What are you playing, Nintendo edition.

Pac1Man

mario54324

Pac1Man wrote: »

Christ, haven't seen that one in years

Grassey

Banjo wrote:

Look, I know I was warned, but Jesus Christ, Dark Souls! What do you want from me? Give me a ****ing sign! Stop beating me up for no apparent reason.

Oh look, an abyss demon there below me... You have died

Oh look a dead dragon carcass hanging off a cliff... You have died

ERG89

mario54324 wrote: »

Christ, haven't seen that one in years

I always loved the Hadvar ones.





Oldies but classic

CiDeRmAn

Banjo wrote: »

Look, I know I was warned, but Jesus Christ, Dark Souls! What do you want from me? Give me a ****ing sign! Stop beating me up for no apparent reason.

Do you know how awesome you are going to feel when you become a badass in that game?
People play these things, beat them, they play it through in New Game + immediately, it's just an incredible rush.
But, yeah, early on you are going to get the snot beaten out of you for apparently no reason, but it is always your fault, learning from it is part of it.

ionapaul

I'm playing Dead Cells right now, another game that I feel the Switch was made for! 100% portable, tried docked once but one of my joycons was a bit unresponsive (hope that isn't a hardware problem) so happy to be handheld.

Only about 5 hours in, made it to the first boss last night and got my ass kicked. Think this could be a real time sink!

Banjo

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

but it is always your fault, learning from it is part of it.

Even this early on I can see that that is not necessarily true.

Fighting my way tooth and nail through a bunch of undead, finally reaching the bonfire on the last sliver of health to rest, then realising that all the guys who made getting there so difficult were resting while I was resting and were ready for round two... well, I learned.

Dropping onto the Abyss demon, I knew I was going to get the **** kicked out of me, and I did, but I watched and I learned, and I whupped him good.

Those 18 times 2 skeletons kicked the **** out of me but I had to keep going back because there was no where else to go, except there *was* somewhere else to go, it was behind me and very difficult to see because of the textures, lighting, general narrowness of the path and all environmental detail obscuring it unless you went looking, optimistically that's sadism but I suspect it's poor dungeon design. (although putting that so early on in the game so you know exactly what you're in for for the next 30 hours or so could be seen as a courtesy)

That time I fought through a bunch of undead, climbed stairs, fought more undead, climbed a ladder, fought more undead, then hit a dead end with no reward of any kind and no where to go and no suggestion that this would open up later when I was more powerful... You could be kind and argue that it's clever dungeon design that twists the risk/reward paradigm you associate with games but when the world is so closed and restrictive (despite looking quite open) every dead end was deliberately crafted, and if reaching that end achieves nothing at all it's not a clever twist, it's just padding out play time for the sake of it.

Then, when in a desperate fit of "It has to mean something!" you dash and roll off the roof and reach a ledge and say "Aha! It was clever design! I have solved it!" only to find that what you've done is clip off the path onto a ledge you were never supposed to be on and that the only way off of is to try and clip again so you can fall to your death... well I remember how we lambasted Jedi Academy in 2003 for exactly this kind of lazy also-ran 90s-relic design.

AND! When your mrs says "Can you turn that ****ing rumble off, it's 1am!" and you try to do it but while you do the game doesn't pause so you're getting hit and causing more rumbles, and then you keep exiting the menu instead of saving your settings because for some arsehole "this is for that time we made you a CD drive and you didn't pay us!" reason the button that is Menu : Back in every other game in the history of Nintendo is forwards in Dark Souls, and Forwards is Back, and she's getting agitated saying "I asked you to turn that off!" and your switch is starting to sound like a parcel from LoveHoney and there's nothing you can do and then you're dead again.... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!

And what the **** is Kindling? You put 3 marks on the ground to tell me how to use the camera, and I wouldn't have been able to find them if I couldn't swing the camera around in the first place! Don't put **** on the menu and then don't explain it! Pricks!

In conclusion, I'd been lead to believe that the games difficulty was the draw, but I'm finding that most of the difficulty comes from poor design, not from some skill barrier I can't overcome.
But it is good fun!
Edit : Looking back, this is a bit moany - There is a skill barrier, but you very quickly get used to locking on, switching your focus, using kicks and jump attacks and rolls to outwit your opponents, and it is quite satisfying when you bump into those 2 pricks with shields and spears who tore you limb from limb 20 minutes ago and destroy them without taking a scratch.

But then you realise you've walked in a big circle and everything looks the same and there's no map and you're not sure what you're supposed to be looking for even if there was one. So you don't feel that thrill of victory, you just keep thinking "What would Hollow Knight do?" and the answer is usually "design the environment properly in the first place".

I think it's the load times between my very frequent deaths that will kill this game for me more-so than the very dated design. They're a little too long, and all the hints are for items that leave you thinking "wait, what was that about? Is that something else they haven't explained to me?"

Edit :
Cards on the table - I think the "You *need* to pay for online to play this properly" message at the start put me in a bad mood

Pac1Man

Banjo, just to make you feel worse, people have beaten the game using a variety of different controllers. Here's one example:

CiDeRmAn

Also, there are some great resources online that you are supposed to be accessing.
There are those who delight in coming to a Souls game fresh, with no help, but the game is so dense with secrets, lore and techniques it is part of the experience to delve into other peoples approach to it, and there are many.
Unlike other walkthroughs, which spoil games, this is more like a map and enhances the title.
https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Walkthroughs
The design is often what people love, and the layout is common through the whole franchise and beyond, from Demon's Souls on the PS3 to Bloodborne on the PS4, and the Dark Souls games in between.
You will not only come to love it, but you will be hurt when other games don't use the same method!

Banjo

Banjo wrote: »

Even this early on I can see that that is not necessarily true.
....
<SNIP>

Glad I didn't get this now; I was tempted, but after reading all that, it really sounds like I wouldn't enjoy the game at all.

Welp, back to OoT on the 3DS so.

Banjo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Glad I didn't get this now; I was tempted, but after reading all that, it really sounds like I wouldn't enjoy the game at all.

Welp, back to OoT on the 3DS so.

Oh, but you would.
That's the problem .
Dark Souls only has power over you because you give it that power. But you give it the power anyway. I've just spent 90 minutes killing the same 11 guys the same 11 ways and tgen getting beaten up by an angry bull about 20 times over. 21 if you count the time I took a break halfway through to level up and killed them all again. I finally figured out how to beat the bastard but in doing so I wasted all the ammo I need to kill him so I need to farm that for another few days to test out the theory. Do you know what I did to take a break from that frustration? One of those smash-your-telly dash-jump spiney minefields in my beloved Hollow Knight. At this rate I need to go to work so I can relax.

Maybe wait for a sale, in the mean time try pouring vinegar into your eye while reading log tables and listening to your favourite song, it's roughly the same experience.

Pac1Man

You'd love Bloodborne or Nioh.

chrislad

Yeah, I keep on wanting to like Dark Souls, but I just don't have the time or patience for it. I've played 1, 2, and Bloodborne, and I just get frustrated, and I rarely get gaming sessions longer than an hour so I never have time to get better.

CiDeRmAn

My 15 year old is on his 3rd playthrough, having already run through it twice on the Xbox One.
The third game is his favourite but the first one is next.
BB he played to death, and has lapped it a number of times.
He never got into Demon's Souls though, and I haven't introduced him to the Kings Field games, which came before that one.
King's Field IV, on the PS2, clearly shares much of it's DNA with the Souls games

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDR6OHAqr1g

plibige

For the first time in my life I started playing indie games since getting my switch. The ease of access and having it anywhere is a big plus. Just finished Limbo and loved it, but can't see a lot of replayability unless I forget the game somehow. Could someone recommend something similar?

Mr E

Inside is by the same developer. If you loved Limbo, Inside will blow your mind.

fixXxer

Yeah, Inside is amazing. Fantastic title.

CiDeRmAn

Inside... those fecking dogs, scared the crap out of me every time.

chrislad

Inside was very good. I preferred it over Limbo, but it has the same replay value.

fixXxer

chrislad wrote: »

Inside was very good. I preferred it over Limbo, but it has the same replay value.

You can play it twice, you get a different perspective on it when you know the ending.

Pac1Man

I'll wait for Outside and buy the bundle.

TitianGerm

Still plugging away at Octopath Traveller and thoroughly enjoying it. Easily one of my favourite games in the last few years.

Up to 40 hours and just finished half the characters 2nd mission.

Switch has been a great buy for me. Zelda, Mario, Hollow Knight and Octopath all over 40 hours gameplay and exceedingly good games.

TrustedApple

Been playing mega man X 2 for the past week forgot how hard the older maga man games are campare to maga man 11.

But great game we're you have to use your head and think about what you are going to do next.

keane2097

I took a break from Hollow Knight a while ago and hadn't been playing anything since. I got Inside the other day after it got a bunch of positive press here in the forum and just finished it last night. It's absolutely marvellous, terrific recommendation.

wheresmahbombs

I've been enjoying Hollow Knight recently. I was also playing Super Mario Party last night with my friends. Was stuck in 4th place out of four for much of the party - until the end of it, when I finally managed to scrape 3rd place.

mario54324

I'm pretty shíte at Dark Souls, been playing Minecraft instead to relax :P

CiDeRmAn

I bought it on release on the 360, played it, was terrible and so abandoned it for nearly four months.
When I went back to it I got into the gameplay and the rest of the game, while still tough, made far more sense.
Still got stuck on occasion!
That fecking Hydra!

_Godot_

Taking a break from Dragon Quest 8 and Animal Crossing: New Leaf to play Etrian Odyssey 3.

Banjo

God Damn it, Dark Souls! A week and another 30 or 40 slaughter-throughs later of that same ****ing stretch of that same ****ing 1st level and that ****ing bridge-dwelling bull-headed bastard is STILL kicking my arse. Nearly had him after repeatedly dropping on his head but now my sword has broken from RSI. And I know it's a case of "Git gud!" but the controls are backwards! BACKWARDS! There can be no state of Flow when as soon as you stop actively thinking "Dodge is where attack should be, dodge is where attack should be" you're dead. And don't get me started on the inconsistent hit-boxing that "governs" trying to roll under or past the bugger.

And there is no respite, for all my Geo are stuck in a boss room with a hyperactive spider demon that I just can't beat. I'm too proud to part with my Rancid Eggs. And would it have killed you to explain the whole polarity button thing Ikaruga? Would it? I bought you, you belong to me. Stop making me dance to your tune! And Cave Story! How is it you're so well regarded but you look like something I made on a 386 in the 90s with an RPG maker?

I'm too old to game, I think. My right thumb half-locked last night during a particularly difficult jump-dash-downslash-airjump manouevre. I've worn out my joints like a ****ty sword in bastard Dark Souls. This is the endo, my only Nintendo, the endo.... Roll on Animal Crossing.
With my luck, the new one will be subtitled Crossing Souls, and it's going to be wall to wall tarantulas and bees.

TitianGerm

Banjo wrote: »

God Damn it, Dark Souls! A week and another 30 or 40 slaughter-throughs later of that same ****ing stretch of that same ****ing 1st level and that ****ing bridge-dwelling bull-headed bastard is STILL kicking my arse. Nearly had him after repeatedly dropping on his head but now my sword has broken from RSI. And I know it's a case of "Git gud!" but the controls are backwards! BACKWARDS! There can be no state of Flow when as soon as you stop actively thinking "Dodge is where attack should be, dodge is where attack should be" you're dead. And don't get me started on the inconsistent hit-boxing that "governs" trying to roll under or past the bugger.

.

Is this the Tharus Demon? Go up on the roof kill the archers, use the gold pine resin. Two hand the weapon and drop on his head. Run to the far end get him to follow and then dodge and go back to the starting point. Climb the ladder and drop on his head again. He should be dead or at most need one or two normal attacks when he's stunned.