revengeofgibbon
2022
While it's undoubtedly an impressive achievement on many levels, I just didn't like Elden Ring as much as previous From games - of which I have played a great many, going all the way back to the early 2000s. The introduction of the open world has unfortunately diluted what I valued and exacerbated pre-existing problems to the extent that I actively rushed through the second half of my 80 hour playthrough.
It's all down to level design essentially. Dark Souls and Bloodborne for me were elevated by the sparks of brilliance inherent in their world design and path building, those moments of discovery overcoming my dislike of other game elements - the repetitive nature of boss runbacks, grinding for levels, and so on. This, coupled to a linearity of goals within a context where multiple paths offer district experiences was what drove me onwards.
And this is where ER's design philosophy runs counter to what I enjoy. The introduction of the open world means the addition of plenty of filler content generated from templates; outside of the main legacy dungeons, you are going to have seen most of what the game has to show you before you leave Limgrave, but you better be hyped to fight the same mini-bosses multiple times, because that's what's on offer. This review is an excellent summary of some of my issues, with some mechanical spoilers: https://backloggd.com/u/Woodaba/review/337912/
I've seen many comments praising the side content to the effect of: "if the critical path is too hard or not fun, you can go and do other content until you're ready to take it on". I'm sorry, but that's not how I want to spend my time, making progress by repeatedly seeing the same enemies and areas while grinding out levels and upgrade materials. The joy for me lies in advancing the story and world state, and if I'm not doing that, it feels like time ill spent.
Note: it is a quirk of my personality that I can't stand being bored. I despise repetition and want constant novelty, especially in entertainment. Conversely, I'm also compelled to investigate and seek out what content is available, because not seeing everything I could is deeply unpleasant and unsettling to me - an orientation that open world design with its emphasis on rote box ticking activities interacts with very poorly. This might go some way towards explaining why I had the reactions I did.
At this point, you're probably asking why I'm not mentioning the combat or boss design, which is by all accounts unparalleled. The sad fact is that those things are secondary contributors to my enjoyment, and while I enjoyed working out an effective build and set of strategies, I just can't find it in me to value those systems as much as many obviously do. That said, I found the bosses in Bloodborne far more compelling to face. I also didn't enjoy that I felt funnelled down a particular build path and towards exploiting a small number of mechanics to beat late game bosses—and it's evident by the number of players leaving coop signs with very similar gear that this isn't just a me issue.
So what did I enjoy, and why did I spend so much time finishing this game? Well, it does have some beautiful enemy and location designs, mostly along the critical path. The story itself is thematically linked to the earlier Souls games, but adds just enough unfamiliar elements to sustain my interest through to the finale. Positioning and patience in combat remains tactical and interesting moment-to-moment, and the number of cheap deaths seemed lower this time around.
There are numerous quality of life improvements that were appreciated: for instance, pointing out NPCs on the map is essential in a game with so many small quests in such a large area it would otherwise be impossible to keep track. Having access to NPC summons that mimic coop multiplayer is great, although you're prevented from using them outside boss arenas, a decision that I heartily disagree with.
In summation, this is not the game I would suggest if you were interested in this Miyazaki-verse everyone's been talking about, or if you're interested in an "open world done right", as I've heard it described. Instead, it's an experience that caters to players who love a hard combat experience with a varied array of builds and weapons, and are willing to commit a lot of time to adapting to a flexible if unforgiving set of rules.
If that sounds like you, more power to you, I hope you loved this game. I just... didn't. Perhaps the next one will be an Armored Core, and I'll be the one singing its praises while the world collectively shrugs it off, who knows?
It's all down to level design essentially. Dark Souls and Bloodborne for me were elevated by the sparks of brilliance inherent in their world design and path building, those moments of discovery overcoming my dislike of other game elements - the repetitive nature of boss runbacks, grinding for levels, and so on. This, coupled to a linearity of goals within a context where multiple paths offer district experiences was what drove me onwards.
And this is where ER's design philosophy runs counter to what I enjoy. The introduction of the open world means the addition of plenty of filler content generated from templates; outside of the main legacy dungeons, you are going to have seen most of what the game has to show you before you leave Limgrave, but you better be hyped to fight the same mini-bosses multiple times, because that's what's on offer. This review is an excellent summary of some of my issues, with some mechanical spoilers: https://backloggd.com/u/Woodaba/review/337912/
I've seen many comments praising the side content to the effect of: "if the critical path is too hard or not fun, you can go and do other content until you're ready to take it on". I'm sorry, but that's not how I want to spend my time, making progress by repeatedly seeing the same enemies and areas while grinding out levels and upgrade materials. The joy for me lies in advancing the story and world state, and if I'm not doing that, it feels like time ill spent.
Note: it is a quirk of my personality that I can't stand being bored. I despise repetition and want constant novelty, especially in entertainment. Conversely, I'm also compelled to investigate and seek out what content is available, because not seeing everything I could is deeply unpleasant and unsettling to me - an orientation that open world design with its emphasis on rote box ticking activities interacts with very poorly. This might go some way towards explaining why I had the reactions I did.
At this point, you're probably asking why I'm not mentioning the combat or boss design, which is by all accounts unparalleled. The sad fact is that those things are secondary contributors to my enjoyment, and while I enjoyed working out an effective build and set of strategies, I just can't find it in me to value those systems as much as many obviously do. That said, I found the bosses in Bloodborne far more compelling to face. I also didn't enjoy that I felt funnelled down a particular build path and towards exploiting a small number of mechanics to beat late game bosses—and it's evident by the number of players leaving coop signs with very similar gear that this isn't just a me issue.
So what did I enjoy, and why did I spend so much time finishing this game? Well, it does have some beautiful enemy and location designs, mostly along the critical path. The story itself is thematically linked to the earlier Souls games, but adds just enough unfamiliar elements to sustain my interest through to the finale. Positioning and patience in combat remains tactical and interesting moment-to-moment, and the number of cheap deaths seemed lower this time around.
There are numerous quality of life improvements that were appreciated: for instance, pointing out NPCs on the map is essential in a game with so many small quests in such a large area it would otherwise be impossible to keep track. Having access to NPC summons that mimic coop multiplayer is great, although you're prevented from using them outside boss arenas, a decision that I heartily disagree with.
In summation, this is not the game I would suggest if you were interested in this Miyazaki-verse everyone's been talking about, or if you're interested in an "open world done right", as I've heard it described. Instead, it's an experience that caters to players who love a hard combat experience with a varied array of builds and weapons, and are willing to commit a lot of time to adapting to a flexible if unforgiving set of rules.
If that sounds like you, more power to you, I hope you loved this game. I just... didn't. Perhaps the next one will be an Armored Core, and I'll be the one singing its praises while the world collectively shrugs it off, who knows?
I will not grind, you cannot make me grind, I will simply stop playing your game and complain about it on the internet.
I can't type any better, and now there's an old man wearing a shapeless coat who stands in the alley outside my home all night making the sound of broken fan, which is just great.
I can certainly recommend this as a way to spend a week in isolation because you were infected with a potentially deadly disease by a thoughtless, selfish person.
2022
Give me a high, wild place amid hills that scrape the sky and I will reach out as if with the finger of an angry god to visit death upon the deserving. Just don't make me do another sewer level please.
I did not know you could die this many ways on a boat.
2020
100 hours later, I can be confident in what I thought a few hours into Act 1: this is the best CRPG I've ever played and the best translation of a good part of the joy of tabletop roleplaying.
2023
Just play Inside again.
2023
The least fun I've had with a Bethesda game since Star Trek Legacy. Narratively as deep as a puddle while stuffed to the gills with tedious combat encounters. All the interesting systems are locked behind skill points that you earn at a glacial pace.
Down with this sort of thing.
Down with this sort of thing.
2023
You remember Alan Wake? The janky 360 era third person shooter with literary pretentions? Surprise, it's now a sprawling (unusually meditative) big budget trans-media meditation on the disturbing implications of genre fiction and authorship, as well as the most technically impressive video game to date.
2015
This would be an excellent 10 hour game, but instead it's a tedious 25-30 hour slog. Didn't touch any of the DLC, and I'm going to have to wait until the bile raised by that dreadful last 3 hours goes away before I even think about playing the sequel.
2022
It's nice to not have a snide little comment to add
I'm a bugger for a spot of communist noblesse oblige. Better plotted than any recent non-animated Trek drama, shocking "gameplay" though. Next time drop the phasers and stealth sections.
Extremely funny in a way that most games singularly fail to be, with some visual gags that made me genuinely explode with laughter. The puzzles suffer from a little of the old "this makes sense to the designer, not to me" magic that plague point-and-clicks, but I didn't get irrationally upset by any of the ludicrous solutions, which instantly makes this better than any LucasArts game.
Resi 7 is a better game in every way that matters to me.