Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
If you do it solo, even level 200 is difficult because there are mechanics in place to mitigate power leveling through the DLC.
With Spirit Ashes though? Cakewalk.
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‘Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree’ At ‘Mixed’ Reviews on Steam Because It’s Too Hard
With Spirit Ashes though? Cakewalk.
Madflavor
Gold Member
I encourage those who haven't to experiment with the new Ashes of War the DLC gives you. They are strong as fuck.
That being said, I think both things can be true in this instance. There are players who are making things harder for themselves than they need to be. Not experimenting with new skills and weapons, not understanding the new scaling system, going into the DLC at NG+ and beyond, etc. However I also think the bosses are overtuned in some areas. I think the biggest problem atm is how aggressive they are with little openings. When you have bosses with a shit ton of HP, high poise, hit like a truck, and deliver 5-6 hit combos, you need to give the player a moment to breath inbetween. So far I've defeated what I believe is around 50-60% of all the bosses in the game. I think FromSoftware did go a little bit nuts with some of them.
That being said, I think both things can be true in this instance. There are players who are making things harder for themselves than they need to be. Not experimenting with new skills and weapons, not understanding the new scaling system, going into the DLC at NG+ and beyond, etc. However I also think the bosses are overtuned in some areas. I think the biggest problem atm is how aggressive they are with little openings. When you have bosses with a shit ton of HP, high poise, hit like a truck, and deliver 5-6 hit combos, you need to give the player a moment to breath inbetween. So far I've defeated what I believe is around 50-60% of all the bosses in the game. I think FromSoftware did go a little bit nuts with some of them.
Badlucktroll
Member
lol its hard as fuck but it seems manageable
Bernardougf
Gold Member
B tier souls game remains B tier.. news at eleven.
Pelao
Member
I've stayed completely away from discussion about the DLC so as not to spoil anything for me, but I saw this thread and I just don't get it. Maybe I have too OP of a build, but what the hell? I've been one shotting almost all the bosses, and the ones that I haven't, haven't killed me more than once or twice. It's my easiest experience with a From Software DLC to date and I expected to be completely destroyed since I came in with an NG+ save.
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March Climber
Gold Member
What’s your build?
I think some of the mixed discourse is based on what build each person has, and if that’s the case then that means the game is filtering people of different playstyles down fewer roads.
bigdad2007
Member
The issue is the $40 price tag. Considering From is notorious for reskinning stuff and reusing assets in DLC it is wild to charge more than half what the base game was at launch.
This isn’t new though, it is almost always worth just waiting for the complete edition of a From game to just buy all the dlc bundled at a discount.
This isn’t new though, it is almost always worth just waiting for the complete edition of a From game to just buy all the dlc bundled at a discount.
Puscifer
Member
I mean sure but I'd like to think someone who has the time for a level 200+ character should be able to play the DLC decently
Dusktildawn48
Member
This dlc is well worth $40, has more content than most $70 games.
Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Most complainers go solo when bosses are now designed to be a challenge for people who bring in Spirit Ashes. If you bring a strong one like the Mimic Tear or Tiche, bosses are no problem.
Pelao
Member
This at level 226 in NG+.
Started the DLC with Moonlight Greatsword, but changed to Milady as soon as I got it. Smithscript Dagger has also been great so far to deal with mobs.
March Climber
Gold Member
Do you think that the DLC is funneling you into using it’s items to succeed? Or could you theoretically have the same experience based on what you brought from the main game?This at level 226 in NG+.
Started the DLC with Moonlight Greatsword, but changed to Milady as soon as I got it. Smithscript Dagger has also been great so far to deal with mobs.
Pelao
Member
The Moonlight Greatsword was actuallly just sweeping through everything. In fact, I didn't start losing to some bosses until I changed it, but I'm forcing myself to experience the new content.
Lokaum D+
Member
Using 2 great sword and i m melting everything, poise is great and i can trade blows with almost everyone without losing posture.
Dynasty8
Member
This doesn't feel like a DLC. It feels like a full game.
darrylgorn
Member
Have to admit though, it is pretty funny when streamers break their controllers over losing to a boss.
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sigmaZ
Gold Member
It's probably not that hard with the right approach, but From could release a broken prototype for a game and Souls stans would defend it to the death. It really blurs the line of what is bad design when the response to any criticism is a meme. You can see this a bit in other communities like Final Fantasy communities as well. Just as people shouldn't be taken seriously when they simply complain, "It's too hard." people shouldn't be taken seriously when they just reply "Skill issue." or "Git gud." to everything. Opinions also are not a binary. You can hold the position that overall there is not much wrong with the design, but it a certain area they could have done differently to improve the player's experience.
SlimeGooGoo
Party Gooper
I told you to play Dragon's Dogma 2 instead.
Souls combat is outdated.
Souls combat is outdated.
March Climber
Gold Member
The souls community has created the perfect defense to every criticism and you’re right, it gives souls devs free reign to continue to heighten difficulty with every new entry into the genre. I guess I’m curious to see how far up this difficulty ladder we will continue to go until a glass ceiling is hit and too many people are filtered out.
Dr. Claus
Vincit qui se vincit
Sounds like excuses to me. Git Gud.
Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
Yes, it is intentional. Your power in the DLC is linked to two items you can gather, equivalent to Golden Seeds in the first game. People are not paying attention.
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simpatico
Member
The new weapons are amazing. Not just damage stats, but the length of the combos. I think the combat is balanced toward using the new expanded combos. Milady and Back Blades have crazy DPS and stagger ability. Between those two and the Giant Katana I'm swimming in fun stuff to use. I wasn't doing bad with Moon Veil before I found these.
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Dynasty8
Member
I dropped DD2 due to it being too easy. Cool combat, but it doesn't matter when there's absolutely no challenge at all.
geary
Member
The real question is here... On bosses you are are given different tools to use in the battle (spirit ashes, NPC summons) and you choose to use them or not. If they are given to you, is it normal to assume the game was balanced around using them and you are gimping yourself not using them? And afterwards complain about difficulty? Or the game is balanced around not using them and using them is a tool to overpass a challenge.
I tend to think as the first is valid.
cormack12
Gold Member
I saw one of these golden bosses on YouTube that everyone was complaining about. Did look ott.
I'm not the greatest souls player, lack of patience mainly. But just looking at it puts me off. I am deffo not the audience for these games.
Maybe when I'm older I may have enough time to knock my head against really tough challenges and have nothing I want to play more. I did actually enjoy DSIII rather than shout 'BULLSHIT' every few minutes.
I'm not the greatest souls player, lack of patience mainly. But just looking at it puts me off. I am deffo not the audience for these games.
Maybe when I'm older I may have enough time to knock my head against really tough challenges and have nothing I want to play more. I did actually enjoy DSIII rather than shout 'BULLSHIT' every few minutes.
DelireMan7
Member
Honestly I find it a bit too much. But I guess it's really a DLC for end game character.
I am lvl 115 (and weapon +17/18) and I feel like I am really underlevel. I am 2 two shooted by any bosses and strong enemy and I do very little damage to them.
So I find it quite frustrating sometimes. But again I am probably 20/30 lvl underleveled.
Also they went even further with "endless" string of attack. You have to dodge a lot of attack just to be able to hit the enemy/boss once or twice.
Also I was never a huge fan of "spinning" enemy and there are several strong standard enemy like that.
Nonetheless it's quite an impressive DLC. The art design is even better than in the base game. And so far no minor catacombs and cave to explore everywhere which is a big improvement for me.
New weapons are very original when compare to main game so it's quite refreshing.
I continue to explore, find the new bonus (that helps quite a bit for resistance and damage)and leveling up slowly till I am at a good level to appreciate the boss fight.
I am lvl 115 (and weapon +17/18) and I feel like I am really underlevel. I am 2 two shooted by any bosses and strong enemy and I do very little damage to them.
So I find it quite frustrating sometimes. But again I am probably 20/30 lvl underleveled.
Also they went even further with "endless" string of attack. You have to dodge a lot of attack just to be able to hit the enemy/boss once or twice.
Also I was never a huge fan of "spinning" enemy and there are several strong standard enemy like that.
Nonetheless it's quite an impressive DLC. The art design is even better than in the base game. And so far no minor catacombs and cave to explore everywhere which is a big improvement for me.
New weapons are very original when compare to main game so it's quite refreshing.
I continue to explore, find the new bonus (that helps quite a bit for resistance and damage)and leveling up slowly till I am at a good level to appreciate the boss fight.
March Climber
Gold Member
The game they made that was the best balanced with both options (using specific tools/tricks or fighting) was Demon’s Souls.
A part of me wonders how different this game would have been if every boss in the base game had a contextual ash or tool that it has a specific weakness to for the player to discover.
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Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Yeah, pretty much the first. The bosses are balanced around the bountiful of options available, one of them being Spirit Ashes. Solo players can bitch all they want, but it's not Miyazaki's fault that they're too cool to use Spirit Ashes or summons.
Lucifers Beard
Member
Outside of the camera during a few boss fights being a bit of a fucker when locking on, if you die in these games its almost always down to a decision made by the player.
These games are unforgiving and expect you to learn from your mistakes. It also clearly let's you know when you're not ready for an area or boss by smashing your face into red jelly very quickly.
DelireMan7
Member
I am a huge fan of the Soulsborne and difficulty was not a reason I enjoyed them.
I love their cryptic story telling, atmosphere, art design, world design...
I would say they worth a try. Dark Souls 1 and Bloodborne are their masterpiece for me.
On difficulty, I find that they went further and further into it making bosses more and more aggressive and oppressive. And honestly I start to think I might not enjoy that much their next Souls like if they continue this trend.
But to be fair Elden Ring give a plenty of option to make it easier if you want (summoning player or spirit).
A good FromSoft to play for difficulty is Sekiro. Very challenging but the combat system(different from Soulsborne and Elden Ring) is very good. And story, art design, etc... are extremely good too.
A masterpiece too.
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keefged4
Member
Started DLC at 50 Vigor. I think this may be the reason so many are struggling, because they ignore Vigor.
Senua
Gold Member
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
While review bombing is unacceptable as people should know what they are getting into, but it is time that FROM SOFTWARE starts having basic difficulty and accessibility options in their games. It's not 1980s anymore.
gaming_again
Member
People are already doing the bosses at RL1. Time to man up.
gaming_again
Member
Ugh. Just play something else.
ValiantTraveler
Member
It's a DLC, you're supposed to have made your way through most of the main game. It's too late to complain about the difficulty.
The YouTubers who make videos around Souls games did not complain about the difficulty at all, they know what they're getting into.
And let's not forget ER is the most accessible Souls game, you can avoid enemies, run away from them, come back to a boss later, summon spirit ashes to help you, find and upgrade strong weapons, and use the new system to buff your stats.
If anything the real issue would have been the DLC being too easy for players who are skilled, or overlevelled or on NG+ or all of that. I'm at level 236 and I nearly died to a couple of enemies.
I do have some criticism for the boss design, though.
The YouTubers who make videos around Souls games did not complain about the difficulty at all, they know what they're getting into.
And let's not forget ER is the most accessible Souls game, you can avoid enemies, run away from them, come back to a boss later, summon spirit ashes to help you, find and upgrade strong weapons, and use the new system to buff your stats.
If anything the real issue would have been the DLC being too easy for players who are skilled, or overlevelled or on NG+ or all of that. I'm at level 236 and I nearly died to a couple of enemies.
I do have some criticism for the boss design, though.
Hudo
Gold Member
/thread
Always was the case.
Davevil
Member
FunkMiller
Gold Member
The problem here is that Elden Ring was massively successful and popular - way beyond other Souls games. A lot of casuals bought it and played it. And that game made things easy with a lo of options.
This DLC clearly doesn't do that.
And nor should it. This is the kind of game From make. Either suck it up or play something else.
This DLC clearly doesn't do that.
And nor should it. This is the kind of game From make. Either suck it up or play something else.
Stafford
Member
Yeah, sadly. Because I sure am missing out on some amazing game worlds from what I've seen of base game and expansion. Perhaps it could be a practice thing too but I need patience for that too. Maybe if I had started Dark Souls by having a build that required me to roll/avoid attacks I would have that nailed down now.
Or as you said, maybe it just won't click for me. Very possible too.
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