You cheated not only the game, but yourself. You didn't grow. You didn't improve. You took a shortcut and gained nothing. You experienced a hollow victory. Nothing was risked and nothing was gained. It's sad that you don't know the difference.
this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2025
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Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes
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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.
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[BB] This enemy is so difficult!
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[DS1] Anyone struggling with the gargoyles?
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That pasta has aged like a fine wine.
this discourse is so tired and the game has been out for like 4 years now. if someone is being mean to you online because they don't think your way of playing is legitimate, ignore them. its the internet. just close your eyes.
Me before Mimic Tear Ashes: hmm, summoning Ashes feels wrong, I'm supposed to suffer by chewing bricks alone...
Me after Mimic Tear Ashes: oh, look, three random mobs I can one-hit! You do it, Other Me!
What's the only thing better than a comet azur? Two comets azur!
Watching the Mimic make full use of my loadout was so shaming at first
Then I maxed her out and just let her work 😂
Watching people stream challenge runs is almost as fun as reading their chats argue about the legitimacy of strategies.
My mantra is, if the game allows then it’s fair.
“I’d like to watch Miyazaki do this!” is something I find myself thinking (or shouting) during frustrating enemy move sets. Oleg, Ornis, Tiche…help! :)
My mantra is: it’s a game and its only purpose is to be fun. So have fun however the fuck you want, as long as you’re not spoiling someone else’s fun (eg. cheating in multiplayer).
Or in other words: there cannot exist a wrong way to play a single player game.
Hard disagree. I play single player games wrong all the time! The secret is to make up arbitrary rules the game didn't tell you, and convince yourself these are "the way the game is meant to be played" or "in keeping with the spirit of the game". Then, and this step is very important, you don't enjoy playing the game by these arbitrary rules. Then quit or otherwise lose interest, because breaking your made-up bullshit rules would be akin to hacking the game and cheating at the same time.
Maybe a short example would help: "I have to look in every chest, in every room, and every body. What if one of them contains something special I wouldn't want to have missed", but then that gets old real quick. So I never play it again. It may seem like I exchanged missing one small thing with missing 95% of the game's content, and that may seem like a really dumb thing to do, but in fact I didn't miss that content, it's just on pause in the netherspace, and probably someday maybe I'll return to it.
And on that day I won't have missed a thing. And what a glorious day someday will be...
my position is that if you're looking up the strongest strats and op builds, then working through a grocery list, you are seriously harming your ability to enjoy soulslikes.
exploring, experimenting, and adapting is like half the fun of the game.
My position is that anyone using handicaps is a scrub that can't handle the raw power of a true build. Not my fault your crappy build needs 90 minutes and hundreds of attempts to figure out every boss pattern, while my chad optimized summoner doesn't need to waste time on pointless endeavors.
Good points and I agree.
A suggestion for any new player is to stay away from walkthroughs or meta builds. Even if you think you’ll only do one playthrough making it your own offers more fun and satisfaction in my experience.
I agree except DS2 adp. People need to know about that shit lol
You guys use weapons in elden ring? The only way to play is to use the force of your fists. By that I mean both in game and out. Punch the analog stick to move.
Fists? Pathetic.
True gamers beat Elden Ring with controllers tied to their legs while doing Capoeira.
I don't care how other people beat a (basically) single player game. I just recognize that using mimic tear makes ME human garbage. Except on Consort Radahn. Fuck that guy.
I hate when people say something is or is not "the intended way" or "what the developers intended." If it's in the game, it's intended. If the game has summons, they are intended. Leveling as high as you want, consumables, throwing items, it's all intended because it's in the game.
"Oh, you used summons? Yikes."
Meanwhile, I’m out there paraphrasing Anita Ward…
🎶I can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell🎶
🤓
I’m playing Bloodborne again, which is fantastic, but really struggling to not initiate jump attacks with the x button.
Whatever gets someone to play the games is cool in my book. That's kind of the beauty of soulslike games is that they can be hard when you first start them, and then it's up to you to challenge yourself (or not).
And lets be real, the game was fun my first playthrough just blowing through shit with mimic tears or dung ashes.
the point is to put up with as much pain as possible, and improve your skills doing something meaningless.
not having fun.