with joy and leaves you hungry for more.
Oh absolutely. Once it clicked I couldn't put it down.
My first too. It was the unique graphic design that convinced me to try it, but the gameplay and lore kept me hooked.
most games feel like the hardest diff is the game experience devs want u to have and everything below is an accessibility option (mostly demanded by publisher for marketing reasons), otherwise there would be no diff options and most games feel regular on hard if u are used to playing games.
I think thats where Im going to be heading now into the harder aspect of games. I think its unlocked it for alot of people now who feel they can come join the gang.
Very happy that you've decided to give a game with such a steep learning curve a chance. It really is rewarding to get the cadence of a boss fight down to the point it starts to look like a dance and the using the game's mechanics against enemy types you wouldn't expect is always fun.
Take your time exploring the entire map, there is so much to offer there.
The level of depth and detail is staggering and while I loved my Horizon playthrough it did pale in comparison to the secrets you could unearth in ER. Still, two different kind of games but one really went the extra on exploration.
Great video! keep em coming. I initially got into this genre with Bloodborne and then Nioh. Highly recommend Nioh!
Never heard of Nioh so I'll add that too haha. Bloodborne seems highly thought of though.
love the video i would turn up the brightness if your dong darker games the screen looked almost pure black when you where in a dungeon.
Thanks for the feedback matey I appreciate it 😄 alot of it is from the hdr settings I think
i literally thought my "gaming depression" was unique, im glad other people experience it. i finally have some free time, sit down, and stare at the screen like "wtf is wrong with me, do i not like games anymore? should i go knit?"
something eventually brings me back but it can take awhile
Yup it's such a strange feeling. I know that when I feel it I know something isn't right and now I know to try and do something before it gets too late. Its weird but getting that hobby spark back is a good armour against the world.
I've been there too. I get it quite often. Go through phases of not gaming because of it.
Your video was honest, your genuine thoughts on an amazing game and its experience, job done dude! Feel proud and hope you're excited for the Elden Ring DLC.
Thanks dude that means alot. Oh definitely excited for the DLC 😁
Had to chime in and thank you for trying to express the ineffable feeling of being a soulslike newbie and getting hooked by Elden Ring. You’re 100 percent right about it making us better and happier gamers.
It was really bugging me when I was trying to explain to friends what the game was like so I figured lets just TRY and make a video explaining. I dont think I got it all but it was the general shell of what I think I was trying to explain haha.
I love this so much! I currently beat Horizon Zero Dawn as well, just 3 achievements left until 100% and i even beat Dragon's Dogma 100% as well which i fully recommend! Im currently working on Monster Hunter World, and after Dragon's Dogma 2 next month, im gonna start working on my full playthrough of Elden Ring! I played 6 hours of it when it first dropped, but i feel like the open world genre just wasn't cutting it for me at the time!
Zero Dawn was a joy to play and im really glad I went back to it. Though I felt the same as you and thought the open world was too much at the time and not cutting it.
I played the souls trilogy with a walkthrough and absolutely loved it . Having learned so much about “ ambushes, mimics , hidden walls, etc….) it’s given me the confidence to play elden ring blind for the first time which I started this weekend .
Being able to freely explore wherever you want made me realize the beauty in difficulty .
This game is absolutely wonderful and there are sooo many secrets out there to discover
Yes its been so good at revealing mysteries without actually flat out telling you I found. The messages left have been really cool too and its like sharing a secret.
@@Rik2BitNothing dlc announcement trailer just dropped.
I wasn't quite sure where this was going at first, but well done! I can relate to some degree with your struggle with being able to explain oneself, and it was quite interesting to hear your perspective when it comes to gaming.
For me Elden Ring was my first Souls game, and it has been my most favorite game ever since. Elden Ring and the Souls games in general have rekindled a love for good storytelling (though admittedly I'm still trying to figure how to create quality stories of my own).
Anyway, this is the first video I've seen by you, and I am impressed despite what flaws there may be in it. I hope to see you improve in the future.
Also today being the announcement of the Elden Ring DLC, you should try and do something on it, especially once it's available to play June 21st.
Thank you so much for the comment and support dude! Yeah sometimes it's hard to put into words and easier to just try and talk it out. I try to get some breather clips in here and there once I feel myself going off on one haha
Video finished. Man it was a blast. Perfect video. Perfect video. You actually went with the flow, talked your heart out. and yeah. i'm glad i stayed. I knew it was going to be a good video. Take good care man.
Thank you so much for that comment I really appreciate the feedback. I hugely appreciate the support given over this video. Its really meant alot to me.
@@Rik2BitNothing Yeah my pleasure !
This was great it is very relatable. It is also funny that the game is 10 times as easy when you playthrough it a second time. It is the psychological advantage that you know you have beaten it before, I would also go so far as when you played a souls game and beaten it, you know you can get through that type of challenge, and they are very similar in difficulty level. In those I count Bloodborne, D3, Sekiro. What the difficulty provides is the sensation of a unforgiven harsh environment and it plays directly into the lore of the game that is the geniuses of souls games.
i like your editing of funny little clips for context.
Your experience is the same exact one I had but with Dark Souls 1. Games are so, so, good. Nothing compares. Sub!
To paraphrase Dooku, I can see your powers are far beyond my own. Thanks for the support dude!
The way you 9:00 felt that surge of amazement at the menu music is equally replicated in Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne, never been so hyped in such a short amount of time as launching these 3 games.
Bloodborne is even considered the best game by Fromsoftware by a sizable chunk of the community, even with the 30fps cap at 1080p with bad anti-aliasing, the sheer otherworldly aesthetic and execution of Bloodborne's style is unlike anything else I've ever seen
I had a look into it and damn I'd love to see that on PC now. It's art and style looks so good.
Elden ring was my first souls experience. I’d stopped playing for a year or so after getting bored of assassins creed and Skyrim. I remember at first saying “this game is way to hard why is it so popular!?” It all made sense hours later I was hooked. I totally had a similar experience
It's so strange how it hooks you in without you realising it. Cultish lol
Your very first experience with Elden Ring was exactly how mine was. Now, I wish my buddy would come around to give it a fair shot. The backlash it got by casual gamers who didn't want to take the time to learn the mechanics really left a negative mark on some, and now they have no idea what they're missing!
I'm the same too. I'd love one of my friends to play it so I can marvel at them playing it lol.
I finally got around to playing Elden Ring this year, as well. I completed it last Friday. It took me 224 hours to beat the game and 242 hours total(I wrapped-up a few loose ends after beating the Elden Beast, just to be prepared for the upcoming DLC. I played the game on my Steam Deck Oled.
Those last few bosses were absolutely brutal lol. There were many moments when I had serious doubts that I could actually complete the game. I agree. I really feel like I accomplished something here. By the way, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West are both amazing games....in my top 5 for sure. Forbidden West is getting a PC port in March.
Damn I feel you on the last bosses! They battered me haha. Im so looking forward to Forbidden West now but I hear it might be sandwiched between the DLC and some other major titles whose names elude me at this time. I do absolutely understand the feeling like we accomplished something though. Its probably the most rewarding game I've ever played in memory.
Yea learning how to play games like this is so satisfying. Elden Ring will be a classic forever
Just a helpful tip. Stop apologizing, you did nothing wrong... You put your thoughts out there and made an entertaining video, literally 0 reason for you to apologize. Keep up the good work!
I appreciate that dude. Thank you so much!
@Rik2BitNothing you're welcome! We gotta help eachother out from time to time, you're doing great, just keep it up and fuck what anyone else says
Firstly, great video. Elden Ring had EXACTLY the same effect on me. You summed it up perfectly. I would highly recommend you now play Dark Souls 3 it’s very similar in design to Elden ring. The boss fights in it are some of the best in the souls series and it will really scratch that itch building up to the new Elden ring DLC.
Thanks for the comment matey I appreciate it. Yeah DS3 seems to be a common recommendation so thats been added to the list :D
I found this thoroughly enjoyable - and I can relate to the feeling of "gaming depression", which I thought was unique to me lol. You've given me the nudge to go and give Elden Ring a try - thank you.
Oh it absolutely exists. Its strangely a signal that lets me think "uh oh....downer is coming" and I try to fix it then. But yeah it sucks losing that will for something you enjoy.
glad to hear that :) i'm happy for you!
Great video. I totally appreciate your presentation style. You sound very similar to me in terms of gaming history (master system, SNES etc etc). I've never been into RPGs. Never played any. None. I foolishly imported Demon's Souls in PS3 back in the day. I had a new born child at the time and I was trying to play it while also having to attend to a baby. No pause. Suffice to say I sold it pretty fast. Fast forward to Elden Ring and I was encouraged by a PC gamer mate to play it. We started at the same time and I pretty much immediately thought id made a massive mistake. He told me to keeo going and explore. I hit a wall and got so pissed off i sold the disc. But it was too late. The rot had got me. I couldn't stop thinking about it every day. So i had to rebuy it. I've recently finished NG+5 and can safely say its my favourite game ever. Playing it again makes it so fun, more arcadey, you can mow through areas with ease, but dont rest on your laurels. No no no! Three rats can kill you at any time if you make one silly mistake. Its also inspired me to look at other ARPGs. I'm pretty keen on Dragons Dogma 2. That looks like it'll really hit the spot for me too. Anyway, keep up the good work! 💥👍👍
Thank you so much for that. Yeah its wild how that one hook pulls you in and weirdly everything seems to make sense after it batters you about a bit haha. I was the same, I would be in work driving a forklift but thinking about ER haha
Awesome video , awesome content , awesome references and totally went through the same thing late last year to now. I legit had so much to offer day but ultimately I’m just doing a short comment, drinks are involved but appreciate how this video echos how I felt and feel. Thanks bud.
Haha I appreciate it matey. I'm glad you enjoyed it dude but I do hope the drinks continued to flow and fun times continued 😁
Same man, same. I had almost completely stopped playing games, and Elden Ring brought me back.
It's amazing how just 1 game can really have an impact. Art can absolutely do that hehe
The "normal as standard difficulty" is a flawed mindset, in my opinion.
What I do with a new game is I set the difficulty to my level of competence. Then, once I'm comfortable, increase the difficulty until I'm threatened.
With Baldur's Gate 3, I initially started on hard because I thought "oh, I'm a gamer, I can do this." Then proceeded to get my shit kicked in by the tutorial. Had to knock it down to normal. But then, once I finished Act 1, I realized that at no point during any of the fights was I actually threaten. There was no risk of me losing-as long as I just went through the motions, I won.
I was just cruising down the highway on autopilot. I don't want to drive down the highway; I want to drive in the Grand Prix.
Bumped the difficulty back up to hard and it's a new experience. Suddenly, every enemy is a very real threat. I needed to lock in and consider my options carefully. I need to focus and use my head. Because that's where the real joy of gaming comes from: the flow state.
And the only way to reach flow is when the task is just slightly above your capability. That's what FromSoftware games do in spades.
After 300+ hours in Elden Ring, I need to challenge myself again. That's why when the DLC comes out, I'm planning to go in New Game+, No Hud, No Estus.
Welcome to Soulsborne, my brother.
He never played DS games before and he picks the Wretch, the absolute madlad!
Well in my defence when I was looking at the prebuilds I assumed (in error) that they were for people who previously played FromSoft games and KNEW what playstyle they wanted. I figured the Wretch was a balanced stated starter instead hah. But I felt Id progressed too far in to start again when I was told about it.
You were half right, Wretch lets you organically discover what playstyle suits you without shoving you a certain way with stars.
But no armor is rough, especially if you're not familiar with dodging.
With stats*
Thanks for that :D I will say though that it made finding any pieces of armour VERY exciting though haha.@@nebeskisrb7765
My cousin always invited me to play Demon's Souls and Dark Souls with him back in the day and I'd always declined for the reason of: "I play games for fun and not to get stressed out". Many years later I started collecting every Playstation exclusive I could and Bloodborne was in the way, so I bought it and thought I might as well give it a try. From that day on, all I knew about video games changed forever, I went back and bought every Souls/Borne games and beat them over and over again. My favorites are: 1. Bloodborne; 2. Sekiro; 3. DS3; 4. DS1; 5. Elden Ring; 6. Demon's Souls, 7. DS2.
I wish BB was out on PC as that would be my next but now it's Sekiro 😁 yup I thought exactly the sane as you dude
LIKED AND SUBBED. I’m here to whiteness your souls journey. Once you understand why the story delivery and world creation is so unique in the souls games it takes it to yet ANOTHER LEVEL as well. The story is discovered and shared BY THE COMMUNITY. It’s so endearing. And It’s honestly SO intense and kind of emotional to think that the souls series has had this very same unlock in SOO many people. It really and truly does flip a switch in your brain and you understand why this series has such a zealous following and why the hype is always real. Bloodborne is my all time favorite game even though it is limited and severely outdated by elden ring. The souls series really is a masterwork and we’re all lucky to have experienced it’s mental unlocking.
Thanks for that matey I really appreciate it. Yeah I'm finding it unique in the sense everyone is kind of in on the battle and really helpful to eachother too.
I'm glad to hear that the global change in gaming perspective dark souls 1 brought to the world over 10 years ago is repeated yet again with elden ring.
I would also recommend branching to other action games, like DMC, monster hunter, and ace combat.
Elden Ring made me a better person.
I use to be entitled. I used to think I DESERVED to win. Elden Ring forced me to git gud.
Same! It's weird how it worked its way inside me
dont change a thing, humility is a good characteristic to have. personally i havent been back into gaming for very long, same type of situation, so maybe i will give it a try once i have gotten back up to speed with my new ps5! thanx for sharing mate!
Thanks for the feedback I greatly appreciate the support 🥰 yes you definitely should try it, I was so hesitant but damn it took me by the best surprise.
Having a health debuff and zero invested in vigor as melee char really made it even more difficult.
Well done. Interesting take and explained very well.
Thank you kindly and thanks for the support too x
Cheers mate.
Some other Soulslikes worth trying:
Sekiro
Remnant 1 & 2
Code Vein
Hollow Knight
Mortal Shell
And probably the absolute best non-From Soulslike: Lies of P
As for improving your videos… just be you mate. I found this video to be incredibly endearing and you earned my sub. O7
Thanks for the feedback it meant alot to me. I have actually started on Hollow Knight so seeing where that takes me :D
I pre-ordered the game and went through it in the final month and a half of my father's life in the Spring of 2022 (from March - mid April). I was in the endgame when he passed and I beat the game in the week of his passing. So, it's A SPECIAL game to me because of this. I felt as shattered as The Lands Between and overcoming the hardship of struggling against the Fire Giant, Maliketh, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, and Radagon/The Elden Beast immeasurably helped me bear the pain of this loss.
I didn't go through the game again though until recently, and it's all I'm playing these days. I'm on NG +9 with Knightingale, the one and only character I've made so far: a high Intelligence, Faith, Dexterity build that can literally be described as The Sword Of Night And Flame.
40 Vigor
50 Mind
40 Endurance
40 Strength
50 Dexterity
70 Intelligence
60 Faith
25 Arcane
I have done The Age of Fracture, Age of Order, and Age of Stars endings with her and won't touch the Age of Despair and Chaos endings because they don't fit who she is.
Anyway,
I'm really sorry to hear about your father mate. Though at the same time I'm glad to hear you were able to find a level of comfort in the game. I think that's what some people miss when we talk about games being able to get us through stuff.
Big respect to you.
@@Rik2BitNothing
Thanks!
Yeah, I wanted to beat Elden Ring of all games when I lost my dad because perseverance is what Miyazaki's games are all about... finding the strength/will to bear the hardships in life, to carry on and ultimately overcome. That's also why I'm in firmly in the camp that they shouldn't have an Easy Mode.
I went in to Elden ring completely uninitiated having played no souls game prior. So I really didn’t know how to feel, 4 hrs later I’m seriously considering uninstalling and never looking back. 6 hours after that I’ve leveled some and I’ve beaten Margit 3rd try and Godrick 2nd try. It just clicked and I was addicted,117 hrs later I’m saying this is the best game I’ve played in a long time. Now I wanna try Sekiro. Anybody that is curious about ER please pick it up and enjoy it
Not saying you want love sekiro but it is a different kind of game than elden rings. I not played a lot of it and I do want to dive into it but it’s not a souls game to me.
I'm the same. I do fancy having a go of it too
NGL I think Sekiro is *actually* the hardest game From has made. I'm not one to go "oooh my god Dark Souls so haaaard" but Sekiro is actually just sweaty as hell. Really a pure action game, really feels like it's own thing, it was going to be a Tenchu sequel but it kept getting less and less stealthy. It's like those moments where you get stomped on and think "gee I should go somewhere else", but no, you really do need to just bash your head against a wall this time. It crossed the line from fun to fuck this, personally.
If you do it, you'll need to delete ER from your head because playing Sekiro like From's other games will kill you, and you'll probably do it even after *thinking* that you internalized what the tutorials said. It isn't dodge roll: the game, it's *clang!* the game.
Elden ring was my first fromsoft game. I went in completely blind as someone that had barely played any video games after the release of red dead redemption. Im not a huge gamer so i had no idea about fromsoft's reputation or that the game would be incredibly difficult. I started as a wretch and didnt much to level up prior to running into margot not realizing there are so many places i could have gone prior to him. I legitimately thought it was just made ridiculously hard to weed out casual gamers like myself so i took it as a challenge. It took me quite a long time but the feeling of beating that fucking fallen omen with a stick and well timed rolls was probably one of my favorite gaming moments in my entire life.
The funny part is that after playing the game for a while i realized i made that so much harder on myself i was basically acting like a masochist with a glutton for punishment. I realized a lot of people did this and gave up. No regrets though, as this game changed everything in regards to how i view video games, though i learned a ore than a few harsh lessons along the way. . Its ahrd for someone like me with no much gaming experience to justify calling something a masterpiece but there is no game ive ever wanted to play again and again after beating it like elden ring. It is a masterpiece to me.
Overall what made this game so incredibly goo, to me at least, is that when i raged over how i just lost to a boss it didnt feel like the game cheated and i was moreso mad at myself because i knew deep down i could do better and the only reason im failing is because i am literally choosing to not learn. that was an eye openeing experience i can easily say no other game has presented to me
Awesome comment dude and glad to know you felt the similar experience. Its really rewarding.
Ironically, once you've cvercome the difficulty, these games become quite relaxing to play
Good to see people finding their way to the appreciation of Soulsborne games despite the false stigma of them being stupidly hard just for the sake of annoyance. I totally fell in love with the series starting with Demon's Souls back in 2009. Took more then a year to make it through the game and put my finger on why it was so great despite being so seemingly unfriendly. And after that there was no going back: Dark Souls became the go-to series I could play for hundreds of hours even when I couldn't force myself to play anything alse. I wish eventually more and more people will discover and enjoy these games for what they truly are: a tempting journey, a challenging pilgrimage into the unknown and mistreious world full of fragile beauty and menacing danger. An accomplishment to be fond of and an experience to remember for many years to come. Truly, it's only as hard as one wants it to be, and there's always a way to overcome an obstacle should one allow himself to do that in certain ways. Wether it means relying on the help of phantoms, grindning levels, altering character builds, coming up with dirty and cheesy tactics or just "getting gud" in terms of reaction and bruteforcing it with skills. There really isn't such thing as playing it wrong, as long as one enjoys his experience when the big bad monster eventually gets defeated.
All that said my favourite game in the series remains to be Dark Souls 2 against the popular opinions. It's music and ambiance were just above and beyond, and it was a journey I enjoyed the most, despite many flaws and rough edges in terms of production quality and experimental features. With Bloodborne being a solid second in my personal "souls list".
Thanks for the video. Hopefully it will help more people find their way to discovering this game series without prejudices.
I've heard people say that DS2 is the peak for quite a few. I have wondered the reasoning for that over DS3 🤔 but hopefully I can check them all out too.
First huge new player mistake = not using a shield . 2nd huuuuge mistake = a stamina bar twice as long as your Hp bar . that's the case for all Souls games ! ^^ But I'm glad you fought your own way through and still enjoyed it 👍
Dude, I cannot wait to hear about your experiences in other Fromsoft titles, if you haven't had them already. The SoulsBorne franchise is some of the best gaming out there.
I shall be mentally preparing myself for this task dude :D Thanks for the support x
It's always a pleasure to find someone who's played their first souls game. Calling these games "special" or "tough but fair" is accurate but doesn't nearly do it justice. Like calling the ocean "a body of water" or Mt Everest "tall". Experiencing that moment when you finally 'get' a souls game cannot be understated. There's little else like it in gaming.
The video was excellent! Quality was superb at almost any level, let alone someone starting. The ability to express one's self will definitely come with time and practice, you'll definitely learn scripts or just talking off cuff works for you. Hope to see you try the other souls games. They lack the polish of Elden Ring in hindsight, but to quote Yahtzee Crowshaw; "For all one can quibble about a few extra rolls of fat, [they] can still power bomb you like a champ."
Thank you so much for the feedbackmatey it means alot. Its sometimes hard to express the feelings I had for it but its made such a huge impact towards how I approach games now as well as other mediums.
@Rik2BitNothing they do that to people so often it honestly needs to be studied. The one think I think need improment most on your video is simply try to get footage to match what your talking about. It's time consuming as hell but it makes the video more cohesive.
Here's to many more videos!
@ViceroyIcarus thanks for the feedback on that but I'll certainly be a bit more selective in the future with that.
I think Aliens for the C64 was the first game I rage quit. 😅
Oh man I REMEMBER that and you had to switch between characters. Excellent for the time mind.
Welcome to all the new Brothers and Sisters welcome to Miyazaki's Fun Train that never stops and his merry way of Training
And definitely looking forward to more of it! Especially the DLC.
Great video ! Mt first system was Nintendo way back when I was a kid.. had a ton of system going up. But once I got into my 20s 30s I was only playing sports video games! It's a long story but elden ring was my first different game I tried when it dropped, and now all I want to play is souls likes. Elden ring, lies of p, hogwarts legacy, God of war and now im playing sekiro which im about to fight the last boss. Elden ring has opened my eyes to what video games should be. Number 1 fun, what makes u have fun playing a game. 2 how much hours and content u get out of your full filling experience. 3 replay value should also be important in my opinion. The other big one does it change or enhance your life?
I am playing lies of p that is scratching my itch until Shadow of the Erdtree drops
That does look good tbh
For me it was this old weird ass game called Demon Souls, kicked my ass so hard I legit rage quit all RPGs except for WoW. Dark Souls Prepare To Die edition is released on Steam and I took a chance, never looked back since.
Mate, fellow old gamer here (prob a bit older even :) ).
I mostly play all the From games on loop the decade. Trust me, all old titles are still absolutely amazing. Do all of them!!!
Sekiro, Bloodborne, DS Remastered, DS2 SofFS, DS 3. They all warrant many NG+ cycles.
I've got a bunch added to the list of what i've missed out on. Got a good backlog to get on :D
The best feeling is when after struggling with your first character until you get the hang of the gameplay (i-frames, delayed attacks and all that), you make a second dude and realize that you, the player, have considerably improved.
On another note, it's funny to see FromSoftware succeed by rejecting all the modern video game tropes, interminable cutscenes, overloaded UIs and hand-holding in general, spoon-fed story, and brain-dead easy difficulty.
You are actually great at expressing your thoughts.
I got killed so many times by so many bosses that now I'm replaying the game I just sit on the floor and let my spirit defeat for me as sweet sweet revenge LMAO
The difficulty of these games are very misleading. That first learning curve trying to figure out what’s going on is a lot at first but the you start deep diving on UA-cam. It’s almost part of the game itself. After that it opens up the game to play how you want to. Vary rewarding I started on bloodborne took me around 5 months to beat the game most of that was trying to figure out what insight was lol. When Elden came out I had it platinum in less then 3 months.im not bragging just saying after you get the hang of it you can make as easy or hard as you want. Elden ring is a wonderful one to start on and I would recommend going back and playing at least all of them. Great video
Yeah it was such a rewarding experience and the sense of wonder was incredible too. But I do understand what you mean. Once you find a tactic for a seemingly unbeatable boss its crazy.
I can relate to your story before playing Elden Ring. I was like, why do people like Dark Souls . Why do people want to play a game so difficult they can hardly beat it? Then I played Blood Born because I got it cheap and wasn't used to these games. I like why I am losing my currency. Why are those guys so tough? Why do I have to worry about weapons degrading . Then I gave Elden Ring a try because I was attracted to the art style. Thankfully, it also removed things like weapons and armor breaking, and I also realized I could fast travel whenever I get my ruined back a lot easier. Thanks too, Torrent, or just go around collecting golden ruins. And found it wasn't actually that impossible difficult, and I learned soul games keep getting easier and easier as you level up and advance. And I was also like, why are there so many werrid and creepy things in this world? I love it!.
Thanks for the comment and support mate 😁 yeah I absolutely get that, as it went on the game got easier but then I'm thinking WE got better too. And it'd I'd help being able to just go do something else until feeling ready to take on that seemingly impossible task or boss 😃