I want a game that I can be smart and play the numbers OR be skilled and play the mechanics or both
That’s how every DS game except Sekiro works. There’s absolutely broken PvE builds for each game you can discover. There’s people who challenge themselves by coming up with builds capable of 1-hitting every boss in the game.
People come up with all sorts of broken or just extremely novel builds for PvP too, “bad numbers, no mechanical skill, but the enemy isn’t ready for what you’re about to do to them” is a perfectly effective strategy.
That usually requires you to play the game in a traditional way first to learn/acquire that information and/or bang your skull repeatedly against a boss that feels like bullshit because you failed to dodge one single ability. It’s just not my schtick.
That usually requires you to play the game in a traditional way first
Not really, I guess the first boss of DS3 requires you to beat traditionally, but after that everything opens up and you have access to various levels of cheese. Information like what boss is weak to what type of weapon and where to find such weapons requires exploration, looking for clues, and sometimes just trying different things. A lot of players don’t change their approach at all, just bang their head into a brick wall for 4 hours, and conclude the problem is the game, not their unwillingness to try alternatives.
That’s also the third game. I tried Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 and they both felt pretty much roll, jump and smack em with a stick.
I’m thinking Nioh, Bloodborne, Sekiro, stuff like that.
I also think the genre itself has become sort of weird where people will describe everything from Shovel Knight to Titan Souls to Jedi Fallen Order as soulslike which is insane in my opinion. I guess because you fight bosses in them or roll in some of them? I dunno. It has somehow absorbed all hack and slash, boss rush, metroidvania games to be labeled “soulslike”. Which is insane to me.
DS1 is like that though; the asylum demon has you run away and return with a better weapon and tactics to teach you this. The first boss, the demon on the bridge, you can choose to fight on a narrow ledge where it’s easy to roll off, while getting shot by archers, or you can climb the little tower to deal with the archers and the demon conveniently is standing directly below a ramp you can jump off of.
The gargoyles seem unfair as your probably bladed weapon just bounces off their rock doing little damage, but if you leave and come back when you have more levels or a big hammer (conveniently located outside the other bell), you can often kill the first one before the second gets into the arena.
That’s how every DS game except Sekiro works. There’s absolutely broken PvE builds for each game you can discover. There’s people who challenge themselves by coming up with builds capable of 1-hitting every boss in the game.
People come up with all sorts of broken or just extremely novel builds for PvP too, “bad numbers, no mechanical skill, but the enemy isn’t ready for what you’re about to do to them” is a perfectly effective strategy.
That usually requires you to play the game in a traditional way first to learn/acquire that information and/or bang your skull repeatedly against a boss that feels like bullshit because you failed to dodge one single ability. It’s just not my schtick.
Not really, I guess the first boss of DS3 requires you to beat traditionally, but after that everything opens up and you have access to various levels of cheese. Information like what boss is weak to what type of weapon and where to find such weapons requires exploration, looking for clues, and sometimes just trying different things. A lot of players don’t change their approach at all, just bang their head into a brick wall for 4 hours, and conclude the problem is the game, not their unwillingness to try alternatives.
That’s also the third game. I tried Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 and they both felt pretty much roll, jump and smack em with a stick.
I’m thinking Nioh, Bloodborne, Sekiro, stuff like that.
I also think the genre itself has become sort of weird where people will describe everything from Shovel Knight to Titan Souls to Jedi Fallen Order as soulslike which is insane in my opinion. I guess because you fight bosses in them or roll in some of them? I dunno. It has somehow absorbed all hack and slash, boss rush, metroidvania games to be labeled “soulslike”. Which is insane to me.
DS1 is like that though; the asylum demon has you run away and return with a better weapon and tactics to teach you this. The first boss, the demon on the bridge, you can choose to fight on a narrow ledge where it’s easy to roll off, while getting shot by archers, or you can climb the little tower to deal with the archers and the demon conveniently is standing directly below a ramp you can jump off of.
The gargoyles seem unfair as your probably bladed weapon just bounces off their rock doing little damage, but if you leave and come back when you have more levels or a big hammer (conveniently located outside the other bell), you can often kill the first one before the second gets into the arena.