Video games...what ya playing? And what are you looking forward to? (13 Viewers)

[thecatch]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

 

[Scoresman]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

Who is mad? Were just having a conversation.

The creator/artist who designs these games doesnt want to. Lets compare this to musical artists. You like their music or you dont. I doubt you say, ya know, Whitney Houston should have sung it this way because she would reach more fans. Bob Dylan DGAF if you like his music or not. Who are we to tell him how to make his art?


Link

While the game's creator, legendary developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, feels bad that some of you are struggling to beat Elden Ring, he believes that the joy of the game comes from persevering and overcoming those seemingly impossible challenges.


“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said in a recent interview with the New Yorker. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

“We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So, it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment. It's our identity.”
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Elden Ring won't dial down the difficulty, even in an optional mode. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all uncompromising in their brutality. Whether that's right is open to debate, of course. But the bottom line is if Miyazaki doesn't want it, it's not happening.

Link2

Difficulty Settings Make the Game Inherently Less Exciting​

The developers of Dark Souls intentionally designed the game to be challenging and unforgiving. They wanted to create a game that rewarded players for their perseverance, skill, and knowledge. Introducing a dark souls easy mode would undermine this fundamental aspect of the game’s design. It would also remove the sense of accomplishment of beating a difficult boss or area and make the game less memorable overall.
The fact that players get stuck in certain areas and bosses is what creates memories for them. And overcoming these obstacles is exactly the experience that makes people talk about the game with glee for years to come. This is so effective that having a boss or an area relatively harder than most bosses and areas in the game could be a narrative device.

Difficulty setting completely destroys this aspect of the game experience because it creates a homogenous predictable experience from start to finish. No parts will stand out if the whole game is consistently easy, hard, or in between. This is what makes Dark Souls such a rewarding and memorable experience for so many players and why introducing a dark souls easy mode would be a mistake.

Ive stated my case. We will just have to agree to disagree. No hard feelings.

 

[jwb]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

Who is mad? Were just having a conversation.

The creator/artist who designs these games doesnt want to. Lets compare this to musical artists. You like their music or you dont. I doubt you say, ya know, Whitney Houston should have sung it this way because she would reach more fans. Bob Dylan DGAF if you like his music or not. Who are we to tell him how to make his art?


Link

While the game's creator, legendary developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, feels bad that some of you are struggling to beat Elden Ring, he believes that the joy of the game comes from persevering and overcoming those seemingly impossible challenges.


“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said in a recent interview with the New Yorker. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

“We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So, it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment. It's our identity.”
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Elden Ring won't dial down the difficulty, even in an optional mode. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all uncompromising in their brutality. Whether that's right is open to debate, of course. But the bottom line is if Miyazaki doesn't want it, it's not happening.

Link2

Difficulty Settings Make the Game Inherently Less Exciting​

The developers of Dark Souls intentionally designed the game to be challenging and unforgiving. They wanted to create a game that rewarded players for their perseverance, skill, and knowledge. Introducing a dark souls easy mode would undermine this fundamental aspect of the game’s design. It would also remove the sense of accomplishment of beating a difficult boss or area and make the game less memorable overall.
The fact that players get stuck in certain areas and bosses is what creates memories for them. And overcoming these obstacles is exactly the experience that makes people talk about the game with glee for years to come. This is so effective that having a boss or an area relatively harder than most bosses and areas in the game could be a narrative device.

Difficulty setting completely destroys this aspect of the game experience because it creates a homogenous predictable experience from start to finish. No parts will stand out if the whole game is consistently easy, hard, or in between. This is what makes Dark Souls such a rewarding and memorable experience for so many players and why introducing a dark souls easy mode would be a mistake.

Ive stated my case. We will just have to agree to disagree. No hard feelings.

Great post. They make the game their way and their fans love it.

Elden Ring sold pretty good. They don't care about lost sales.

As far as Elden Ring getting harder towards the end, yes it did. I liked it. Ivan and I discussed it in the Elden Ring thread - it became a little less open world (if you want to proceed) and more like other Souls games. But there's an easy mode built in for this too - go ahead and overlevel. The game will let you and is large enough, with enough optional areas, that's it's fun to do so.

 

[Scoresman]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

Who is mad? Were just having a conversation.

The creator/artist who designs these games doesnt want to. Lets compare this to musical artists. You like their music or you dont. I doubt you say, ya know, Whitney Houston should have sung it this way because she would reach more fans. Bob Dylan DGAF if you like his music or not. Who are we to tell him how to make his art?


Link

While the game's creator, legendary developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, feels bad that some of you are struggling to beat Elden Ring, he believes that the joy of the game comes from persevering and overcoming those seemingly impossible challenges.


“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said in a recent interview with the New Yorker. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

“We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So, it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment. It's our identity.”
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Elden Ring won't dial down the difficulty, even in an optional mode. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all uncompromising in their brutality. Whether that's right is open to debate, of course. But the bottom line is if Miyazaki doesn't want it, it's not happening.

Link2

Difficulty Settings Make the Game Inherently Less Exciting​

The developers of Dark Souls intentionally designed the game to be challenging and unforgiving. They wanted to create a game that rewarded players for their perseverance, skill, and knowledge. Introducing a dark souls easy mode would undermine this fundamental aspect of the game’s design. It would also remove the sense of accomplishment of beating a difficult boss or area and make the game less memorable overall.
The fact that players get stuck in certain areas and bosses is what creates memories for them. And overcoming these obstacles is exactly the experience that makes people talk about the game with glee for years to come. This is so effective that having a boss or an area relatively harder than most bosses and areas in the game could be a narrative device.

Difficulty setting completely destroys this aspect of the game experience because it creates a homogenous predictable experience from start to finish. No parts will stand out if the whole game is consistently easy, hard, or in between. This is what makes Dark Souls such a rewarding and memorable experience for so many players and why introducing a dark souls easy mode would be a mistake.

Ive stated my case. We will just have to agree to disagree. No hard feelings.

Apples and oranges. A better analogy using music would be if they sold digital music that could only be opened and listened to by computer programmers. I want to listen to the music but can’t because the musicians made the perplexing choice to only allow a certain segment of people a realistic chance of experiencing it.

Also that second article is presumptuous as hell. It claims to know or dictate how I should build memories playing games or how I should find satisfaction and joy in games. Sorry but I don’t build good memories by getting frustrated and dying over and over. Whoever wrote this is clearly lacking oxygen from the high horse they are sitting on.

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

Yes, for me this would solvable by just not buying the game as I have with every other Souls game. But they specifically marketed elden ring as easier than previous games, so I have a right to be pissed after buying it.

 

[dickey moe]

Then why can't they make their games like every other game and include difficulty settings? Those who want the challenge can go for it. Seems like it would appease everyone.

It's frustrating because Elden Ring did so many things right that other open world games get wrong.

FromSoft games do have difficulty settings. It's just that they're baked into the gameplay and not something you select in a menu.

Want a hard experience in one of these games? Roll a strength build. Don't summon anybody to help with bosses. Don't use spells. Don't use spirit ashes (Elden Ring only).

Want a much easier experience? Go with a mage. Melt bosses at range where they can't touch you. Start every encounter with Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche. Summon coop partners for bosses.

Admittedly, this is sometimes hidden from the player. Most people who play Bloodborne can go through the entire game without realizing that it's even possible to do a spell-caster, and they'll probably need to follow a guide to figure out how to do it. But spell-casters in that game just trivialize every boss encounter except Ebrietas and Abhorrent Beast, both of which are optional.

This is a good post. Elden Ring frustrated the hell out of me early on when I tried a generic fighter build. I scrapped that and created a mage character where I had a blast. Still haven't beat two of the bosses toward endgame though.

 

[Capella]

New star wars is fun. If you liked the first one you will love this one

I like it but I wish the navigation was a little easier. I have a hard time getting around these gigantic games now.

Force pulling somebody to you and then stabbing them with a light saber absolutely rules though.

 

[Insein]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

Who is mad? Were just having a conversation.

The creator/artist who designs these games doesnt want to. Lets compare this to musical artists. You like their music or you dont. I doubt you say, ya know, Whitney Houston should have sung it this way because she would reach more fans. Bob Dylan DGAF if you like his music or not. Who are we to tell him how to make his art?


Link

While the game's creator, legendary developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, feels bad that some of you are struggling to beat Elden Ring, he believes that the joy of the game comes from persevering and overcoming those seemingly impossible challenges.


“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said in a recent interview with the New Yorker. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

“We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So, it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment. It's our identity.”
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Elden Ring won't dial down the difficulty, even in an optional mode. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all uncompromising in their brutality. Whether that's right is open to debate, of course. But the bottom line is if Miyazaki doesn't want it, it's not happening.

Link2

Difficulty Settings Make the Game Inherently Less Exciting​

The developers of Dark Souls intentionally designed the game to be challenging and unforgiving. They wanted to create a game that rewarded players for their perseverance, skill, and knowledge. Introducing a dark souls easy mode would undermine this fundamental aspect of the game’s design. It would also remove the sense of accomplishment of beating a difficult boss or area and make the game less memorable overall.
The fact that players get stuck in certain areas and bosses is what creates memories for them. And overcoming these obstacles is exactly the experience that makes people talk about the game with glee for years to come. This is so effective that having a boss or an area relatively harder than most bosses and areas in the game could be a narrative device.

Difficulty setting completely destroys this aspect of the game experience because it creates a homogenous predictable experience from start to finish. No parts will stand out if the whole game is consistently easy, hard, or in between. This is what makes Dark Souls such a rewarding and memorable experience for so many players and why introducing a dark souls easy mode would be a mistake.

Ive stated my case. We will just have to agree to disagree. No hard feelings.

Apples and oranges. A better analogy using music would be if they sold digital music that could only be opened and listened to by computer programmers. I want to listen to the music but can’t because the musicians made the perplexing choice to only allow a certain segment of people a realistic chance of experiencing it.

Also that second article is presumptuous as hell. It claims to know or dictate how I should build memories playing games or how I should find satisfaction and joy in games. Sorry but I don’t build good memories by getting frustrated and dying over and over. Whoever wrote this is clearly lacking oxygen from the high horse they are sitting on.

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

Yes, for me this would solvable by just not buying the game as I have with every other Souls game. But they specifically marketed elden ring as easier than previous games, so I have a right to be pissed after buying it.

A better music analogy is Taylor Swift vs Slayer. Taylor Swift is genetic and easy to listen to for a wide range of audiences. Slayer is harsh, unforgiving and brutal. The sound turns many people off and scares others away. However, their fans wouldn't want it any other way and defend it to the death. They are fiercely loyal and will buy the new album no matter what (when they still made music).

 

[need2know]

New star wars is fun. If you liked the first one you will love this one

I like it but I wish the navigation was a little easier. I have a hard time getting around these gigantic games now.

Force pulling somebody to you and then stabbing them with a light saber absolutely rules though.

Yeah and the map sucks

 

[Scoresman]

The music analogies are bad because it doesn’t require skill to listen to music and adding different settings to music doesn’t make sense. It misses the point. We're not asking Slayer to change the music they play here.

Adding a setting to Elden Ring for difficulty doesn’t change a thing for those who like it difficult. That's the point. They can leave it at hard. They can have their Slayer. Their experience doesn’t change at all.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

The music analogies are bad because it doesn’t require skill to listen to music and adding different settings to music doesn’t make sense. It misses the point. We're not asking Slayer to change the music they play here.

Adding a setting to Elden Ring for difficulty doesn’t change a thing for those who like it difficult. That's the point. They can leave it at hard. They can have their Slayer. Their experience doesn’t change at all.

Git Gud

 

[MTskibum]

Apples and oranges. A better analogy using music would be if they sold digital music that could only be opened and listened to by computer programmers. I want to listen to the music but can’t because the musicians made the perplexing choice to only allow a certain segment of people a realistic chance of experiencing it.

Also that second article is presumptuous as hell. It claims to know or dictate how I should build memories playing games or how I should find satisfaction and joy in games. Sorry but I don’t build good memories by getting frustrated and dying over and over. Whoever wrote this is clearly lacking oxygen from the high horse they are sitting on.

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

Yes, for me this would solvable by just not buying the game as I have with every other Souls game. But they specifically marketed elden ring as easier than previous games, so I have a right to be pissed after buying it.

I like difficult games and I like games with permadeath that make you start over. For example I enjoyed playing Diablo in hardcore mode, but I understand that it is not for everyone. Don't starve together is one of my favorite games of all time and I have wiped 50+ hours into worlds before multiple times.

But I agree with you, Dark Souls could have a difficulty setting, just call it easy mode and make it sightlier easier. Many games have easy, medium, hard mode and nothing detracts from the experience. Having an easy mode that is slightly easier does not detract from people playing in normal mode.


Edit, I have no dog in this fight. I could care less about Elden ring, I am not even sure I will play the next elder scrolls or fallout.

 

[Scoresman]

The music analogies are bad because it doesn’t require skill to listen to music and adding different settings to music doesn’t make sense. It misses the point. We're not asking Slayer to change the music they play here.

Adding a setting to Elden Ring for difficulty doesn’t change a thing for those who like it difficult. That's the point. They can leave it at hard. They can have their Slayer. Their experience doesn’t change at all.

Git Gud

Was wondering when this would come out. Lol.

 

[thecatch]

I've been playing video games since Atari. I bought Elden Ring but have yet to play it. However, my 14-year-old son has been playing it. He plays it after school and then comes down for dinner and is like, "I can't beat this boss! I need this weapon but it needs this many runes and so I have to go to this other section and farm for more runes but I died and all my runes were at the spot I died and I had to go back there but ran into this other boss and couldn't beat him and runes runes boss boss farm farm blah blah blah." (I'm making this up and have no idea how accurate it is, by the way.) I want to stab my eardrums so I don't have to listen to Elden Ring recaps in real time.

No that's accurate. They make their games way too difficult and I hope it's a trend that goes away soon.

I dont understand why people like these games. I play video games to relax not to stress myself out.

I've said this before, but In the abstract, Fromsoft games are not much different than the old Mario type games or any other platformer.

I have a retro NES, but that's one of the main reasons I'm not spending much time with the original Super Mario, either.

I beat SMB when I was in the 3rd grade. I was 7 or 8 years old. They make a million games for you, why cant I have some tougher games to enjoy?

I guess Im not understanding - - why do you want to play a game that you dont find enjoyable?


ETA - Im genuinely asking because Im curious. Im not trying to make fun of you or anything.

No one wants to change your game experience. The option to make the game easier is just that, an option. You could still play the normal game as you want to.

I still dont understand why you HAVE to play this game but Im not going to beat a dead horse.

Ivan and I have addressed the question that there is a pretty easy mode - summoning other players. When its 3 humans vs a boss the boss is melted away in seconds.

I would think that the developer would want Scoresman's $70, that's why they want him to feel like he "has" to play the game. Perhaps they made the determination that the revenue from appeasing the crowd that wants less of a challenge would offend an even bigger segment of the diehard base, I don't know. Intuitively I'd think there are more Scoresmans than Steadymobbins out there on this issue.

Thing is, Elden Ring was marketed as easier than previous Souls games. It's why they got my $70. And it is easier for most of the game. But then you hit the end game wall and it's just as bad as previous Souls games.

What I don't get is why the people who like hard difficulty have a problem with a game adding the option to make it easier. They don't ever have to adjust the setting. It's like getting mad at a game that adds optional coloring options for color blind people. Why would I ever get upset at them adding something like this?

Who is mad? Were just having a conversation.

The creator/artist who designs these games doesnt want to. Lets compare this to musical artists. You like their music or you dont. I doubt you say, ya know, Whitney Houston should have sung it this way because she would reach more fans. Bob Dylan DGAF if you like his music or not. Who are we to tell him how to make his art?


Link

While the game's creator, legendary developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, feels bad that some of you are struggling to beat Elden Ring, he believes that the joy of the game comes from persevering and overcoming those seemingly impossible challenges.


“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said in a recent interview with the New Yorker. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

“We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So, it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment. It's our identity.”
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Elden Ring won't dial down the difficulty, even in an optional mode. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all uncompromising in their brutality. Whether that's right is open to debate, of course. But the bottom line is if Miyazaki doesn't want it, it's not happening.

Link2

Difficulty Settings Make the Game Inherently Less Exciting​

The developers of Dark Souls intentionally designed the game to be challenging and unforgiving. They wanted to create a game that rewarded players for their perseverance, skill, and knowledge. Introducing a dark souls easy mode would undermine this fundamental aspect of the game’s design. It would also remove the sense of accomplishment of beating a difficult boss or area and make the game less memorable overall.
The fact that players get stuck in certain areas and bosses is what creates memories for them. And overcoming these obstacles is exactly the experience that makes people talk about the game with glee for years to come. This is so effective that having a boss or an area relatively harder than most bosses and areas in the game could be a narrative device.

Difficulty setting completely destroys this aspect of the game experience because it creates a homogenous predictable experience from start to finish. No parts will stand out if the whole game is consistently easy, hard, or in between. This is what makes Dark Souls such a rewarding and memorable experience for so many players and why introducing a dark souls easy mode would be a mistake.

Ive stated my case. We will just have to agree to disagree. No hard feelings.

Elden Ring sold pretty good. They don't care about lost sales.

They certainly care about maximizing sales. Like I said, they've made the business decision that alienating the casuals is worth it because they can sell more copies to diehards by doing so. Seems odd to me but maybe they are right.

 

[TLEF316]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

 

[Insein]

The music analogies are bad because it doesn’t require skill to listen to music and adding different settings to music doesn’t make sense. It misses the point. We're not asking Slayer to change the music they play here.

Adding a setting to Elden Ring for difficulty doesn’t change a thing for those who like it difficult. That's the point. They can leave it at hard. They can have their Slayer. Their experience doesn’t change at all.

Getting the censored version of slayer is not listening to slayer.

 

[jobarules]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

There certainly seems to be less and less games I look forward to every year. In the last year, my PS5 collected dust until Horizon Forbidden West came out and then gathered dust again until God of War Ragnarok. Then I put the PS5 in my son's room and the only game I wanted to play was Star Wars Survivor. Today I just dusted off my Switch for the new Zelda. So basically 4 games in a year. I stopped playing sports games too and shooters never interested me.

 

[need2know]

The music analogies are bad because it doesn’t require skill to listen to music and adding different settings to music doesn’t make sense. It misses the point. We're not asking Slayer to change the music they play here.

Adding a setting to Elden Ring for difficulty doesn’t change a thing for those who like it difficult. That's the point. They can leave it at hard. They can have their Slayer. Their experience doesn’t change at all.

fromsoft doesnt care. they make so much money. they really dont care if they dont get yours. they are making great stuff and a huge number of people are into it,
they have a rep and they aren't changing just to try to make a few extra bucks. one of the coolest video game companies around.

and for the record elden ring is the easiest one of their games I have played. All dark souls, demons souls, sekiro, bloodborne are harder. all are masterpieces.
git gud or die trying

 

[need2know]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

i dont feel its going downhill out all. The past 6 months has been awesome for PS5

 

[TLEF316]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

i dont feel its going downhill out all. The past 6 months has been awesome for PS5

Again, I'm sure it partially depends on what genres your into.

Something like Elden ring (while I get the appeal) doesn't interest me. I'm not a big "fighting monsters" guy. Even when I was a kid, I didn't play that sort of stuff.

Story-driven singleplayer stuff is also the least affected by the issues I'm talking about (focus on monetization, cosmetics, etc.) so if that's your thing....I could see how you would have a more positive view.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

It's not just you getting old. I don't think there's any serious question that the economics of the industry has changed in a way that isn't working especially well for consumers.

Speaking as a guy who mostly plays single-player games, it's worth pointing out that Skyrim is now 12 years old, and we still have no idea when the next Elder Scrolls game is coming. GTA5 is 10 years old, and we still have no idea when the next GTA title is coming. These are two massive franchises that skipped entire generations, at least in part because they need to figure out how to sell Shark Cards to 14 year-olds. That's a broken industry.

 

[need2know]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

It's not just you getting old. I don't think there's any serious question that the economics of the industry has changed in a way that isn't working especially well for consumers.

Speaking as a guy who mostly plays single-player games, it's worth pointing out that Skyrim is now 12 years old, and we still have no idea when the next Elder Scrolls game is coming. GTA5 is 10 years old, and we still have no idea when the next GTA title is coming. These are two massive franchises that skipped entire generations, at least in part because they need to figure out how to sell Shark Cards to 14 year-olds. That's a broken industry.

good point

 

[Desert_Power]

Can't wait to boot up the new Zelda tonight

 

[phandango]

It's not just you getting old. I don't think there's any serious question that the economics of the industry has changed in a way that isn't working especially well for consumers.

Speaking as a guy who mostly plays single-player games, it's worth pointing out that Skyrim is now 12 years old, and we still have no idea when the next Elder Scrolls game is coming. GTA5 is 10 years old, and we still have no idea when the next GTA title is coming. These are two massive franchises that skipped entire generations, at least in part because they need to figure out how to sell Shark Cards to 14 year-olds. That's a broken industry.

I read recently that Rockstar is spending a billion dollars on the next GTA. I'm pretty sure the model now for these AAA releases is to make the game massive enough that players spend 100 hours on it; release it near the end of the current-gen console cycle to take full advantage of the hardware tech; then, a few years after the next-gen consoles come out, release a "remastered" version of the game with updated graphics and tweaks and sell it back to all the people who bought the first one, plus the few who never played it when it first came out.

 

[hagmania]

Happy Zelda Day!

 

[jwb]

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

I disagree. For these games anyway. Nobody talks about or remembers beating Skyrim or AC or whatever game on X difficulty level. But we all remember our Souls victory, Precisely because you have no option. You either play it their way, or you play God of War or whatnot. That makes it special.

 

[jwb]

Speaking as a guy who mostly plays single-player games, it's worth pointing out that Skyrim is now 12 years old, and we still have no idea when the next Elder Scrolls game is coming.

And I started like my 50th toon just a week or two ago. What a game.

 

[Scoresman]

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

I disagree. For these games anyway. Nobody talks about or remembers beating Skyrim or AC or whatever game on X difficulty level. But we all remember our Souls victory, Precisely because you have no option. You either play it their way, or you play God of War or whatnot. That makes it special.

You’re speaking for yourself here. I absolutely remember my Skyrim and AC completions. What makes a game special varies from person to person. That’s why options in games is nothing but a good thing.

 

[jwb]

Bottom line is that adding a difficulty setting changes absolutely nothing for those who do want hard difficulty, but not doing so completely excludes others who gain joy from games in other ways.

I disagree. For these games anyway. Nobody talks about or remembers beating Skyrim or AC or whatever game on X difficulty level. But we all remember our Souls victory, Precisely because you have no option. You either play it their way, or you play God of War or whatnot. That makes it special.

You’re speaking for yourself here. I absolutely remember my Skyrim and AC completions. What makes a game special varies from person to person. That’s why options in games is nothing but a good thing.

Yea I poorly stated that. I do remember my Skyrim victories. Getting my enchanting up to 100 was cool.

But it's different with Souls games. No difficulty options is part of the charm. I can't really explain it any better than that. I'm sorry you don't like it.

 

[Insein]

Yea I decided a long time ago I don't like Souls games. Just don't like the play style. I played Dark Souls 2 for about 30 hours and it just felt like a grind. But I understood and appreciated what From software is doing. They understand who their target audience is and they go after them hardcore. If anyone else enjoys their product along the way, so be it.

In this day and age, that's rare for a video game company and should be celebrated.

 

[3 hour lunch]

My problem with Elden Ring hasn’t been the difficulty, so much. It’s plenty hard. I spent over an hour the other day trying to beat Niall. But, it’s the complete lack of direction. I recently found the talking Jar dude stuck in mud and didn’t know how to get him out. Google it. I need an oil pot. How do I make one? Google it. Oh, I need to buy a cookbook from a merchant hidden behind a pillar somewhere in a river I haven’t found? Makes sense. Where was I in the Ranni quest line again? Maybe there’s a note or next step listed somewhere? Nope. Hey, what does the rune arc do? Google it. Oh, I need to find a portal and travel to a tower to activate it? I’m sure this is all intentional but gets pretty tiresome, at least to me. I’m pretty far in the game but listening to the references to the final bosses above, I’ll probably need to level up at Moghyn Palace for another long while….

 

[jobarules]

Just getting into Zelda but it's hard to get past how bad the graphics are compared to PS5 games.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

My problem with Elden Ring hasn’t been the difficulty, so much. It’s plenty hard. I spent over an hour the other day trying to beat Niall. But, it’s the complete lack of direction. I recently found the talking Jar dude stuck in mud and didn’t know how to get him out. Google it. I need an oil pot. How do I make one? Google it. Oh, I need to buy a cookbook from a merchant hidden behind a pillar somewhere in a river I haven’t found? Makes sense. Where was I in the Ranni quest line again? Maybe there’s a note or next step listed somewhere? Nope. Hey, what does the rune arc do? Google it. Oh, I need to find a portal and travel to a tower to activate it? I’m sure this is all intentional but gets pretty tiresome, at least to me. I’m pretty far in the game but listening to the references to the final bosses above, I’ll probably need to level up at Moghyn Palace for another long while….

This is a valid criticism, but for those of us who like these games, the opaqueness you're describing is absolutely part of the charm. This falls into the same general bucket as allowing players to leave highly-truncated in-game messages for one another. Playing one of these games feels like something you're doing as part of community. The fact that you have to regularly go to a wiki to figure out how to continue certain quest lines or what certain items do is how the community operates.

This style of game-building is also a throwback to the olden days when games had secret levels and stuff that you could totally miss if you were just playing blind. I know this goes beyond what you're talking about, but think about how these games hide massive amounts of content behind hidden doors or secret teleporters or whatever. In Dark Souls, it would be easy to miss the Great Hollow, Ash Lake, and especially the Painted World. You could play Bloodborne without ever being aware that Cainhurst Castle exists. To find the boss on the freaking cover of Elden Ring, you have to pass through multiple secret levels and work your way all the way to the very bottom of the Haligtree. She's probably the most hard-to-find boss in a major title in the past few years. These games just absolutely do not care if players miss on on large amounts of content. No hand holding.

 

[belljr]

They should release a prima strategy guide with elden ring

 

[Mile High]

Elden Ring was my first Souls Game and will be my last. I glad I played it but just not my gaming style. MMOs and story driven games are more to my liking. IMO you have to overlevel. Just glad I found that cave where you just set your character in a spot and level up doing nothing while watching TV.

 

[zoobird]

My problem with Elden Ring hasn’t been the difficulty, so much. It’s plenty hard. I spent over an hour the other day trying to beat Niall. But, it’s the complete lack of direction. I recently found the talking Jar dude stuck in mud and didn’t know how to get him out. Google it. I need an oil pot. How do I make one? Google it. Oh, I need to buy a cookbook from a merchant hidden behind a pillar somewhere in a river I haven’t found? Makes sense. Where was I in the Ranni quest line again? Maybe there’s a note or next step listed somewhere? Nope. Hey, what does the rune arc do? Google it. Oh, I need to find a portal and travel to a tower to activate it? I’m sure this is all intentional but gets pretty tiresome, at least to me. I’m pretty far in the game but listening to the references to the final bosses above, I’ll probably need to level up at Moghyn Palace for another long while….

I've never played it (or any similar games, for that matter), but I think this is similar to why it doesn't sound appealing to me. Before the game came out, they made a big deal of how GRRM would have a part in creating the story and lore of the game. But when you hear people talk about the game, it always sounds like "I killed this boss, then I killed this boss using this secret trick, then you can just skip the next boss and finish him off when you're stronger". Whatever storyline exists, doesn't seem to be an important part of how people think about the game. I'm good with games that have somewhat predetermined storylines, and I'm also good with more open-ended games that tend to have emergent stories. But for a game of this complexity to not have any story that matters to people seems like a waste.

 

[Insein]

Sekiro was the only souls game I got into because of the story. But I never went back to it after playing it for a week.

 

[Capella]

The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years

Even though I know people hate it I enjoy playing a few seasons with the Bucs in madden still. It’s fine for me. I don’t do anything online or ultimate team or any of that crap. Just start a new season in play. Still works for me just fine.

 

[TLEF316]

The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years

Even though I know people hate it I enjoy playing a few seasons with the Bucs in madden still. It’s fine for me. I don’t do anything online or ultimate team or any of that crap. Just start a new season in play. Still works for me just fine.

I'm sure its still working and functional. (I've never been a madden guy, but I used to love playing franchise on Fifa, NCAA football/hoops, NBA 2k, etc.). But there just isn't enough innovation and polish because they're focusing so much on selling card packs to the 12 year olds.

last time I played Fifa (probably 3 years ago), the franchise mode had all the same bugs and problems that it had 8 years ago. They just dont care because it isn't a revenue generator for them.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

My problem with Elden Ring hasn’t been the difficulty, so much. It’s plenty hard. I spent over an hour the other day trying to beat Niall. But, it’s the complete lack of direction. I recently found the talking Jar dude stuck in mud and didn’t know how to get him out. Google it. I need an oil pot. How do I make one? Google it. Oh, I need to buy a cookbook from a merchant hidden behind a pillar somewhere in a river I haven’t found? Makes sense. Where was I in the Ranni quest line again? Maybe there’s a note or next step listed somewhere? Nope. Hey, what does the rune arc do? Google it. Oh, I need to find a portal and travel to a tower to activate it? I’m sure this is all intentional but gets pretty tiresome, at least to me. I’m pretty far in the game but listening to the references to the final bosses above, I’ll probably need to level up at Moghyn Palace for another long while….

I've never played it (or any similar games, for that matter), but I think this is similar to why it doesn't sound appealing to me. Before the game came out, they made a big deal of how GRRM would have a part in creating the story and lore of the game. But when you hear people talk about the game, it always sounds like "I killed this boss, then I killed this boss using this secret trick, then you can just skip the next boss and finish him off when you're stronger". Whatever storyline exists, doesn't seem to be an important part of how people think about the game. I'm good with games that have somewhat predetermined storylines, and I'm also good with more open-ended games that tend to have emergent stories. But for a game of this complexity to not have any story that matters to people seems like a waste.

They could certainly up the story part of the game. When somebody comes along and steals their gameplay and adds in a better plot it’s over for my marriage as it’s currently constructed.

 

[Scoresman]

Zelda is great. People on the internet are complaining that it's too difficult. It definitely is harder than the first one, but this game pretty much defines "go and do something else and come back later". People use that phrase for Elden Ring, but it really doesn't make sense all the time in that game. In Zelda, you really can just go down another rabbit hole entirely.

Also, the plot structure is better than BOTW. In the first one, you know exactly what the world state is and what your end goal is. In this, it's a mystery, at least in the beginning.

 

[Scoresman]

https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/st...eadid=4028238userid=0perpage=40pagenumber=136

GOTY

 

[need2know]

Sekiro was the only souls game I got into because of the story. But I never went back to it after playing it for a week.

You know all the fromsoft games are amazing but I never replayed any of them after beating em. get the great feeling of accomplishment and move on.

 

[3 hour lunch]

I just got to Crumbling Forum Azula. I never did the Haligtree section…..should I go back and do it first?

 

[Scoresman]

Zelda is just ginormous.

I just spent an hour and a half climbing sky islands to the first dungeon. The whole time I thought the climb WAS the dungeon, but nope. The extra stuff is not just window dressing.

Sometimes a game this big can be bad if there's nothing to do in it. But so far, the game is pulling me in so many different directions. It makes the first game look like a tech demo. It has that Skyrim/Fallout feel where you're walking to a specific spot but get distracted by a ton of other places.

 

[need2know]

I just got to Crumbling Forum Azula. I never did the Haligtree section…..should I go back and do it first?

Don't have to. You could do haligtree at the end. If I recall that's where the hardest boss in the game is.

 

[titusbramble]

Just getting into Zelda but it's hard to get past how bad the graphics are compared to PS5 games.

Graphics have been as good as they ever need to be for going on a quarter of a century now and have never been a critical factor in a game being good. Unless they are so clearly terrible to make the game unplayable, caring about that sort of thing is hilarious

 

[titusbramble]

Also, the plot structure is better than BOTW. In the first one, you know exactly what the world state is and what your end goal is. In this, it's a mystery, at least in the beginning.

I had the exact same thoughts about Twilight Princess right up until the point where it became "there's two parallel worlds then you beat Ganon at the end exactly the same as you did in ALttP fifteen years previously lol"

 

[hagmania]

Have only played through the tutorial, but if the dungeons deliver, I'm ready to place this in the OOT/LTTP echelon.

 

[Sand]

Been a LONG time since a game came out that I'm remotely interested in.

- The rise of online play and "ultimate team" modes has basically killed everything I loved about sports games (I'm basically a franchise only mode guy) so I haven't bought one in years
- I like strategy games, but dont have the time to dedicate to really fine tuning my strats for RTS (so once people learn the meta, I get stomped online)
- Still find a shooter to play every once in a while (and I'm still pretty good at them) but most of them release so bare-bones now (with material locked behind a battle pass and too much focus on selling you useless cosmetics) that they're a much worse deal than they were 10 years ago (fewer maps in almost all multiplayer games)

I'll still get into the occasional story-driven game but its been a few years since I've seen one that interests me (RDR2 was insanely good)

So basically playing shooter games (even with less content) and going back and playing old games that I really like every once in a while (I probably do an ironman xcom 2 play through once every 5-6 months)

I'm well aware that this is just me getting old (about to turn 40 this year) but....despite the better technology....it really does feel like the industry has gone down hill (At least the types of games I used to like to play). Its all about building a game that is easy to monotize post-launch compared to just building the most fun game possible. Hard to blame the developers when they see Fortnite and the original warzone making billions of dollars on stupid cosmetic items. They can build a new e-mote or cosmetic to sell in no time at all. But it takes months to create a great new multi-player map.

The new Age of Wonders is quite good and is getting great reviews. I'm enjoying it, for sure.