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

[Silverfish]

Has an expansion ever not been the crowning jewel of any From Software game prior?

Yeah. Artorias of the Abyss, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City were all worse than their base games. The DS2 dlc is the best overall, but even then, Crown of the Iron King is half good and half shit.

Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

Soul of Cinder: cycles through different character archetypes before taking on Gwyn's fighting style in the second phase to nicely close out the series.

Slave Knight Gael: three phases of anime bullshit that can be easily sidestepped by anyone who picked up the Storyteller Staff.

 

[Max Damage]

I wouldnt mind if the DLC was basically only interconnected legacy dungeons in a semi open world were you would gradually unlock shortcuts and passages to the old areas and progress would be gated by carefully placed bosses. You know, something akin to a 3d metroidvania game that ditched the bloated open world design.

Here, I even have a map that From could use as inspiration for the DLC.

Spoiler

Oh my God, here we go again.

Y'know, DS1's world wasn't actually as connected as people seem to remember. I actually feel like DS3 was the most connected of the three, despite how linear the initial area progression is.

I can't even begin to believe how bearish you guys are on this DLC. Has an expansion ever not been the crowning jewel of any From Software game prior? Are y'all from an alternate universe where The Old Hunters ruined Bloodborne? Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

Having recently replayed DS3, I still don't like the DLC outside of bosses much, especially Ashes of Ariandel where enemies drop fuck all souls.

 

[Skinwalker]

Y'know, DS1's world wasn't actually as connected as people seem to remember. I actually feel like DS3 was the most connected of the three, despite how linear the initial area progression is.

This is literally stupid.

Are y'all from an alternate universe where The Old Hunters ruined Bloodborne? Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

I don't know if Old Hunters ruined Bloodborne (the chalice dungeons already did that), but Gael was indeed a shitty and retarded final boss. Miss me with the anime gravity-defying twitch shit and a minigun to boot.

 

[Skinwalker]

Midir was the true final boss of the Ringed City. He took me probably 30-40 tries, but I did not feel like I'm truly wasting my time, because it was fun.

Gayel, otoh, was just an annoying twat I ended up cheesing with poison because I aint got time fo dat shieet.

I went through the entirety of DS3+both expansions without ever using any "cheese" or summons (or so much as looking up an online guide), and I gave up at Gayel because of how sick and tired he made me. I was physically ill from having to go through three phases of that garbage until I realized I can just kill him by farting in his face with the corvian staff.

 

[Cheesedragon117]

Okay, you guys are high as fuck, thanks for confirming.

I can't even begin to believe how bearish you guys are on this DLC. Has an expansion ever not been the crowning jewel of any From Software game prior? Are y'all from an alternate universe where The Old Hunters ruined Bloodborne? Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

A lot of these guys just hate open world games because reasons.

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s that they can't or won't see the difference.

 

[Skinwalker]

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s that they can't or won't see the difference.

Elden Ring is better than most open-world games I've played, but it would still greatly benefit from not being an open-world game in the sense of enormous areas filled with generic dungeons/encounters. Seriously, how many times can you find the same stupid statue that makes the same stupid ghost shuffle slowly to the same stupid catacombs filled with the same stupid imps/fire-spewing columns/weak-ass cat-statue boss behind a locked door, before it destroys all immersion and atmosphere?

It's really two different games mashed into one: Dark Souls 4 + cookie-cutter Ubisoft open-world generica. Or three games, to be exact: DS4+Bloodborn chalice dungeons+open-world shell.

And FromSoftware actually put noticeable effort into making some of these generic dungeons more "creative" than others, e.g. the ones with multiple identical-looking layers that fuck with your navigation, but the core concept is just rotten at the core.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Y'know, DS1's world wasn't actually as connected as people seem to remember. I actually feel like DS3 was the most connected of the three, despite how linear the initial area progression is.

I did a count once, and DS1 has something like a dozen diferent bosses you could potentially fight next after reaching firelink. It's level of openess is insane. Which is why I get a chuckle out of people fawning over it while hating 'open world' games. It is a fucking open world game. It's just a well designed one, like the old Mifght and Magic games where it didn't take more than 30 seconds to get from one point of interest to another.

Elden Ring definitely had a lot more space than content, but it sounds like the DLC is going to be something akin to a proper NG+ mode where stuff is shuffled around and worth exploring again. From has a long history of making better use of assets the second time around when developing games and expansions. Consider me cautiously optimistic. Hopefully they figured out that chests and dungeons should contain new peices of gear, not fucking arteria leaves or upgrade materials for an easy mode system that lets you skip half the actual gameplay.

 

[Silverfish]

I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s that they can't or won't see the difference.

Say what you will, but a lot of open world games have content on offer besides "short bursts of Dark Souls".

 

[Dadd]

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s that they can't or won't see the difference.

How is Elden Ring a shining example of a large open world done right, when it's so fucking boring? Anything else you got to say other than moronic psychologizing and stringing buzzwords together?

 

[cvv]

A lot of these guys just hate open world games because reasons.

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s

I like open-world games but you can't just shove open world in any format and expect to make it better. Both chocolate and burgers are good but if you smother a great beef burger in chocolate you'll make both fucking disgusting.

Open world has to be functional, play a role, enhance and complete the experience. It's perfect in Gothic, in Witcher 3, in Kingdom Come, because it helps to flesh out the setting, to tell the story. All these games would be diminished without it.

Soulslikes aren't diminished by the lack of open world, it's the other way around. You end up exactly with what Silverfish said: big, bloated, obnoxious drag with short bursts of Dark Souls.

 

[mediocrepoet]

A lot of these guys just hate open world games because reasons.

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s

I like open-world games but you can't just shove open world in any format and expect to make it better. Both chocolate and burgers are good but if you smother a great beef burger in chocolate you'll make both fucking disgusting.

Open world has to be functional, play a role, enhance and complete the experience. It's perfect in Gothic, in Witcher 3, in Kingdom Come, because it helps to flesh out the setting, to tell the story. All these games would be diminished without it.

Soulslikes aren't diminished by the lack of open world, it's the other way around. You end up exactly with what Silverfish said: big, bloated, obnoxious drag with short bursts of Dark Souls.

The Souls formula is tired as hell and needs some sort of mixup to keep it fresh. FS made the same game repeatedly since 2009.

I felt the open world helped with that a lot. The problem is that they should've pared it down to like a third to a half of the length and used the extra time to make better content instead of cookie cutter mines and such with different mobs.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

A lot of these guys just hate open world games because reasons.

I noticed. Even though ER is a shining example of a large open world done right. I guess they're too traumatized by the many, many shitty open world games created during the open world craze of the 2010s

I like open-world games but you can't just shove open world in any format and expect to make it better. Both chocolate and burgers are good but if you smother a great beef burger in chocolate you'll make both fucking disgusting.

Open world has to be functional, play a role, enhance and complete the experience. It's perfect in Gothic, in Witcher 3, in Kingdom Come, because it helps to flesh out the setting, to tell the story. All these games would be diminished without it.

Soulslikes aren't diminished by the lack of open world, it's the other way around. You end up exactly with what Silverfish said: big, bloated, obnoxious drag with short bursts of Dark Souls.

The Souls formula is tired as hell and needs some sort of mixup to keep it fresh. FS made the same game repeatedly since 2009.

I felt the open world helped with that a lot. The problem is that they should've pared it down to like a third to a half of the length and used the extra time to make better content instead of cookie cutter mines and such with different mobs.

The problem is that the open world just makes it straight a worse game while ER also makes the combat especially bosses worse as well.

The dungeon crawling and risk when doing so is the stronger part of Soulslike vs dodge roll iframe comnat

 

[HeatEXTEND]

It's going to be fun guys

How is Elden Ring a shining example of a large open world done right

You can boost through it and pick & choose content after first the playthrough easily, no DOTHISDOTHAT UI/map, nice environments. As far as open world games go I'd say it's a good one.

 

[gabel]

Elden Ring in a way felt like a dozen gigantic Demon Ruins/Lost Izaliths, Dark Souls' favourite areas as everyone knows -> GOTY!

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Has an expansion ever not been the crowning jewel of any From Software game prior?

Yeah. Artorias of the Abyss, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City were all worse than their base games. The DS2 dlc is the best overall, but even then, Crown of the Iron King is half good and half shit.

Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

Soul of Cinder: cycles through different character archetypes before taking on Gwyn's fighting style in the second phase to nicely close out the series.

Slave Knight Gael: three phases of anime bullshit that can be easily sidestepped by anyone who picked up the Storyteller Staff.

Ashes of Ariandel has the best boss of the series in the form of Sister Friede and her dad

 

[HeatEXTEND]

And Gael was cool you fucking scrubs.

 

[Silverfish]

And Gael was cool you fucking scrubs.

Found the circle button's Codex account.

 

[Caim]

Has an expansion ever not been the crowning jewel of any From Software game prior?

Yeah. Artorias of the Abyss, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City were all worse than their base games. The DS2 dlc is the best overall, but even then, Crown of the Iron King is half good and half shit.

Or where Gael was a shitty and unsatisfying final boss?

Soul of Cinder: cycles through different character archetypes before taking on Gwyn's fighting style in the second phase to nicely close out the series.

Slave Knight Gael: three phases of anime bullshit that can be easily sidestepped by anyone who picked up the Storyteller Staff.

Ashes of Ariandel has the best boss of the series in the form of Sister Friede and her dad

Father Ariandel was her gimp, not her dad.

 

[Silva]

It's going to be fun guys

How is Elden Ring a shining example of a large open world done right

You can boost through it and pick & choose content after first the playthrough easily, no DOTHISDOTHAT UI/map, nice environments. As far as open world games go I'd say it's a good one.

So, a good open world for you is one where you shouldn't need to explore, and instead have a guide on your side pointing where you go to complete that "build" and finish it.

Well, I can see how Elden Ring is indeed "good" in that case.

But it begs the question: why don't you just play fucking Diablo or some acephalous game of builds to see numbers go up at this point?

 

[Silva]

Y'know, DS1's world wasn't actually as connected as people seem to remember. I actually feel like DS3 was the most connected of the three, despite how linear the initial area progression is.

I agree DS3 opens up nicely halfway through and people never give it credit. But it's more of a hub-like openess and not really interconnectedness, and not at all on par with the genius of DS1 in this aspect.

 

[Skinwalker]

I agree DS3 opens up really nice halfway through

No it doesn't.

 

[Silva]

Ashes of Ariandel has the best boss of the series in the form of Sister Friede and her dad

DS3's DLC as a whole kicks serious ass. Even normal enemies are cool and tough (eg: corvian knights, ringed knights).

 

[Skinwalker]

DS3 always has either a linear path or a choice of one of two paths. It never really opens up at all.

 

[Silva]

I agree DS3 opens up really nice halfway through

No it doesn't.

Replaying it right now and just offed Pope Sully. I have the following paths to choose:

1. Anor Londo/Aldritch
2. Irithyl Dungeon/Profane capital
3. Smoldering Lake/Old Izalith
4. Consumed King Garden/Untended Graves
5. Lothric Castle proper/Great Library
6. Painted World/Ringed City

How is that not open, smartass?

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I agree DS3 opens up really nice halfway through

No it doesn't.

Replaying it right now and just offed Pope Sully. I have the following paths to choose:

1. Anor Londo/Aldritch
2. Irithyl Dungeon/Profane capital
3. Smoldering Lake/Old Izalith
4. Consumed King Garden/Untended Graves
5. Lothric Castle proper/Great Library
6. Painted World/Ringed City

How is that not open, smartass?

It's liek Dark Souls 2 but boring