Elden Ring (George RR Martin and From Software)

I thought it looked amazing but I only ran around outside to the rear of the buildings. Was to low a level to actually do much.

I hope I don't get carded for this but that bear is a douche.

If I remember correctly I think the merchant down near the braziers sells some decent stuff.

I have gone on a bit of a mad tangent and was doin ranni quest and have got to a boss that's been annihilating me for around 2 hours yesterday, when I eventually beat it I have a seal door and no idea where to go :(

that area alone feels like a darksouls game tbh, so many paths and ways to go. those big knights are ruthless though

I still can't kill this bloody tree sentinel in Lingrave and I want his Golden Halberd. I'll have to try and get gud like this guy.

OK, so played a few more hours last night. I understand what the game is now. Its Dark Souls 4, open world edition. I can understand if you're a fan of previous games that this is probably the best Souls game yet. But it's still a Souls game.

I encountered too many moments of BS in my exploring, including a large dude on a horse surprising me as I went across a bridge, he jumped from the side of the bridge. There was nothing but a chasm on either side. BS.

I dont mind running into an area and getting killed, my fault. But a giant dude on a horse jumping from the ether.. nah. That's BS. Just like the teleport chest. I don't find that fun.

Again, I'm delighted that people are loving it, and I'm sure if I had nothing else to play that I might put more time into it. But there's the problem, there's always something else to play, and to me I'd be wasting my time on a game I'm not really enjoying.

Trading it in now, and if I ever come back to it I'll do what I did with Hollow Knight, and follow a rough which-way-to-go guide.

Yeah, I feel the same way

I think if you come from the previous games having played 1v1 you would expect to be able to have the same experience here, but they've lifted the skill floor for 1v1 way up where you have to grind some very arcane combos over and over to figure out the openings, particularly hellish for greatsword players so I hear

After a while, I gave up and just summoned for a bunch of fights. I find it turns fights from these really intense and difficult duels into more of a formality. It's either too hard or very passive, there's no middle ground. Ruined my first playthrough tbh

But I'm having a better time on playthrough 2, cause I kinda know the mechanics of fights pretty well now to figure them out without summons. But it's the worst part about the game imo, and a point that gets missed when people say 'just summon if you find it difficult, or grind'. It's not really possible to get that same feeling out of these fights as the old games provided, where they were obstacles but didnt' feel like you were 'labbing' each outcome and finding the best answer to every mechanic and AI quirk, so to speak

I'll say tho I'm impressed by some of the AI of bosses, the way they alternate into branching combos depending on your position. But I also hate how much 'gotcha' combo strings they have

Took me till level 40 odd before I took him down - I think I might be real bad at this game though, I still can't kill Radahn, post-nerf and I'm like level 100 lol. I took out Margit and Godrick easy enough and much earlier on too but the later bosses I dunno, just not getting the patterns correct. Also got owned by a Huge vulture Boss, that has nasty freeze magic.

I managed to get him last night. I got the skeletons from the flooded village off the lad in the boat. They respawn after being killed so they kept him busy while I chipped away at him

I've actually found in late game it can be easier fighting horseback enemies on foot. If you get a decent dodge and have a powerful enough move to counterattack with, you can do big damage. It's just about knowing where and when to dodge. But horseback is definitely the way to go foe the first tree sentinel until you do get more powerful in the game.

Started Liurnia of the Lakes. I don't like it. Even though there is no mobility penalty, I just have a dislike for watery swampy areas.