Thought this might deserved its own topic. Had an eye on this one since it was announced. Got released yesterday, and I’ve spent about 2-3 hours on this and am enjoying it so far. Especially dig the art direction on this.
Yeah, that really caught my eye at E3. I didn’t know it was so close to release. Definitely wishlisted now. I’m in the middle of a few games, but definitely will keep an eye on this thread as well.
Souls-like with a kinder learning curve is like a scalpel precision way to get me to buy this. Damn it.
I just disliked Titan Souls so much it’s hard to want to try this. My buddy is playing it so maybe I’ll watch him or something.
It isn’t Souls like at all. Unless games where you hit things with a sword and you have to avoid the enemy attack by rolling is now Souls like.
Heh. Well, at least that isn’t as bad as when they call 2D games like Blasphemous and Hollow Knight with that label.
I have Titan Souls in my steam library. I should install it to find out if I hate it.
Yeah, I’m not sure why everything that has a dodge roll and may require you to repeat a boss fight more than thrice because you died is a “Souls-like”.
It’s an action-adventure. You fight enemies. Like in Zelda or any Metroidvania, each level has parts that aren’t accessible initially and need to be revisited later on once you’ve required an item that lets you do a new thing.
I’m about 75% in and I’ve been enjoying it so far. I like the controls, the atmosphere. I even don’t mind the puzzles - something that usually tests my patience in this genre. Also, the length seems fine overall - it’s not gonna overstay its welcome.
Dodge rolling over the edge into some abyss or pond is something than can happen in the heat of the battle and that can be a bit frustrating.
I do wish though there was a bit more depth to the gameplay: most combat skills you learn early on - and from that point on, there isn’t a lot more ‘new’ stuff that follows. The main point of distinction between the weapons is the attack frequency - but combat largely is the same regardless of whether you swing a hammer or wield a sword. It would be more satisfying if, for instance, the hammer would have you disrupt attack moves done by smaller enemies due to its weight. Alas, that’s not the case.
The upgrades to the ranged weapons are mostly lackluster, too. The fire upgrade for the bow is nice, but bomb upgrade (player does not suffer damage from explosions) did not really make the bomb more appealing to me or changed the way I use it. But that’s the kind of thing I’d be hoping when you only get a single upgrade for a weapon. And given that ranged weapons/magic don’t do a ton of damage, but can also be quickly recharged with a few swings, getting the fifth slot ultimately didn’t seem worth the time spent on trying to find the temples.
The four character attributes are also super-basic, and upgrading them isn’t satisfying because I don’t feel like having a lot more punch when fighting enemies after upgrading strength from level 2 to 3.
All those points aside, I’m having a good time and recommend this for anyone looking for a quick action-adventure fix.
Rated Essential by Eurogamer. “Zelda-like” as a descriptor seems appropriate.
I can see now why SkillUp was conflicted by the combat.
The game has good art, great music, a nice whimsical vibe, bits of humor that are welcomed, a few puzzle-like situations that mix it up just enough, and combat that… is competent.
‘Competent’ is a good thing, mind you. But it uses the most safe, standard-fare combat that you can imagine. You surely have played it before a dozen of times in the last 25 years.
You light attack 2-3 times a enemy and then roll out of their way to avoid their attack, then get close and repeat again. From time to time, you mix up your melee attack with your ranged ability. And… that’s it. There are just a few enemies with interesting patterns or behaviors, most of them are very straightforward, too. I can’t think even the most small gimmick or twist unique to this game applied over the formulaic and known combat.
So in the end, it feels like a waste that the game’s combat isn’t a bit more engaging, honestly.
The soundtrack is really good
The soundtrack is incredible. I’m almost certainly going to grab a copy for listening outside of the game.
On the later stages they have good encounter design, where they mix enemies in interesting ways.
I haven’t played the game yet but could you not use the hammer weapon to break the blockages?
Interesting! I have three of four souls at the same spot, and I have the means to break those walls, but haven’t found the hammer yet. I must’ve taken a different path somewhere.
I also got stuck on that part, but I can’t remember what I did. I think I thought at that moment that I had used all possible paths, but I actually had missed one.
I’m through that boss and on to the next area, but never did figure out how to get to that hammer. I did find another weapon (a set of daggers) in a different area I’d previously been through, though.
Finally found the hammer! But you’re right–it’s definitely in your best interest to swap around various weapons.
I’m likewise about to reach the third boss, but instead went back and have been scouring old areas now that I have the fourth spell. I think I’ve found the last two remaining weapons, but I haven’t figured out how to reach either, yet. I’ll turn my attention back to those once I’m done doing a bit of shrine hunting.
Do you have the fire upgrade for the arrows?
The fire upgrade is not a complete game changer, but I think it makes some boss battles slightly easier since you can do more damage over distance due to the burn.