Video Games

[mbenigni]

The final boss of the DLC is really like all the worst parts of From boss design thrown into one.

I also hate how most DLCs of any game try to cater so much to the hardcore players by amping up the difficulty. I want more of what the basegame did, I don't want "more challenging". Hell, even Astro Bot's free extra content misses this by adding just more challenge levels when those are often the least fun levels in the games.

I remember the 2nd DLC for Nioh 2 getting really crazy like this, too. Not sure I ever finished that one.

As for Elden Ring… If you told me before SotE happened that I’d walk away from paid-for FromSoft content, I never would have believed you. I just got so tired of wandering around wide open spaces hoping a twinkly bauble would pop up and make the next boss (if I could even find it) slightly more survivable.

 

[laxu]

Started Death Stranding 2 last night. So far it's all getting familiar with mechanics from the first game.

 

[the swede]

Started Death Stranding 2 last night. So far it's all getting familiar with mechanics from the first game.

Cool, i hope to finish the first game soon. I had to quit it and take a break because my OCD got me stuck doing pointless stuff so i lost the "feeling" of the game. Need to resart and go with the flow.... kinda... The game has to much opportunities with stuff that gets you addicted doing them.... or people like me that is... thats sensitive and cant ignore stuff.... The roads being a good example of addictive spare time shenanigans

 

[Devin]

Elden Ring wasn't too bad relative to the rest of the genre, but Shadow of the Erdtree, ugh. I finally had to throw in the towel. For a while it seemed too difficult, but I persevered. Then it just seemed too dull.

Speaking of DLC, I'm still chipping my way through my 3rd run through Lies of P so that I can eventually play Overture. This is the first time I've actually purchased the Electric Coil thingamajig, which I ignored for some reason on previous playthroughs. OMG this weapon is basically a cheat coat. :O

I made it in to the DLC this weekend; very cool so far. On my first playthru I used nothing but Police Baton and Aegis; this time I'm using Acid Spear and Cataclysm

Oh, also using the bow as my secondary weap. Never used a secondary weapon at all on my first playthru lmao


Also, I'm starting to wonder if the Vitality stat even matters in this game. Even the most basic trash mobs can take half your health bar with one basic attack lmao

And that's at 35 Vitality with endgame amulets/armor

 

[mbenigni]

I made it in to the DLC this weekend; very cool so far. On my first playthru I used nothing but Police Baton and Aegis; this time I'm using Acid Spear and Cataclysm

Oh, also using the bow as my secondary weap. Never used a secondary weapon at all on my first playthru lmao


Also, I'm starting to wonder if the Vitality stat even matters in this game. Even the most basic trash mobs can take half your health bar with one basic attack lmao

And that's at 35 Vitality with endgame amulets/armor

I'm working my way through Chapter 9 now, so hot on your tail LOL.

Somehow I stumbled my way into a Motivity build for the third damn time. It's just kind of the path of least resistance. And because I worry about running out of upgrade materials, I tend to "not fix what ain't broke", relying on whatever weapon is working instead of experimenting with the zillions of weapons the game throws at you. After a couple of times through, excepting a couple of boss battles, Lies of P actually starts to feel pretty easy, so this has basically meant running through the game with a +7 Electric Coil, and occasionally smacking big enemies with a big wrench.

Now, nearing the DLC entry point, I have all of these boss weapons - including the Twin Dragon Blade everyone always carries on about, and I'm considering a Technique re-spec. But I'm having a hard time convincing myself it will be any more effective than hitting really, really hard.

Anyway, great game... again. I was up half the night last night turning various strategies over in my mind.

P.S. "Aegis" - I never managed to get this arm to work reliably. There must be something in the description that I'm not quite following. Works as expected exactly once, then lets you down until you're dead.

P.P.S. "Bow" - SPOILER ALERT!

 

[Devin]

I'm working my way through Chapter 9 now, so hot on your tail LOL.

Somehow I stumbled my way into a Motivity build for the third damn time. It's just kind of the path of least resistance.

P.S. "Aegis" - I never managed to get this arm to work reliably. There must be something in the description that I'm not quite following. Works as expected exactly once, then lets you down until you're dead.

P.P.S. "Bow" - SPOILER ALERT!

My first playthru was high Motivity and high Technique; respec'd for high Motivity and high Advance this time for the acid spear (with Motivity crank).

Yeah, Aegis is essentially a one-time use thing; it was my emergency button haha

 

[Devin]

I'll be curious to see what you think of the new bosses

So far I am not a fan

 

[mbenigni]

My first playthru was high Motivity and high Technique; respec'd for high Motivity and high Advance this time for the acid spear (with Motivity crank).

I'm too greedy to share points between two different stats.

Yeah, Aegis is essentially a one-time use thing; it was my emergency button haha

One time is never going to be enough for me LOL.

 

[mbenigni]

I'll be curious to see what you think of the new bosses

So far I am not a fan

I hate bosses in general. To me, they're just a paywall (currency is time and frustration) between me and the rest of the game I want to play. The easier they are, or the more ways I can cheese my way past them, the better I'm going to like them.

 

[mbenigni]

I hate bosses in general. To me, they're just a paywall (currency is time and frustration) between me and the rest of the game I want to play. The easier they are, or the more ways I can cheese my way past them, the better I'm going to like them.

And right on cue, Walker of Illusions has entered the chat. I don’t recall doing this before; I can’t imagine doing it now. Nearly everything up to this point has been a cakewalk, but I’m in full-blown “fuck this game” mode at this point.

EDIT: OK so apparently she’s the “are you sure you want to go with motivity?” boss.

 

[Devin]

Oohh yeah I remember freak. Was painful

You got this kimg


I spent 30 mins this morning before I had to leave for work just trying to get past an elite mob, not even a boss. I failed lmao

 

[mbenigni]

I spent 30 mins this morning before I had to leave for work just trying to get past an elite mob, not even a boss. I failed lmao

That... does not bode well.

As for Walker of Illusions, ugh. MUCH easier with a Technique build and a Katana than with Motivity. (Big hammers, etc. are too slow, and she's too much of a bullet sponge to chip through with anything smaller.)

Unfortunately when you respec from one build to another, you start with the minimum values from your original spec, so you lose a little ground. Had to farm my way through leveling up the new weapon, might add a couple levels of Technique today, and then take her out.

I have a very vague recognition of answering an A/B question near the end of the base game and being forced into one final, terrible boss battle with no way to get back to the hotel to regroup. I'm trying hard to avoid that this time. :O

 

[mbenigni]

Finally got past Walker of Illusions last night. OMG just move this entire thread to the Water Cooler Rants forum LOL. I reset the Legion Arm thing and upgraded Pandemonium for what I hoped would be maximum cheese. Died with a pixel of health a half dozen times regardless. I was honestly starting to question whether my controller was breaking down on me, but it's more likely I just don't have a good sense of the rhythm of a Technique build. Anyway, just as I was starting to consider giving up and going to bed, she finally keeled over and died. All in all it was a massive annoyance, a 2 night ordeal, and the eventual victory felt pretty random.

I realize now that I'd never finished my 2nd playthrough of this game. I probably stopped at an earlier boss that hung me up - either Viktor or the Puppet Devouring Green Monster. On my first playthrough I would have been massively over-leveled after creeping through the same levels over and over again, and Walker of Illusions would have felt much squishier as a result.

So. After taking her out, I ran around the corner and found one of those riddle boxes. Every prior riddle had been perfectly logical, maybe a bit too easy. This one, neither answer made any sense. I took my shot and missed my first Trinity Key, meaning I'm out one of the better amulets for this playthrough. Ugh. Really annoying night with an otherwise brilliant game.

 

[laxu]

So. After taking her out, I ran around the corner and found one of those riddle boxes. Every prior riddle had been perfectly logical, maybe a bit too easy. This one, neither answer made any sense. I took my shot and missed my first Trinity Key, meaning I'm out one of the better amulets for this playthrough. Ugh. Really annoying night with an otherwise brilliant game.

Don't you get Trinity Keys from answering each of the riddles correctly? They can be used on any Trinity door so if you missed a key, just look up the solutions and rewards and go get the one that you need.

 

[mbenigni]

Don't you get Trinity Keys from answering each of the riddles correctly? They can be used on any Trinity door so if you missed a key, just look up the solutions and rewards and go get the one that you need.

Unfortunately, I've been using each Trinity Key as soon as I get it, thinking that was the easiest way to not lose track of the doors. So now I'm down one last key, and of course that last door has the best reward behind it. Womp womp.

 

[laxu]

Unfortunately, I've been using each Trinity Key as soon as I get it, thinking that was the easiest way to not lose track of the doors. So now I'm down one last key, and of course that last door has the best reward behind it. Womp womp.

There seems to be one thing you can do:

If you gave a wrong answer to one of the riddle of the king of riddles, you can offer the Bright Red Apple to the golden statue in Estella Opera House to receive a Trinity Key. This require to not have given the apple to Adelina as only one can be bought per NG.

 

[mbenigni]

This require to not have given the apple to Adelina as only one can be bought per NG.

You'll never guess what I did as soon as I ran into Adelina...

(In my defense, the game gives you no reason not to give her the apple, which she asks for outright. And later when the King of Riddles suddenly wants you to - oh I don't know, mash it into a telephone receiver maybe? - that's about as arbitrary as possible. Not that I'm salty or anything. Ergo bearing fruit SMFH...)

 

[laxu]

You'll never guess what I did as soon as I ran into Adelina...

Well, shit out of luck then!

But I think you can get something good in the DLC. I haven't played it myself, just watched LobosJr's streams of it.

 

[mbenigni]

Well, shit out of luck then!

But I think you can get something good in the DLC. I haven't played it myself, just watched LobosJr's streams of it.

It's funny, I was pissed that I had to replay the base game to get to the DLC, but then I got completely hooked again. Then, the last couple hours (which probably should have lasted 15 minutes LOL) preceding the DLC spiked the difficulty hard (Walker of Illusions, Corrupted Parade Master) and kind of burned me out.

Now, finally, Overture looks stunning, but I'm sort of sick of playing. And I probably need carpal tunnel surgery... or at the very least a new controller. :O

 

[laxu]

It's funny, I was pissed that I had to replay the base game to get to the DLC, but then I got completely hooked again. Then, the last couple hours (which probably should have lasted 15 minutes LOL) preceding the DLC spiked the difficulty hard (Walker of Illusions, Corrupted Parade Master) and kind of burned me out.

Now, finally, Overture looks stunning, but I'm sort of sick of playing. And I probably need carpal tunnel surgery... or at the very least a new controller. :O

Yeah the game has some really annoying spikes in difficulty just when you feel like you've gotten the hang of the game. I'm not quite sure at what point you can enter the DLC, but I'd probably give it a try and nope out if it feels too difficult for your current level. Maybe you can collect a DLC weapon or two to make things more exciting.