Finished everything.
....ugghh I'm spent..
I thought Ariandel was a pretty small but brilliant level. Not the wolves and vikings perhaps, but for how small it was, tightly it was designed, with shortcuts and whole level taking a full spin. Just check that small dead crow village - it's literally 5 houses, but the way you travel around it makes it as long as many bigger levels.
Sure, it's all fanservice, but it's a good fanservice. Mini bosses and optional bosses as sorta phantoms is cheap, I guess not everything can be a giant Hydra or Nameless King, but they're optional, and they're secretive.
Monsters were... well Chris Avellone would love this, definitely. No particular opinion. Again, I think there should have been more quality over quantity. Asassin crows were maddening. I loved the naked crow people though. They were so harmless and sad, yet could still drain your resources or even pose threat by making you fall into somewhere. A monster that makes you pity it and you don't know if you want to kill it or ignore it - that's a dark soul-like idea, I like it.
There are also more NPCs on the road, and they talk more. Locations in original game seriously lack in non face munching inhabitants.
The bosses:
- Dude and wolves, did on 1st or 2d try, they could have worked on it more.
- Chibi Priscilla, loved the idea, hated 3d phase. You see, player has to expect something and make plans. With Ariandel you can see him in the same room, so you kinda expect chibi Priscilla might not just be the end of it. But, if you can just refill boss health bar 2d time, 3d time, there is nothing for player to plan for and there is no more trust between player and game designer.
There is also the whole disparity in speeds and recovery. I think DLCs and that fight, and well as Gael fight, heck even Midir fight, do not treat people who like heavy weapons fairly. Sure, some people deal with it, but when you think about it... my Astora Greatsword did, say, 300-350 damage. My lighter weapon did 200+ damage. Not only do I have more opening for every boss with lighter weapon, but ultimately even my DPS ends up higher with it. That's not great.
As much as I liked Ariandel... I am not to fond of Ringed City:
- I do not like linear jumping into nothingness and trusting random signs on the floor. Why is it so mindless visceral and popamole? Where is the tension and slow pacing which were present in descending into similar levels in DS (OH YOU KNOW THAT MADHOUSE I AM TALKING ABOUT) and DS2 (the well)?
- I do not like monsters just spawning everywhere and respawning.
- There's some cheap crap again with things dropping out of nowhere and power overhwelming (a magic circle from turtle priest can drain 1000 hp in literally few moments).
- There's a HP bloat on everything. Regular mobs and bosses alike.
While visually breathtaking, as a level, City was like a reversed version of Ariandel. Ariandel looked compact, but used most of it. Ringed City looks like a place of monumental architecture and lush greenery (not usual thing in DS), but ends up as a small street leading into avenue and then a swamp... again... like we didn't have enough of those already.
Lore, was interesting... Miyazaki stealing some inspiration from Mamoru Oshii with sleeping princess, now that would be a funny thing to spell in world of anime.
The bosses:
- Diablo 2. I was really proud of myself when I bursted both down solo on first try with my new build.
Should have learned my lesson on chibi Priscilla, goddamit.
Boss was not easy or hard, and had nothing interesting in terms of looks. Made me upgrade Black Knight shield and I used various fire resistant armor & claymore I believe.
- Purple Candy Kalameet. Literally that, just more agressive and not so cool because he's a cosplayer. Strangely enough for it's size, doesn't have that many openings or weak spots aside from just 1 (head). Even that ugly egg Wood had multiple points of pressure. Which makes fight one dimensional and not very interesting. You can't do anything to it's wings, you can't do anything to it's legs... you just run. For minutes and minutes of that 15k health bar.
It made me think. Was Kalameet good? This one sure like him. Kalameet also had ton of hp and resists. But back then Kalameet was also slower, he waslked slowly to you, whole fight was more in control, more tame. Not godzilla roflstomping and headbutting you literally every 8 seconds. Hmm...
- Gael. I died like shit on this one during 3d phase. But the fight is quite visceral and didn't feel as much a slog as dragon. It was also nice that his health bar never changed. I tried literally everything to ease the pain of going through first 2 phases over and over: light weapons, heavy weapons, a blade made of literally shit (poisoned swamp dagger), until finally I ended up with beaituful damascus sabre with bleed which was just laying somewhere lonely in my backback - I thought it was some weaboo or worse, saracen! (DEUSVULT), but it actually looks cool. After testing both it's innate bleed with bleed item and frozen weapon, I went with frozen weapon. Bleed still managed to proc maybe once per battle but 2-3 hit chill combo did great damage on Gael. Strange it's not as strong against various knights. Guess they are resistant to slash.
So I brought thingy to chibi-chibi Priscilla, didn't get any cutscenes or more dialogue, but oh well. I'm sure VaatiVidya would make something up instead of game devs.
One thing I am still not happy about is... the overall direction of Souls with continious regression of "fairness" in fights. I guess they have to ump the speed and the difficulty every game, but is there no other way but heavy knights jumping in the air, literally dong a sircus level salto there and landing 180 degree smash on you? Should most spells really have in-built tracking, even one-shot ones? Is it impossible for monsters to behave in a more natural and physcially probable way and still be challenging? Back then knights of Anor Londo were walking slowly, and hitting hard, with all the supposed weight behind them. Is that how gameplay of Souls series always will be now, with attacks always landing on you, not where they are supposed to land? And your character will forever be stuck in a slow-mo version of the world? Eh.
And also, weak spots. When was Shadow of Colossus made again? I think autoaim>head might be very slow advancement in giant killing for FIFTH game in the series.
