Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes
This is a community for discussion, news, and memes pertaining to the video game sub-genre "soulslike".
Given Lemmy's size, the definition of soulslike may be treated relatively loosely. While games like the numerous FromSoft titles, the recent Star Wars Jedi games, Lies of P, Nioh and similar games should be the focus, games that incorporate soulslike elements - like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous, for example - may also be discussed here.
Basic Lemmy-quette applies. Additionally, since flairs don't exist yet, please do make sure to include a marker to denote what game your post is about in square brackets for clarity's sake. An example could be:
[BB] This enemy is so difficult!
or
[DS1] Anyone struggling with the gargoyles?
Friends:
Should you have any questions, please do let me know.
- Firestorm Druid
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A lot of what makes the games so iconic and special are what drive me insane. Random characters can die because of choices you had no idea you were making in their cryptic questlines you didn't know you started. Enemy placement also can drive me up a wall, I can feel the evil smirks on the dev's faces, the shit eating grins as they place a dumb fuck skeleton behind a pillar or dark corner that pushes you off a narrow walkway. I never personally get the feeling of achievement people seem to get after beating a boss either, instead of feeling like I "got good" I feel more like "Godwin 143, me 1 ๐". Again, I realize that I am just not the demographic, the things I'd change would take away what makes them special for their fanbase.
Yea that's fair. I hate it when you, at its core, want to like a game and enjoy playing it but can't because of some details core to the genre that you can't handle well.
Honestly, it was like that for me too when I first tried Bloodborne. It was my first soulslike and I bounced off the game hard. I think I beat the first two bosses, not knowing a single thing about the game and being scared about progressing, so I ended up putting the game on hold a couple of years. Did the same with Sekiro where it took me three separate attempts over several years to get the hang of things and get better at the game to point of Sekiro becoming my favourite (soulslike) game.
Point is, it's definitely worth giving games a shot if you feel like there could be something enticing about it that draws you in, but it's also a-ok to just let it go when you've exhausted your willingness to try again. There's so many games out there to play and so little time to play them, so the time spent should be worth it.
I do definitely get your gripes with the genre. I get annoyed and frustrated by all of them quite often too, wondering why I'm even playing the game in the first place. So far, I still managed to beat the games in the end, but it did cost me nerves and hours of playtime :D
Would difficulty settings help? It's something so minute that people get so defensive about, not wanting to "casualise" their favourite game, but honestly, I wouldn't care at all and it woild make the games more accessible to more people.
I have an on and off playthrough of eldenring going on right now, stuck on Commander Niall at castle sol. I'll have real long breaks, like month long between picking it up and getting stuck (violently angry) and butting it down (deleting the game). The worlds, landscapes, themes, characters, designs, music, and even the cryptic storylines I just complained about, I adore.
On our current playthrough, I just said fuck it and started using summons. They're part of the game - who's to stop me from using them. Plus, I feel like many fights are balanced around the fact that summons exist, so not using them puts you at an immediate disadvantage. Did the same for Niall, who was also giving me quite a bit of trouble, and beat him. Black Knife Tishe is pretty bonkers if you get your hands on her. Maybe your level is not high enough too? Farming up a little wouldn't hurt. Or maybe you could try switching up your weapons. I know some people frown upon it, but the tried and true sword & shield combo is a classic for a reason.