this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2024
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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.

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?

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[DS] Guys, I'm new (lemmy.zip)
submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

My dark souls hot take is that playing without any form of guide offers the most fun and rewarding experience. People get fomo about missing out on dialog, or optional bosses, or weapons, or treasure. But I think that's part of what makes the game great. For exploration to feel truly rewarding, you must allow the possibility for the player to miss something. The game has plenty of content to see and do even if you don't discover all the secrets.

That being said, people disagree with that and that's okay. Some people don't care for exploring, some people hate the idea of missing out on stuff. If you really want to not miss a thing, a guide will do that for you. Some people play through the game once blind and then go into Ng+ with a guide which is also valid.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

I typically play the first time without a guide, then I go look up what I missed.

[–] TwoBeeSan 3 points 1 day ago

Suppressing your fomo/perfectionism and just experiencing something always pays off.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Agree. I like it when game developers make their games chock full (?) of content without ever forcing players to experience it. They made the game and after that it's the players' responsibility to find their enjoyment in the game.

In this day and age, it's getting increasingly difficult to go play a game completely blind without looking up any guides, tutorials, what not. Probably because of FOMO too but also because players have a tendency to optimise the fun out of their games, at least somewhat.

Recently started playing Warframe and while I'm taking the advice of a YouTuber to specially not to look up guides and tierlists and experience the game as blindly as possible, I'm just invested enough to want to look up videos on the game. Might be the same thing for soulslikes for other people. Heck, I remember listening to the Paleblood Hunt audiobook on Spotify whilst playing Bloodborne for the first time even though I hadn't experienced the content talked about in the episodes yet.

[–] umbraroze 2 points 1 day ago

I've been trying to get to soulslikes for years. One of the thing I've noticed is that the guides are basically even more complicated than the Nintendo walkthroughs of years gone by.

Guide: "Oh this boss fight is a toughie. In phase 1, the boss will hurblinate. In phase 2, the boss will skurblinate instead."
Me: "I'm just getting walloped. How am I supposed to tell a difference? And does it really matter? ...Never mind, I'll just go for it."

[–] petersr 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I went to the catacombs (I think), tried and failed more than I would have any other game and then when I was completely burned out, I realized one could (and should) walk another way. I tried it a few times, but I was already sick of the game. Closed it to never reopen. And of course I should have asked for help or looked it up, but it was too late

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wonder why they think that was a reasonable design decision.

[–] Breezy 1 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The brutality of it all is why. Soul games have a reputation for a reason.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I'm not against difficulty but having something like that just seems like a pretty unnecessary and almost disrespectful thing towards the players.

Especially when it's evident that people actually quit playing the game because of that one thing.

[–] Breezy 1 points 2 hours ago

Its not disrespectful at all. If people quit the game over the catacombs then it just wasnt going to be a game they enjoyed. Because there is way more bullshit.

Fromsoft has been brilliant at making games they want to without catering and hand holding in order to reach a bigger audience. And this is why they had a dedicated cult following untill elden ring bridged the gap from soul fans and more average gamers.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

If you use sorceries, ranged weapons or anything other than a melee weapon you are not a real man, nor a real gamer /s

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No shields or dex weapons either, obviously. That's just easy mode and you're cheating yourself out of the true experience /s

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

Truer words have never been spoken on God frfr

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Veteran will say "git gud" ngl.

[–] NocturnalMorning 5 points 2 days ago

You're in the know

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Plight upon this world

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The game is literally about community. The game goes through great efforts to create an ambiance of isolation, through constrained and inconvenient connection with others.

It costs resources to summon, public interaction is limited to templated messages and seeing ghosts, the secrets are deep and it's virtually impossible to uncover every secret by yourself.

Personally, as someone not particularly fond of exploration, with a preference for 100%ing games, I play Souls games with the cheat sheet.

It's my preference, it's how I enjoy the game most. It doesn't diminish the experience for me, but it might for you. Be careful, using a cheat sheet like this might ruin your experience.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Totally fine to do so. At the end of the day, who am I to judge how someone plays a single-player game in their leisure time? Sure, I can offer perspectives as to how I would deem a good playthrough to look like, but does it really matter?

I've had games that I played with a guide alongside playing which I wouldn't have been able to finish by myself otherwise. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, for example, were among my first ever Zelda games after A Link Between Worlds and I just wasn't familiar with this kind of freedom and problem solving in video games up until that point. If it weren't for guides, I wouldn't have been able to finish either of them at all

[–] WraithGear 5 points 2 days ago

I would have warned against resistance more then the catacombs. The catacombs is lesson to learn, resistance is just a dick move on the games part.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

I feel like going blight town immedietely is also a mistake. Took key for the sword, one shot taurus demon, then went blight town and gave up.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Calling eachother kings or queens is monarchist bullshit

[–] captainlezbian 2 points 1 day ago

Lord/Lady Protector it is. We march on Christmas!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I think it's fine in a tongue-in-cheek way like here, but I see your point