Red Mosquito

That Boss was difficult
The sumon was really needed this time

You're killing me here, 'bain. Don't you ever feel like grinding out a boss without help? It's immensely rewarding (as far as video games go).

Well..half of the Bosses dont have a summon, thats enough
New londo ruins lets go

Finished the whole thing
Really loved It

Claymore +15
Black iron set +5 (havel set eventually)
Heater Shield (dark Knight eventually)
Ring of Wolf
Ring of "the one for stamina"

psychobain wrote:Ring of "the one for stamina"

Chlorenthy Ring is solid. I'm surprised you weren't wearing Havel's Ring for the equip load benefits! Also having the Grass Crest Shield on your back as you two hand a weapon will still give you a stamina regeneration bonus.

Shields are for pussies, unless you wear them on your back for that fashion souls drip.

Whenever i switched to the Havel i had tô wear the ring also
That Shield was good really

Lets go Elden ring

Uchigatana
Beast crest Heather shield
Carian set

Fire giant kicked my ass

This game is huge

No spoilers please, I'm just sharing my experiences with those interested.

I'm 20 hours into Elden Ring. No shields, summons or online resources. Using mouse + keyboard because I'm an idiot and gave my controller away during an extended hiatus from gaming.

I slapped a swamp dragon's shit. He was basically just a weaker Kalmeet (spelling?) from Dark Souls 1. Then I slapped the two pricks in the castle. The first guy, who summons a magic hammer, was super badass. The second guy, who cuts off his own arm to attach a dragon's head, was far less badass. I couldn't help but laugh at the amputation cutscene. Oh well, he ded.

Most recently I've found a giant tree avatar thing that spews homing lightning bolts. He's slapping my shit currently. I am using a +5 greatsword (I don't recall ever being able to upgrade to +5 this early in a Souls game? Meh, I'll take it), and have taken a liking to the bleed damage special attack/ashes of war thing. It absolutely shits on just about everything.

Oh, I also got to join the round table of certified badasses. Some dipshit tried to jump me when I entered, but that didn't go too well for him. As you can probably guess, his shit was thoroughly slapped.

This game is absolutely massive. I don't know how to upgrade shit aside from weapons, but that's okay. I'll just have to adapt.

You’ll figure it out

Post a screenshot of your current world map. I’m curious how far along you are and how far along you think you are.

Have had YT videos recommended to me lately just reminding me how special ER was.

Most stuff I've encountered feels somewhat doable despite being only level 36, except for the big bird bro (Black Knife Something?) who stands guard of the deathroot cult HQ. He straight up one shots me if he manages to land an attack. Shit is nuts.

He's not even hostile, I just wanted to test my might! Oops.

new Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo game,Wo Long, looks good

feels like Sekiro + Nioh

I’m excited for Wo Long. Played the demo and it was good. Straight into Gamepass too.

Upon reflecting on Elden Ring a year after its debut, it is apparent that the game possesses both strengths and weaknesses. One significant issue with the game is the spirit ashes mechanic. In the third act of the game, the bosses become incredibly challenging, making it nearly impossible to progress without summoning spirit ashes. This transforms the player into a more passive character, which can be unsatisfying. Furthermore, the difficulty level of these bosses is solely due to the inclusion of the spirit ashes mechanic, which is far from ideal. This stands in contrast to games such as Sekiro, where players must learn the bosses' movements and how to counter them to succeed, making the victory more rewarding. These spirit ashes are indeed a frustrating aspect of the game, no matter how great it may be overall.

You know how I feel about summons/additional aid in Souls games. Ideally, for me, bosses would be designed and balanced around solo play, but I understand that would alienate a majority of the playerbase.

As for the more passive experience at higher difficulty levels, I've always felt this way about Souls games. The fact of the matter is these bosses are going to kill you faster than you kill them 90% of the time. For me it's still about pattern recognition, patience, and taking opportunities when they arise.

Only an exceedingly skilled player is going to feel like a wrecking ball for the duration of a Souls game.