From Software Elden Ring - From Software's new game with writing by GRRM

[NJClaw]

Demon Souls = Dark Souls = Dark Souls 2 = Bloodborne = Dark Souls 3 = Sekiro = Elden Ring

No, I will not elaborate

Spoiler

To me these are all stellar games, each one reaching great heights in certain areas but lacking in others. This is why I find it hard to rank them objectively as a whole and only feel comfortable doing so with respect to a specific aspect.

I consider all of them masterpieces, with only DS3 lagging behind. But even then, that game has some of my favorite bosses in the series (Lothric and Lorian, Gael, the Dancer, Sulyvahn, Midir...).

 

[ferratilis]

After finishing Elden Ring, I still crave a good combat game. The thing is, I played all From games on PC to death. DMC has good combat, but I could never get into that series because of how weeb-ish and gay it looks, it's too much to handle. Dragon's Dogma is great, but I also played that a lot. All the Western Soulslikes suck, so that's out of question.

But one series I've never tried is Monster Hunter, which looks like it has good combat (based on some gameplay videos). Would something like Monster Hunter Rise be good for a Souls combatfag/explorationfag?

 

[fork]

Combatfag, probably yes if you like all that other stuff. Explorationfag? Definitely not imo.

 

[Multidirectional]

After finishing Elden Ring, I still crave a good combat game. The thing is, I played all From games on PC to death. DMC has good combat, but I could never get into that series because of how weeb-ish and gay it looks, it's too much to handle. Dragon's Dogma is great, but I also played that a lot. All the Western Soulslikes suck, so that's out of question.

But one series I've never tried is Monster Hunter, which looks like it has good combat (based on some gameplay videos). Would something like Monster Hunter Rise be good for a Souls combatfag/explorationfag?

Didn't like Nioh?

 

[ferratilis]

After finishing Elden Ring, I still crave a good combat game. The thing is, I played all From games on PC to death. DMC has good combat, but I could never get into that series because of how weeb-ish and gay it looks, it's too much to handle. Dragon's Dogma is great, but I also played that a lot. All the Western Soulslikes suck, so that's out of question.

But one series I've never tried is Monster Hunter, which looks like it has good combat (based on some gameplay videos). Would something like Monster Hunter Rise be good for a Souls combatfag/explorationfag?

Didn't like Nioh?

I played the first one, but remember it getting a bit repetitive. Maybe I should try it again. Is Nioh 2 better than the first one overall?

 

[Multidirectional]

I played the first one, but remember it getting a bit repetitive. Maybe I should try it again. Is Nioh 2 better than the first one overall?

I think so. But I haven't played that much of Nioh, I stopped it halfway through NG. Nioh 2, however, I'm halfway into NG+ and looking forward to next difficulties. I might end up playing a whole bunch more, unless Wo Long takes my attention away from it. Nioh 2 does have more mechanics to play around with than first game, which should alleviate that repetition.

 

[D_X]

Other than the respawn mechanic it doesn't really have any similarity to the Souls games.

Areas and area bosses, fog walls, bonfire/idols whatever, resting respawns enemies, flask for healing, upgrades to increase flask uses, same kind of interaction with NPCs and responses, same cryptic writing style, bosses with multiple phases, numerous "door does not open from this side", enemies drop emblems/souls required to power your prosthetic tools. Just some that I remember.
You: one similarity.

When I mentioned the respawn mechanic I presumed it was implicit it involves the bonfires and returning enemies. I'll concede on the estus, otherwise everything else is stylistic similarity at best or not unique to the Souls games. What is fundamentally different is the core design of the game which in Sekiro revolves around the parry and stance mechanics*. Sure, you could not do that, but have fun running around a boss for 2 days draining their massive hp bars.

Spoiler

* (which is pretty much qte, but let's not go there).

 

[Child of Malkav]

everything else is stylistic similarity at best or not unique to the Souls games

I didn't say it was unique or that other games did it. I enumerated some similarities, which aren't stylistic, they function the same way.
Core design, yeah Sekiro is centered around the incredible combat system, whereas the other from games give you options: what cheese would you like this time sir? May I add a little sprinkle of an open world to top it all of?
PS: Oh, I saw your spoiler. Don't bother answering. You're one of those.

 

[Hagashager]

After finishing Elden Ring, I still crave a good combat game. The thing is, I played all From games on PC to death. DMC has good combat, but I could never get into that series because of how weeb-ish and gay it looks, it's too much to handle. Dragon's Dogma is great, but I also played that a lot. All the Western Soulslikes suck, so that's out of question.

But one series I've never tried is Monster Hunter, which looks like it has good combat (based on some gameplay videos). Would something like Monster Hunter Rise be good for a Souls combatfag/explorationfag?

You could try Outward. It's...janky, but not as much as others of its ilk. I had a good time with it.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Hellpoint is the only Souls-clone i ever tried, and... it wasn't terrible actually lmao. Yeah kinda mediocre but all the Souls stuff was in there, including some neat level design. Also unique atmosphere. Makes me wonder about the other Souls clones, which maybe aren't as terrible as people say they are. That said, FromSoft has made so many of those games that it's hard to find the time to play any of those copy cats. Any time i feel like trying one i figured why not replay one by FromSoftware instead.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Welp, i'm actually starting to find those lore videos kinda interesting:



Am i turning into a weeb now?

 

[Multidirectional]

Welp, i'm actually starting to find those lore videos kinda interesting:



Am i turning into a weeb now?

If you can waste your time on this nonsense then you can also play Sekiro, I think.

 

[Elttharion]

Welp, i'm actually starting to find those lore videos kinda interesting:



Am i turning into a weeb now?

I never watched him, does he at least translate the lore from the japanese source? I know a tiny little bit of it and even I can see that most of the translations are crap.

 

[Lyric Suite]

He might, since he has mentioned a possible "mistranslation" at one point.

To be honest though, the most interesting part to me is how the lore is portrayed visually in the game itself. Like, it's undeniable that the art in the Haligtree follows the narrative he is presenting.

In a way, those games are like the Silmarillion in game format. Just myths and legends and past events all prefigured in the art and those tibits of writing. No real story to speak of.

 

[Silverfish]

They tried to insert Bloodborne into Dark Souls with DS3 and absolutely managed to miss the point of what made their own game work and what we got was an abomination between the 2 systems.

An "abomination" that was an objective improvement over Bloodborne. More weapons and spells, weapon arts, enemies with more than two moves (every encounter in Bloodborne was either "I wonder if this guy will lunge forward and flail his arms" or "I wonder if this guy will fire a projectile to support his buddies who lunge and flail their arms"), viable shields allowing for different defensive tactics and no nonsense fights that are just regular npcs with maxed stats.

 

[The Decline]

Hellpoint is the only Souls-clone i ever tried, and... it wasn't terrible actually lmao. Yeah kinda mediocre but all the Souls stuff was in there, including some neat level design. Also unique atmosphere. Makes me wonder about the other Souls clones, which maybe aren't as terrible as people say they are. That said, FromSoft has made so many of those games that it's hard to find the time to play any of those copy cats. Any time i feel like trying one i figured why not replay one by FromSoftware instead.

The Surge games aren't that bad.

 

[Ivan]

Demon Souls = Dark Souls = Dark Souls 2 = Bloodborne = Dark Souls 3 = Sekiro = Elden Ring

No, I will not elaborate

Spoiler

ok mommy

 

[mediocrepoet]

Hellpoint is the only Souls-clone i ever tried, and... it wasn't terrible actually lmao. Yeah kinda mediocre but all the Souls stuff was in there, including some neat level design. Also unique atmosphere. Makes me wonder about the other Souls clones, which maybe aren't as terrible as people say they are. That said, FromSoft has made so many of those games that it's hard to find the time to play any of those copy cats. Any time i feel like trying one i figured why not replay one by FromSoftware instead.

The Surge games aren't that bad.

The Surge games, some people prefer 1, I prefer 2. Either way, they're decent.
I enjoyed Steelrising, YMMV with that one as it's more of a janky action RPG, but still, I enjoyed the setting and art.
There's a lot of love for Nioh (especially 2) around here, as well. Though that's more actiony and has Diablo style loot.
There are a few other notable ones either out or coming out, but those are the best so far imo.

Coming up there's Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (China Souls from the Nioh guys) and the remake of Lords of the Fallen which at least has cool visuals from the Surge guys. Original Lords of the Fallen sucks ass, but it was also their first game and each successive one has improved, so...

 

[NJClaw]

Sometimes I try to give people who shit on BB a chance, but then their talking points literally are "DS3 has viable shields allowing for different defensive tactics" and I just can't

 

[mediocrepoet]

Sometimes I try to give people who shit on BB a chance, but then their talking points literally are "DS3 has viable shields allowing for different defensive tactics" and I just can't

Bloodborne has a shield...

 

[Lambach]

Sometimes I feel the need to ask BB fans why so many of them think it's FromSoft's best game, but then I remember it's a PS exclusive and think to myself "lol, consolefags".

 

[KIss My Ass]

Boycott all Dark Souls 3 fans

 

[NJClaw]

Sometimes I try to give people who shit on BB a chance, but then their talking points literally are "DS3 has viable shields allowing for different defensive tactics" and I just can't

Bloodborne has a shield...

Hey, don't forget my baby:

Sometimes I feel the need to ask BB fans why so many of them think it's FromSoft's best game, but then I remember it's a PS exclusive and think to myself "lol, consolefags".

The only consolefag on this entire site thinks DS2 is FS's masterpiece, so... go figure

 

[KIss My Ass]

The only consolefag on this entire site thinks DS2 is FS's masterpiece, so... go figure

Dark Souls 2 won the poll

 

[mediocrepoet]

The only consolefag on this entire site thinks DS2 is FS's masterpiece, so... go figure

Dark Souls 2 won the poll

... It's either DS2 or Bloodborne. You can disagree, but it'd be objectively wrong. Elden Ring's pretty sweet too, fools.

The interesting thing is, I like them all for different reasons. I think this really speaks to this:

To me these are all stellar games, each one reaching great heights in certain areas but lacking in others. This is why I find it hard to rank them objectively as a whole and only feel comfortable doing so with respect to a specific aspect.

I consider all of them masterpieces, with only DS3 lagging behind. But even then, that game has some of my favorite bosses in the series (Lothric and Lorian, Gael, the Dancer, Sulyvahn, Midir...).