drahkon Posted February 24, 2022 Posted February 24, 2022 (edited) Sold my copy of GoT:DC for 50 bucks and ordered the PS5 version of Elden Ring for 66€. I won't go digital only for as long as I can because of this! Amazon.de says it'll arrive sometime between 5th and 15th March, which is weird...not a big deal if it'll be dispatched during that time frame, as I don't have a lot of time to play, anyways I'll probably be able to finish H:FW tonight, so I'll have that out of the way and will be able to focus on the GOTY 2022 as soon as it's here Edited February 24, 2022 by drahkon 2
Choze Posted February 24, 2022 Posted February 24, 2022 Cant wait but no major rush here as I am overwhelmed with so many games right now. Destiny, Horizon, Gran Turismo, backlog etc. What a crazy February/March. 1
LazyBoy Posted February 24, 2022 Posted February 24, 2022 On the difficulty question - and I'm posing this at those who haven't played these games before - yes these games are difficult, and don't let anyone tell you different. They are punishing to a fault, not because of the need for rapid input or reaction times, but because the game demands respect. It does not want to be beat by mindlessly button mashing. The one thing you absolutely need to enjoy this series is patience. The fact that the game even makes demands is the thing that sets it apart from so many modern games which seemly bend over backwards to help you 'win'. The difficulty of these games is cut in half when you understand the rules it lays down. It will still be tough, but you'll at least understand it, and thus can plan accordingly. It can help if you have someone to train you for an hour or two in the basics. I'm always willing to make myself available if anyone would like a bit of tutelage. 1
Julius Posted February 25, 2022 Author Posted February 25, 2022 It is finally upon us! Good luck to those Tarnished diving in now at midnight, and enjoy! I'll be joining the fight later today 5 hours ago, Choze said: Cant wait but no major rush here as I am overwhelmed with so many games right now. Destiny, Horizon, Gran Turismo, backlog etc. What a crazy February/March. It has been absurdly stacked, definitely a case of picking your battles right now and the ones you don't mind waiting to tackle later. Watch the summer be pretty quiet as it always is by contrast. I know it's a result of it being the final quarter of the financial year for most companies, so they want last bump to impress investors, but Q1 is now often as stacked as Q4! But hey, if anything, I guess the summer be a good time to catch up on stuff!
Esequiel Posted February 25, 2022 Posted February 25, 2022 5 hours ago, LazyBoy said: On the difficulty question - and I'm posing this at those who haven't played these games before - yes these games are difficult, and don't let anyone tell you different. They are punishing to a fault, not because of the need for rapid input or reaction times, but because the game demands respect. It does not want to be beat by mindlessly button mashing. The one thing you absolutely need to enjoy this series is patience. The fact that the game even makes demands is the thing that sets it apart from so many modern games which seemly bend over backwards to help you 'win'. The difficulty of these games is cut in half when you understand the rules it lays down. It will still be tough, but you'll at least understand it, and thus can plan accordingly. It can help if you have someone to train you for an hour or two in the basics. I'm always willing to make myself available if anyone would like a bit of tutelage. Wish I had read this before I spent £50 The reviews said it was much easier than the souls games…. I can’t tell a difference. 3 hits and I’m dead. I’m too old to enjoy these types of games, I like being overpowered and playing on easy nowadays. It’s a shame because the story and world look excellent, but two hours in and so many deaths, I just put dicey dungeons back on. 1
drahkon Posted February 25, 2022 Posted February 25, 2022 Gonna go to a local store later...see if I might be able to pick up a copy. I kind of hope not, because that will make my real life responsibilities harder to work through. Part of me wants this game, though, because I need it in my life
Julius Posted February 25, 2022 Author Posted February 25, 2022 (edited) Of course today is the day I wake up with a migraine but it has arrived, installing as I type: Also @Hero-of-Time you might be interested in knowing that it came with a standard case, the blue thing with the Erdtree motif on is actually just a card envelope with some collectible images on, the messaging on what's included has been very messy, but thankfully, there's not a steelbook in sight: Also, looks like the standard edition is now available separately, without the slipcover and envelope of stuff (ShopTo link), imagine that's how it'll also be on store shelves? Anyways, now to get to work on this migraine while the game installs! Edited February 25, 2022 by Julius 1 1
Julius Posted February 25, 2022 Author Posted February 25, 2022 I'm a few hours in and I've barely lifted my sword so far – not for a lack of fighting opportunities, or because I want to avoid fights, but I think part of it is just wanting to see new stuff after the CNT. And man, this early on, I feel addicted to just looking around the area and picking up items, this early party of the world is so wonderfully designed for that natural exploration. Also helps that I didn't really click with mounted combat during the CNT, so that's been a fun thing to focus on. Anyways, while exploring, I just had my first "holy crap!" moment. Sorry, let me clarify that: it was a "HOLY CRAP!!!" moment. My jaw dropped...hard. I want to talk to someone about it so it's going in a spoiler tag, but if you're playing, you'll know what I mean when you come across it, and I think you'll know if you've come across it. It's a bit outside of the starting/CNT area, for context, so if you're still in the first part of the map, you won't have come across it yet. If you want to know the area to head to in order to check it out, it's in this spoiler tag: Spoiler Head to East Limgrave towards the Minor (aka massive, but not crazy massive) Erdtree. Spoiler tag for where on the map if you want an exact location: Spoiler As for what it actually is... Spoiler They freaking did it. There is what appears to be a MASSIVE underground area. That elevator just kept going and going, and man the visuals of an underground starry night sky are mind boggling. Okay, that's enough exploring beyond where I think I should be for now I think. I'm heading back from where I came and going to start hitting things with my sword now 1
drahkon Posted February 25, 2022 Posted February 25, 2022 Nope, not reading your spoilers @Julius I'm done with most of my real life responsibilities for today. Just one more hour and then I can dive into the world of Elden Ring. I did already create a character and completed the tutorial area earlier. Thankfully I haven't played much of the network test, so most of the starting area will be completely new to me. Lots of playtime tonight, not so much over the weekend But maybe caffeine-filled nights might be the solution 1
drahkon Posted February 25, 2022 Posted February 25, 2022 For all of you nerds who are playing this on PS consoles, use this "group password": N-Elden (I think it's case sensitive) If I understand correctly, this makes sure that messages/summon signs/etc. are shown primarily from those who also use this password. You can have more than one group password active. 1
drahkon Posted February 25, 2022 Posted February 25, 2022 (edited) So...@Julius Are you loving this game as much as I do? It's incredible. 9 hours ago, Julius said: Sorry, let me clarify that: it was a "HOLY CRAP!!!" moment. Heh, I've checked your spoiler and I pretty much had the same reaction. However... Spoiler I entered that area via a different elevator and exited it via the one you posted I'm 6 hours in and I haven't been this absorbed into a gaming world since...H:FW Managed to uncover a few areas, ventured into the east, picked up a pretty neat staff, encountered a certain enemy type and noped back to the west. I've done a whole lot of optional stuff (like dungeons), I guess, but I also somehow managed to actually make some progress. Spoiler Got to the hub. I thought it was a little random. I rested at a new Site of Grace and Melina just asked me to go there: Sure thing. Lots of useful NPCs there. Rocking a sorcery build right now. Occasionally I switch to melee. Some monsters are pretty resistant against magic. Edited February 26, 2022 by drahkon 1
Julius Posted February 26, 2022 Author Posted February 26, 2022 12 hours ago, drahkon said: So...@Julius Are you loving this game as much as I do? It's incredible. 18 hours ago, Julius said: Sorry, let me clarify that: it was a "HOLY CRAP!!!" moment. Heh, I've checked your spoiler and I pretty much had the same reaction. However... Kinda spoilery, just in case (Reveal hidden contents) I entered that area via a different elevator and exited it via the one you posted I'm absolutely loving it so far. I genuinely want to lend the game to my friends who don't play From Soft games once I'm done with it, not necessarily to take on the game's challenge (as that's not their cup of tea), but just to explore the world. So far it's been so meticulously and naturally designed. Utilising Jump Attacks and Shield Counters to break down an enemy is so much fun, as is the use of the Bell, and while I've yet to focus on the main path and have just been fighting smaller bosses, it came to a head yesterday against one of the guys in an Evergaol (the same one from the CNT). Having only played the mechanically oldest and likely slowest From Soft games in Demon's Souls and Dark Souls before this, the guy's speed, jumps, and spins took a couple of attempts to adjust to, but on my third attempt I had him nailed down when it came to his moveset (besides his attacks causing Bleed - need to find a better shield or upgrade mine when I get the chance!), and so for example he had a volley of attacks that came in a three, so once the second made contact, I would step closer for the third to get a Shield Counter and then Jump Attack. Gah, I loved it. So far I'm rocking a fairly standard melee build, which is going pretty well. I do want to eventually get to a point where I put some points into MIND and INT, as some of the new spells look super cool and I've never really made much use of magic in these games. I do want to mention in terms of performance that when exploring the open world, yeah, the framerate does drop a fair bit at times. Thankfully not to the point of causing any motion sickness, and I don't think it's happened when in combat yet, but I've also seen some fairly egregious examples of pop-in, so I hope further updates just keep rolling in. This game deserves far better. Anyways, breakfast and then back to it!
drahkon Posted February 26, 2022 Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) 39 minutes ago, Julius said: it came to a head yesterday against one of the guys in an Evergaol Is it Spoiler Bloodhound Knight Darriwil? He's been kicking my ass. Sorcery is likely not the best idea against him. Oh, by the way...have you encountered a certain chest in a certain basement plagued by rats? Edited February 26, 2022 by drahkon
Julius Posted February 26, 2022 Author Posted February 26, 2022 22 minutes ago, drahkon said: Is it boss name (Reveal hidden contents) Bloodhound Knight Darriwil? He's been kicking my ass. Sorcery is likely not the best idea against him. Yep, that's the guy. Spoiler Yeah, having seen how quickly Darriwil closes the gap, I can see how sorcery might not be the way to go. Not sure how long your casting times are, or how static they make you, but I was moving constantly through most of the battle. Definitely seems like one where it calls for focusing on melee unless you can perfectly time your casting between his volleys of attacks. Shield Counters on his final attacks in a volley followed up by Jump Attacks to make him stagger are what I found worked best. 27 minutes ago, drahkon said: Oh, by the way...have you encountered a certain chest in a certain basement plagued by rats? I have not, but shall be keeping an eye out. Also, unrelated, but something I need to mention regarding a bit of a trap I came across in Limgrave, that left me super confused in the moment... Spoiler Killed a noble in a camp somewhere in Limgrave, he vanished and became a cloud of smoke, before this MASSIVE BEAR (which I'd seen in East Limgrave previously) took his place and started taking swipes. Never got out of an area so fast before
drahkon Posted February 26, 2022 Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Julius said: Yep, that's the guy. Currently trying to get my stats high enough to equip the Uchigatana and make my character a bit more viable in close quarter combat. Gonna take some time, though. Enemies really don't give a lot of runes Just ventured south from Limgrave and discovered a whole new area to explore. This game is amazing. Edit: Uchigatana equipped. Now back to that assface and give him a whooping! Edited February 26, 2022 by drahkon 1
drahkon Posted February 26, 2022 Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, drahkon said: Now back to that assface and give him a whooping! And a whooping is what he got As usual, I will show you all my prowess, my impeccable skill, my sheer unlimited power (be careful, spoilers - there's a boss in that clip and not the one I gave a whooping - I think this one is not optional - not sure how far into the game - you have been warned): (just in case: The following first spoiler shows the boss' name) Spoiler Margit, the Fell Omen Spoiler Yeah, that was my first try Edited February 26, 2022 by drahkon 1 1
Julius Posted February 26, 2022 Author Posted February 26, 2022 6 hours ago, drahkon said: Oh, by the way...have you encountered a certain chest in a certain basement plagued by rats? I have now Spoiler I LOVE THIS GAME!!! Instead of mimics - which I will straight up admit I hate - the trap chests this time around take you to a different place on the map?! And in this case, flinging you far north east, to a place I haven't been to yet?!?! I sprinted by the skinless xenomorph-looking guys and their underlings before I made it to a Site of Grace, got outside, and hell yeah, being in a different part of the map which is so drastically different in appearance, terrain, and enemy variety (and which I felt under-equipped, if not fully under-levelled, for) is such a nice treat. I doubled back to the Site of Grace but then figured, hey, what have I got to lose by looking around and just following these roads back to Limgrave. And so I did. Found the map piece, opened the doors to a bunch of dungeons, and interacted with a shedload of Sites of Grace. Took notes on some of the people and locations I ran into there and headed back. There's something similar in the open world that I mentioned before that involves the same smoke you see in that situation. Trust me, you'll know when it happens 4 hours ago, drahkon said: Just ventured south from Limgrave and discovered a whole new area to explore. This game is amazing. Yeah, I headed there yesterday after saying I'd stop exploring, and it's probably the best region that is directly adjacent to Limgrave which really puts into perspective how big the map is going to be. 1 hour ago, drahkon said: And a whooping is what he got Hell yeah 1 hour ago, drahkon said: As usual, I will show you all my prowess, my impeccable skill, my sheer unlimited power (be careful, spoilers - there's a boss in that clip and not the one I gave a whooping - I think this one is not optional - not sure how far into the game - you have been warned): (just in case: The following first spoiler shows the boss' name) Boss' name (Reveal hidden contents) Margit, the Fell Omen Behold my fighting power (Reveal hidden contents) After playing a bit today I figured hey, why not give the same, story boss you first get pointed towards a go? I thought I might be a hit under-levelled / unprepared for it, but hey, what I love about Elden Ring so much is that if you hit a wall in one place, you can just go explore pretty much anywhere else and continue to grow before coming back. So I also gave it a couple of tries, and then I got close. I GOT SO CLOSE. How close, you ask? Spoiler I jumped in with an R2, and then mid-animation for my R1 attack to finish him off... Bruh. Only other boss I took on today (well, didn't run away from and stuck around to fight) was Agheel. It took a (good) while using my trusty, un-upgraded Halberd, but I beat it on my first attempt, just a whole lot of patience and persistence with my melee build, and a little bit of cunning too. So that's my first field boss beat I know of a few other small dungeons and caves in Limgrave I'll be checking out before going back to that boss who gave me some trouble, but I'm so excited to play more. Off to the cinemas for now though, so that might be all for today 1
Esequiel Posted February 27, 2022 Posted February 27, 2022 On 26/02/2022 at 9:50 AM, drahkon said: Is it boss name (Hide contents) Bloodhound Knight Darriwil? He's been kicking my ass. Sorcery is likely not the best idea against him. Oh, by the way...have you encountered a certain chest in a certain basement plagued by rats? Fuck that chest. 8 hours in, can only play for an couple of hours at a time as I find it so tough. Took out the coastal caves boss yesterday. Do the bosses respawn or are they gone forever?
drahkon Posted February 27, 2022 Posted February 27, 2022 4 hours ago, Esequiel said: Do the bosses respawn or are they gone forever? They appear to be gone forever. By the way: I love this game and if the quality doesn't let up until I've completed it, it will definitely enter my top 3 games of all time! 1
Julius Posted February 28, 2022 Author Posted February 28, 2022 Doubled my time with the game today (well, yesterday now), I'm around 17 hours in, and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface. This game is freaking huge! But despite that fact, I am still thoroughly enraptured by it. I cannot strongly echo enough @drahkon's sentiment: if this sense of joy in exploration, combat, characters and story continues to keep pace - heck, if it even drops off a bit and peters out towards the end - this is going to be a very tough year for GOTY's, and I absolutely think there is a distinct possibility that this could go down as one of my favourite games when all is said and done, too. Anyways, I feel like I simultaneously made both a lot and incredibly little progress today, a bit of that down to I feel exploring some of the areas outside of what we saw of Limgrave in the CNT previously and so it was more just going through, thoroughly completing the areas when it comes to dungeons and anything else I could find. Also started and finished a few quest lines, which feels good. The note-taking is definitely helping I did actually beat the boss that was giving me trouble before, beat him on my third attempt today, but naturally, my much stronger second attempt (based on how many Flasks of Crimson Tears I had left) came to a hilarious - if premature - end. Spoiler I actually tried my hand at the legacy dungeon (i.e. the castle) and probably got around a third of the way through, at a guess based on the map. My aim was to just try things out and take it easy while setting up some Sites of Grace for a proper run through, but well...I spent a good hour or two just trying things out, looking around every corner, trying to get used to the terrain and enemy types, and yep, that classic Souls feeling of great interconnected level design is still absolutely there. But it's so damn big and labyrinthine! I did also manage to find a familiar General Grievous-lookalike along the way. Exacted my thirst for vengeance. South of Limgrave I came across the second Evergaol of my journey so far, and well... On 26/02/2022 at 4:45 PM, Julius said: ...and then I got close. I GOT SO CLOSE. How close, you ask? ...it happened again! I definitely got very greedy this time, and From definitely designed this enemy's attack pattern at close range to shutdown R1 spamming Spoiler Besides those two I beat another field boss and six other smaller bosses in dungeons/caves/what have you, so definitely been productive! On 26/02/2022 at 9:50 AM, drahkon said: Oh, by the way...have you encountered a certain chest in a certain basement plagued by rats? I have come across another one of these, atop a tower to the south, and you'll definitely know once you've come across it. Hope that's vague enough to not spoil but hopefully clue you in enough on if you can open the spoiler tag safely... (the thumbnail of the clip only shows the top of the tower but nothing else if that's a bit too vague, though!) Spoiler Mind. Freaking. Blown. Spoiler I just...I can't even. They send you to what looks like it could be the end-game area, but lock you off from accessing it, so just tease it? Nd then you get one of those golem dudes completely put together and not damaged? And on top of all of that, with this guy's full moveset: MASSIVE LAPUTA VIBES. Gah. Freaking love it. I just can't even with this game at times, man, I've picked my jaw up off the floor so many times already, and again, I've barely scratched the surface. Goodness knows what Miyazaki was on saying the game could be beat in 30 hours - that even seems impossible to imagine for a non-NG+ (assuming there is a NG+, I have no clue) crit path, just given the scale of everything. And even if it is possible, unless you're speedrunning...I have no idea why you'd crit path this game. It's too damn good. Anyways, got a couple of dungeons and areas highlighted in my notes for exploration tomorrow, and then I might try my hand at the castle again. Maybe. If I don't get side tracked...which I'm sure I will 10 hours ago, Esequiel said: Do the bosses respawn or are they gone forever? Yeah, unless there's an item or something opens up later in the game, it seems like they're gone. Same goes for mini-bosses too. Also, haven't seen anyone mention it so I need to make sure to: your pouch is probably one of the most useful but barely mentioned tools at your disposal when it comes to getting quick access to non-combat items. You can access it from the top half on the right side of the menu, and assign items to different buttons on your D-pad, and then to use these items on the fly you only need to hold down Triangle / Y and then press the button on the D-pad with the assigned item you want to use. I've found it a godsend as opposed to having items take up valuable room on your person and cycling through with Down on the D-pad mid-battle through stuff that doesn't need to be there. I've got the Steed Whistle assigned to Up (the one which absolutely needs to be in the pouch, in my opinion, given how much you'll be using it), Telescope to Left, and Lantern to the Right (because there are loads of dark places in these games, and screw dark places in From Soft games). Hope that helps someone 1
Hero-of-Time Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 It's been fun reading the impressions from you guys. None from @Sheikah or @LazyBoy yet though. I thought they would have been both in here praising the (sun) game.
drahkon Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 6 hours ago, Julius said: I have come across another one of these, atop a tower to the south, and you'll definitely know once you've come across it. Hope that's vague enough to not spoil but hopefully clue you in enough on if you can open the spoiler tag safely... Yup, encountered that one, too. That was another "Holy shit!" moment 6 hours ago, Julius said: your pouch is probably one of the most useful but barely mentioned tools at your disposal when it comes to getting quick access to non-combat items. I've actually been using it for combat items for quite a while now. Left and right D-pad are for healing and mana flasks Down for little horsey (yes, it's a combat item for me - some enemies in the wilds are easier to deal with on horseback; sometimes getting away quickly helps, too ) And the Wondrous Physick Flask is on up. Having the healing items quickly available without having to scroll through the equipment slot is a godsend. Usually I'm not one for PvP in the Souls games, but I wanted to try it with Elden Ring especially with how fights in the open world might play out. It was a disaster. I beat my first target but I guess he quickly closed the game as there was a "connection error" right at the final strike. The second and third times I've been ganged up on by the host and two of his summoned friends. Not even a slight chance for me to emerge victorious. Anyways, I've spent 25 hours with the game over the weekend. Pretty sure I've discovered most of Limgrave (north and south), but I'll definitely have to re-visit some areas. Spoiler Beat another one of the "big" bosses. It was was an annoying fight. Not going to spoil more 6 hours ago, Julius said: sense of joy in exploration This is what might make this the best open-world ever for me. It's desolate, yet weirdly packed with places, characters and secrets. There's so much to discover and it's almost always useful. Yes, sometimes you do get "gold tinged excrement" but usually it's much more immediately useful Well, to close this post off, here are two clips. Nothing too spoilery, but the second shows an optional boss (which you can get to early in the game). Spoiler Adding a dedicated jump button is the best thing about Elden Ring Spoiler ...and gets smacked 1
Sheikah Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said: It's been fun reading the impressions from you guys. None from @Sheikah or @LazyBoy yet though. I thought they would have been both in here praising the (sun) game. I've been loving this game (although admittedly haven't been able to play anywhere near as much as I'd like; the downside of having a child). Because I use Tapatalk mostly to browse this forum I've mostly been avoiding this thread just because spoiler tags don't work with it. I've done something I've never done before with Souls - I'm playing a mage this time. Magic feels very good and quick and there's systems in place to make it even more enjoyable now (like restoring your FP flasks after you clear a group of enemies). My only slight criticism is performance (on PS5) - it's a bit jittery and really not maintaining around 60 FPS which is a shame, as it really should be able to do it. But the open world is amazing, the amount of secrets when exploring is extraordinary and it feels like they've really torn up the rule book when it comes to Souls. Also, fuck "that" treasure chest. 3
drahkon Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 8 hours ago, Sheikah said: Also, fuck "that" treasure chest. Looks like everybody loooooves that bloody treasure chest Just got back home from studying and gonna squeeze in some playtime now before going to bed way too late tonight Think I'm gonna relax a little, explore some areas and probably get owned by some good old Souls shenanigans or an optional boss
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